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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans
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Comments
My next car a Lexus soon.
German engineering going to hell.
Leo-K
sarg
thanks
1999 Mercedes-Benz C230 Sedan 4D, White, 35,000 miles - $24,900 (used
car dealer)
The car is in excellent condition.
4-cyl Supercharged
Automatic
Slip control
AC, PS, PW, PL, Cruise Control, AM/FM Stereo
Cassette Player
Compact Disc Player
Dual Front Air Bags
ABS
Leather
Moon Roof
Bose Premium Sound
Premium Wheels
Questions:
1) Is this car worth buying. I checked edmund.com, kelleybluebook.com
and consumerreports.com and the user dealer price is pretty fair.
2) What is the average cost of oil changes, scheduled maintenance (30k,
45, 60k)?
3) What troubles have existing owners of MB C class owners encountered?
4) Can three average size adults sit comfortably in the back seat or is
it pretty much a squeeze?
I have a 1999 Isuzu Rodeo with 44,000 which the used car dealer showed
me trade-in value of $12,175. I could finance the balance ($25k - $12k,
license, tax) using my two credit cards ($27,000 available credit at
4.75% prime rate) using convenience checks. The dealer said off the top
of his head he could get me financing around 6.75% for 3-5 years.
Thank you.
>>> Wilson
3 people will not fit back there comforatbly for any extended period of time.
Depending on when the car was orignially brought into service, it still may have the balance of the original 4 year/50,000 mile bumper to bumber factory warranty.
If you can find one, I'd reccommend trying to find a C280 with the 2.8L 194hp V6. It is smoother and quieter than the supercharged 4. The supercharged engine is actually quicker, but quite loud under acceleration IMO.
The old C is a great car. Maybe the last of the true old school Mercedes.
Are you buying the car used from a used car dealer or is it a Starmark Used Mercedes? If you're buying it from a used car dealer then I would take it to a Mercedes-Benz dealer or an Independent Shop that specializes in Mercedes-Benz to take a look at the car.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
1. You will have a new car with a full warranty for 4yrs/50,000 miles.You are at least guaranteed a few years without the visit to the local Mercedes garage, which can get really costly.
2. All maintenence, including breaks, are covered for that period of time.
3. The safety features on the c240 are more up to date.
4. Resale will be better
5. Dealers are bargaining on the 2002's to make way for the 2003's. It will cost you a few grand more up front to get this car, but you may save in the long run.
Best of luck
I have a rapid, slight but annoying vibration on the steering wheel between 30 and 40 mph. It is now in the shop for the 3rd time. Before, all they did was check the balancing and say that it was 100% ok. I have a feeling the vibration is in the steering system. Now they are checking the steering.
Do you know if this is common on the c240? I would want to replace the car if it can't get fixed. They tell me it may just be a 'feature'?! I am not sure what I should accept and live with any longer as far as cars go!
Thanks
Ivar
Unless your dealer finds a specific steering problem, I would strongly urge you to check whether they used a Hunter Road Force balancer to check the wheel/tire balance; if not, I'd suggest you find a shop that has that equipment.
Off-hand, you seem to be describing a tire problem. You should be aware that many tires these days come through the usual static and dynamic balance process with flying colors, but nevertheless produce very annoying, disturbing, even alarming vibrations within a specific speed range. Replacing the tires may not even help -- I went through 2 sets of brand-new Michelins on our Trooper without any improvement in a vibration that started after I replaced our worn-out Good Years; however, rebalancing with the Hunter machine completely cured the problem. (I'm also happy to say that the ContiSports on my Y2K C280 have been vibration-free).
Good luck with the problem. It would be a pity to take the hit in selling your new Benz if it's just bad rubber.
Bob
Vertical runout is most likely the culprit, that is, one or more of the tire/wheel combinations is not round enough. It only takes a variance of 1-1.5mm to make it very noticeable on these cars. And no, you are not the first one to have this issue come up.
The Hunter Road Force balancer that is being referred to above is designed to pinpoint vertical runout. It can then point the tech in the right direction to try to rotate the tire on the wheel to minimize the problem - or a new tire may be the only option.
Another possiblity is rotor or hub runout caused by incorrect, or uneven, tightening of the wheel bolts. This can actually distort the hub, and cause symptoms that feel like you're describing. I managed to screw up our '85 190E by doing exactly this with a torque wrench that was reading incorrectly, and I and the dealer pulled out hair out chasing the vibration through the usual means, always coming up empty until I confessed to what I thought was the source of the problem.
I think the car is a piece of CR*P
on warranty. I got rid of the Honda because of
atrocious wind and road noise and engine hesistation. There was no way the wind noise could be fixed as the car probably was built to
improper tolerances, bad window seals, ect.
The Mercedes is like driving in a cocoon. Never
knew a car could be so well insulated from outside noise. The engine is perfect and smooth
through all ranges. I have read other people's complaint about the radio. This is the best radio
reception I have ever heard, no static on AM. I
had a 99 Beetle and 95 SC400 that both had crappy
radios. The Lexus was unusable at night due the
wiring layout which picked up ignition noise. It
apparently was a common problem of all 95 and
earlier Lexus's.
The Mercedes build quality is superb. Maybe I got
lucky but the only defects I have so far is a
burned out bulb over drivers visor(vanity mirror
bulb) and the drivers climate control blue button
sticks.
My only major complaint like others is the seats.
They are very hard. When I go around a turn the
seat cushion pops like weight shifted off a spring. Do they use springs in the seats or like
have read on older models horsehair. I am thinking of using sheepskin covers to soften the
seating area.
Check out www.euroncap.com; it was a two star car and is outperformed - comprehensively - by the MCC smart micro-car, which gets three stars. Embarrassing? You bet!
The new C-Class is a four or five star car, depending on whether you believe collision safety points should be awarded for "seatbelt reminders". EuroNCAP rates it as both, in two tests. Still, it's head and shoulders above the old C, which ironically had a good reputation for safety in most peoples' minds, despite its unstable crash performance.
If the W 202 C-Class is the last of the old-school Mercedes, good riddance!
Prices for '03 C class -- ADD DESTINATION CHARGE [$685 next year?] in each case:
C230 Coupe - $24950 [Unchanged]
C240 Sedan - $29900 [Slightly down - but some eqpt will be optional that was standard]
C240 Wagon - $31400 [Offering the wagon with the 2.6 liter engine, so you don't have to spend upwards of $41k to get one]
C320 Sedan - $35200 [Manual trans will be standard and avail in Jan.]
C320 Wagon - $36700 [Again, manual in Jan]
4-matic available as $1800 option in Jan.
Automatic continues as $1300 option, now on all models.
The CD changer has been redesigned, will be offered as both factory and dealer option, and will be priced at [wait for it!]...$400.
Plus, a single CD player slot should be standard on all models.
Availability will be in August - some cars are already at the VPCs.
The new, all-aluminum 1.8 4 cyl. in the Coupe will be supercharged, lose about 5 hp, gain about 1-2 mpg in fuel mileage, and should be both quieter and smoother than the old 4. Performance in the real world should be virtually identical - 0-100 kph times are 8.1 seconds vs. 8.0 seconds on the old one. Sounds good to me...
- Paul
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
It is official. This morning I got a fax from a close friend of mine who wants to keep me in the loop. I am sharing this info wil you all.
2003 Year Model:
(1) Base Price for C230k $24950 comes std with S2 Option 172 Heated Seats and headlamp washers for no Charge.
C1 211 $1350// C2 212 $1215 // C5 now includes Panoram Roof also is $3750// C7 wheel package is $750.
(2) Base Price for C240S $31,400
(3) Base Price for C240W is $24900 comes with no charge for Driver Multi Contour Seat.
C4 172 Lighting package $750
C1 211 Pwr F Seats w mem $1250
C2 212 Value Added package $1600
c3 213 VAP $450
c4 214 Heated Seats and HL wahsers $836
Metalic Paint $565
Stand Alone Options:
349 teleAid $685//352 Command $2125//404 Dr Multi Contour Seat N/C //423 Auto Trans. $1325 //600 Headlamp wahsing sys N/C //810 prem sd sys $625 //819 fac installed CD $400// 038 Integrated 6 CD changer $400//048 Nav CD Collection USa Can $145// 873 heated seats $650//050 motorolla V60 Phone $1595//051 050 w VR $1995.
Cheers
Johnny2000
I suspect many new new owners are coming out of boring but bullet-proof Japanese cars. MB's may not be bullet-proof but if you've ever had a panic stop you know why you bought this car. My previous car was an '89 300E driven for 75000 miles. After 4 BMW's, MB's are superior and my next car will definitely be another MB.
Just a comment on the pricing on new Mercedes: When I went to buy my c320 a month ago and I was bargaining with the dealer, he kept saying that due to the new free maintenence, etc, the markup is only 6%. Another one told me 8%. One, if not both, are probably bending the truth. Personally, I think a straight 8-10% off the MSRP, especially with the 2003's coming in, is a fair deal.. I have bought 2 mercedes-both at 8-10% off of the sticker with trade-in within a few hundred dollars of blue book. My dealer offers free car washes as long as I own my car-free coffee or soda included, which saves me another $500 per year minimum (two cars washed every 1-2 weeks).
Thnaks
Thanks,
Bob
For what it's worth, I have used Euro Motor Cars for service in past. I bought my C280 there, and they have been OK, though I have not had to ask them to deal with anything as maddening as the key problems exhibited by the early W203 cars. True, they are a bit further around the beltway than HBL, but they do have an all-MB loaner fleet. My last 2 loaners were a 230 SLK (too cold out to drop the top, though) and an E320 4-Matic (very nice!)
Anyway, I will be trying ASC for my VA inspection. This one requires emissions testing too, so you can guess why I am reluctant to let my local Shell station put the car on the treadmill.
Bob
You might find it interesting that the dealer, who claims to have 72 ML320 loaners, had ZERO early on a Tuesday morning. Said that NONE had been returned from the day before!! I never thought about using their loaner for commuting! Good idea...
Tom
Apparently the driver door control module went out. I guess power was getting to the module, but it wasn't working so they replaced it with a new one and now things seem to be back to normal. I found it a bit surprising they would even have such a part in stock.
I had heard some not so flattering things about their service department and in fact the woman in line ahead of me when I picked the car up was pretty upset with them about something. But my experience was quite good.
Much to my amazement, She picked out a silver 320 wagon. It seems that even though she hated all the problems, she loved the car and did not want to give up all the safety features. We also need a bit more room since we had an addition to the family. (Gracie, a Golden Lab) We test drove a Toyota Highlander that was your nice solid Japanese vehicle but IT HAD NO SOUL!
The dealer really wanted to sell a car that day so they upped the trade-in by about $2,000 and we drove it off the lot that night.
2 days later we loaded her up and headed to Minnesota for a 10 day vacation and road trip. 3037 miles, 26.1 MPG and an average of 55 MPH for the entire trip. I loved the extra ponies and I could not believe how quite the car is. No problems other that the fuel gauge went to zero about 11:00 one night. Range indicated 10 miles. I drove for another 100 miles and when I restarted the car the next morning, everything was fine.
Thanks in advance,
Norm
No codes. Dealer is stumped as well, but he told me it was a "known" problem my MB and they were working to fix. Any ideas?
The one thing I notice is that since the gas tank is now less than half full it hasn't been doing it. I'm going to fill in the next 2 days and see if the problem returns.
Brian
01) Pay extra care to the electronic keys. They should be handled very carefully. Do not put extra weight to the key chain. If the key is not properly aligned when put in, funny things will result. Constantly making sure the light cover in the keys are clean.
02) Premium Radio will up or down automatically its volume depending on the interior noise levels.
03) When A/C is on, its normal to have water from under the engine.
04) In the latest 'Car Preview' magazine, it said its a disaster I-Drive comsumer response for the BMW new 7-series. The new E is much better in exterior design than the new 2003/4 5-series.
05) When the car has not been driving for a few days, the steering wheel would shake for the first 10-15 minutes due to tires are not totally rounded by sitting too long. It's normal. It happens to alot of European cars.
06) European cars are performance oriented. Engine is usually very hot. Please keep the outside ventilated area (area below the wipers) clean to let hot air out. Your engine will be very appreciated.
07) In cold winter time, be sure DO NOT drive right away. Please let the car warms up for a minutes or so. You can easily tell the engine noise (rpm) would quite down. For the first few miles, please be easy on the gas. It will pay you many happy motoring in the years to come.
08) The 3.2 engine will be replaced by a 3.7 engine with about 240 H.P. and will be called C350, E350 or S350 instead of C370, E370 or S370 in roughly two years, just like the 2.6 engine called C240.
09) There will be a new engine for the S600. It is rated about over 500 H.P. and is derived from the Maybach engine.
10) There will be a similar 'MB Power Trips' on Aug 17 and 18 in Tarrytown, New York. MB will be showing different types of new E and may be new CLK.
11)MB has been producing cars from S. Africa and Brazil. Please be sure yours is from Germany when ordering. The quality control is much better.
I will be away for awhile and will join you guys in the near future.
Good luck and happy motoring.
Mercedes has significant quality issues that it needs to address, especially regarding the completely unacceptable level of electronics-related failures in the latest generation of cars. However, pure assembly quality is indistinguishable between the plants in Germany and the plants overseas. When the workers are asked to assemble subpar components, they do so with pride and send them out the door just as enthusiastically in Rastatt and Sindelfingen as in Sao Paulo [or wherever it is]. The real problem that needs to be addressed is MB's continued tolerance of its suppliers of those subpar components. It is intolerance of same that distinguishes the Japanese - they jump on supplier problems early and stay on top of them. The gap between the designed-in engineering elegance on the drawing board, and the actual performance of the technology in the field, has never been so great. But where the car gets screwed together is irrelevant...that's not the problem...
>>I've experienced a minor glitch which required >>replacement of both (there are apparently two)>>gas tank fuel level sending units.
I had to have two of the same replaced on my C320 -- twice --at 10 months, not quite 7K. After I filled up the tank, I noticed it did not register as such on the gauge. I brought the car to service dept on a Wed; they ordered parts which came in on Fri, and I brought the 320 back in then for the sensors to be replaced -- waited about three hours for it. As I was leaving, I noticed the gauge still showed empty after they had refilled the tank. This time I had to leave the car overnight -- except it was Fri. I was later told the two replacement sensors they put in were defective.
They only had one decent loaner -- a '99 ML320 with which they were reluctant to part. Guess they thought it was too big for me. It was not difficult to handle, but on the freeway I was uncomfortable with the visibility. I had to rely totally on the mirrors. I was very happy to get my quiet, smooth riding car back on Monday.
Miki
- Paul
I appreciate the info! When the car is cold, I always wait until my RPMs drop before driving off. It's also my "sanity check" that everything seems to be working OK.
I used to fly small planes and was required to do an engine check & run-up before taking off. Kind of an old habit to let the thing sit and listen to it for a while to ensure all's well. Of course, in an MB the good thing is you're always on the ground (hopefully!).
Take care & I look forward to your returning to the board.
- Paul
Thanks, Paul -- This blonde without wheels on a weekend would never do!! Methinks I got that point across to them. LOL.
(Princess) Miki
besides that.. the car is fine.. and i must say my black/black rarly stays hot too long.. the ac is great!! cools the car off FAST!!. anyways.. hope youre all enjoying your cars!!
Anyway glad to hear from you again.
Returning to lurk mode.
Bubba
"...my friends all drive Porsches, I must make AMENDS." J. Joplin