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Mercedes-Benz CLK (2005 and earlier)
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Comments
Do not sign anything or turn over any money without a complete [at least 10-20 miles] acceptance drive of the actual car you will be buying. Make sure everything works, and pay special attention in the Coupe for interior noises. Check the tire pressures before leaving the dealer for the test drive - make sure they are set to the factory recommended levels, and not elevated for storage and shipping [this is all too common]. Make sure the car is vibration-free at speed, and that it tracks true and straight [no wandering or pulling] - wheel alignment has been an issue, though this is something easily remedied by a competent dealer.
Aside from alignment and interior noises, most of the rest of the long possible list of worries are things that aren't necessarily going to show up on a short drive - electrical anomalies and the occasional oil leak on the new 1.8 engine. But you can do yourself a favor by testing all of the common electrical components [seats, stereo, CD] just to make sure there is nothing really obvious.
You may also want to check out some of the Buying Articles from our Tips & Advice section. In particular check out "10 Steps to Buying a new Car."
Good luck, and please keep up posted on your purchase. Happy shopping! ;-)
Revka
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Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
My question is this...is it necessary to put premium fuel in the car? I've heard different stories and want to know the truth.
It will run on regular, but with retarded timing and a real risk for long-term damage, especially with the supercharged engine. MB strongly cautions you against doing this except in cases where premium is temporarily unavailable. They mean it.
91 Octane is part of the price of admission to this kind of car.
I purchased the car from new; it now has 8,000 miles on the clock. Due to my frustration I have given the car back to the dealer and they are giving me a new 2003 model, unfortunately I have to pay in an additional $ 4,000.00.
It seems as if most of you are extremely happy with your cars, so this gives me faith that my new one will give me years of trouble free motoring, I would love to hear your comments on the problems I have had.
Here they are, remember this is a new car.
EPS failed
ABS failed
BAS Failed
The boot has to be slammed to get it to close
Starter motor replaced
Ventilation control knob ceased
Sunroof wind deflector jammed.
Ineffective air conditioner
Doors unlock whilst driving
Occasionally when pulling off the engine idles roughly, as if it’s operating on one cylinder, pressing the accelerator has no effect, the engine works fine after turning it off and on again
Seatbelt sensors failed to detect the passenger was not wearing their belt.
The worst problem must be the constant rattles that emulate from the sunroof and the hatch back where the drawstrings attach to (Please e mail me if you have managed to solve these problems)
Fortunately after reading your comments it seems as if there are many happy customers out there hopefully my second Coupe will be better please feel free to e mail me on Berrill@iafrica.com with your comments
I considered a Coupe before buying our C240 sedan - but I was adamant that I wanted a car without the roof option, because my one test drive in a pano-equipped Coupe indeed suggested that this was going to be a source of problems.
The electrical stuff is just the usual litany of things that can go wrong with these cars - though not all in the same vehicle, usually. All of the German car makers are in love with electronic gadgetry - and none of them have shown the Japanese skill for picking reliable suppliers for this stuff. It isn't just MB - Audi, Porsche, VW, and BMW all have variations on the same theme.
I know that if my squeak reappears again, they will address the problem and if they can't rebuild the one in the car they will replace it with another new roof. That is one reason why I continue to buy Mercedes...you don't have to fight them to fix a problem, they just fix whatever needs to be addressed.
To berrill & others experiencing problems- For additional feedback, you should also post (copy/paste) your problems in our MB C230/C320 Problems & Solutions discussion. For future reference, look for this discussion in the Helpful Links on the left side of the page. Good luck.
Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
Be safe & have fun!!! :-)
- Paul
Thanx for the welcome. This car just feels like what I've always wanted a car to feel like but never had the courage to get. You are right about the fact that it is a Mercedes. This coupe is drop-dead gorgeous, and living in a medium-sized town with no Mercedes dealer for 25 miles, I have never seen so many heads turn!
Tim
We have a "98 E320 wagon which we love and it still has 1 1/2 years of starmark warranty left on it. However, the C230 sports coupe is really nice and gets better mileage too. We could pretty much sell the E wagon and buy the C coupe as an even swap. I'm not sure the hatchback is big enough for us though. They always seem to have lots of room at the dealership, but we have a baby and a dog, so there would be a car seat, stroller, etc. Has anyone with a family used the C230 sports coupe and has it been big enough?
The dealer offered us a pretty good price. It's an "03, black, C7 and C5, heated seats, and CD changer for 26,665. I would imagine that since this was his starting offer, he would probably go a little lower even. I calculated MSRP at 30,220 and Invoice at 28,157.
If it were large enough to work for us, we'd end up with a much newer, but smaller car without spending anything. Any idea which would be worth more 4-5 years down the line, the "98 E320 wagon or a "03 C sports coupe? I"m guessing the wagon has pretty much done it's depreciating and so would probably be worth more even in 5 years.
Sorry for all the rambling but I'm having a tough time deciding on this and would really appreciate anyone's thoughts.
My children are now grown, with one driving her own car and the other soon to be (17 and 15). For all of their dependent years, we had mini-vans and four-door sedans. I honestly cannot imagine having a two-door coupe in your situation, not because of the size but because of the (in-)convenience. For a couple of thousand more, you could have the C230 sedan, which looks just as nice, has the same everything, but also has four doors, which will become increasingly important as your child gets older.
Again, just my opinion. I hope it helps. Either way, you're still driving a Benz-- Life is Good!
YOUR advice SOONEST!
Thanks,
Joe S.
Houston, TX.
To jmalik1: Hi. How did you get the C230 for $25K? If I purchase this car, I want the same color and options that you have, except with the manual transmission. I haven't spoken with any salespersons yet, but after looking on-line at various web sites for prices, the cost is more than what you paid. How did you do it? Thanx!!
Regarding your questions:
1) This car has so much electronic gadgetry that things will go wrong. That is a fact of life for every car in the future. What really matters to me is does the dealer take care of me when there is a problem. If I didn't believe that they would, I was a fool for buying from them.
2) Having no wiper on the rear window has been a non-issue and I live in Michigan, where we have had a very wet and ugly May.
3) I have had several "hatch-backs" over the years. Most of these had metal where MB put this small plastic window. Yes it is slightly distorted, but it is obviously better than trying to look through a piece of sheet metal. I have always had a terrible time backing up and determining how much room I had to the car or building that I was approaching. This small window really helps.
4) As far as leg room, sorry, but I'm only 5'6", so I've NEVER had this problem!!!
I am in my mid-40's and I have never, ever had a car that felt so right in almost every way. This car is entry-level for MB, but it is still a Benz. I have found a great forum site where I have received tons of info. You might want to check them out at mbworld.org.
Best of luck with your decision. Let us know what you did.
Tim
- Paul
>Regarding your questions:
>
> 1) This car has so much electronic gadgetry
> that things will go wrong. That is a fact of
> life for every car in the future.
Agreed. One of the reasons why reliability is a problem is because at 12 volts, cars are low voltage systems. Current Automotive R&D is looking at ~42v systems, and IMO, they'll probably going to arrive before 2010. The resulting improvement in reliability should be similar to what we saw ~40 years ago when cars went from 6v to 12v (eg, significant).
> What really matters to me is does the dealer
> take care of me when there is a problem. If
> I didn't believe that they would, I was a
> fool for buying from them.
A most excellent point. From a lifecycle standpoint, the maintenance support of the car is orders of magnitude more important than "the buying experience" as well as if you save a few $K here or there off of MSRP.
For example, my wife has owned Audi's for the past ~14 years and she loves them, but the local dealership's service quality has gone in the dumpster over the past ~3 years. The consequence of this is that Audi is currently not on her list for her next new car.
> 2) Having no wiper on the rear window has
> been a non-issue and I live in Michigan,
> where we have had a very wet and ugly May.
The lack of it has been driving me nuts here in NJ. We're getting lots of tree/grass pollen with the rain, and the back window is a gooey mess. On my older hatches, two sweeps with the rear wiper would clear it out.
FWIW, I do recognize that part of this problem is "my fault" because my C230K lives out in the driveway in the summer because my Porsche gets the garage bay. My alternative is a bigger house, as I've already unsuccessfully tried to steal my wife's garage bay :-) All for the want of a $75 wiper assembly that MB didn't even offer as Optional equipment in '02.
> 3) I have had several "hatch-backs" over the
> years. Most of these had metal where MB put
> this small plastic window. Yes it is slightly
> distorted, but it is obviously better than
> trying to look through a piece of sheet metal.
Good point. Overall, I don't see the rearward visibility to be measurably worse than the same on many modern sedans with high trunk decklids.
>4) As far as leg room, sorry, but I'm only 5'6",
> so I've NEVER had this problem!!!
I'm 5'8", so I also don't have the problem that is of meinauto's concern to offer comment on.
But my build is more torso than legs, so what I've found is that I have headroom problems fairly often in the back seats of many cars. YMMV, but my personal philosophy is that I'm looking at a car that's not a 2-seater, that means that the dimensions of the back seat have to be pratical...good enough to actually accommodate people who you want to remain your friends. The old idea of tossing in a tiny back seat so that the insurance company doesn't hit you with higher rates for a 2-seater doesn't fool them anymore.
The reason I mention this is because it was the poor dimensions of the back seats for why I passed on the RSX and a few others that meinauto had mentioned as being under consideration.
BTW, something else to look at are the contenders' torque curves, especially its width. Several years ago, I was seriously considering a BMW 318TI, until I found that from a torque standpoint it was a "gutless wonder" at low RPM's. I still have a soft spot for the low end torque put out by old VW 8v "Stroker" motor designs :-)
-hh
When my daughter was born in 1985, we went from a two-door Ford Escort (Ewwwwwww!) to a brand-new VW Jetta. Most people thought "How can that little car handle a growing family?" but anyone who has ever owned one (or seriously looked at one) knows how much room there is in that "little" car, especially in the trunk. That car served us well and never lacked for space until both kids were past the toddler stage and then, time for the mini-van. (Double-Ewwwwwwwww!!)
In 1995, I met a lady who was driving a '95 SL320 at a gas station at Big Bear Lake, California. She said the insurance was pretty steep, and would have been worse if she had gone for the SL500.
- P.
Back to the C though, has anybody seen a C320 Coupe w/ the V6? It seems like a screaming bargain for a 3.2L V6 powered MB.
I saw a few C230K Sport Sedans over the weekend. The wheels make the car look so aggressive.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Do any of you guys know what changes are in store for the C-Class for 2004?
M
I read that we'll be seeing an all new C Class in 2006 as a 2007 model. It will be the first "everything by wire" Mercedes out on the market.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
M
Maybe they can program the drive by wire steering and brakes with simulated "force feedback" like a video game.
M
rj
I know Mercedes had a lot of problems with the first run of '01 C Class (that seem to have been fixed), The COMMAND system on '00 & '01 S Class also had problems. I suspect that those early production (1st year) everything-by-wire C Class cars are going to have their share of gremlins.
Now while it is true that the Rack & Pinion setup provides for better road feel, don't discount the old recirculating ball. BMW still uses it in the current (soon to be replaced) E39 540i & M5 (to save space in the engine bay w/ the V8). I don't recall ever reading anything about the 540i or M5's "lack of road feel"
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
M
I am concerned about the handling and power of the 320. I drive a Mazda Protege 5 now and it handles very nice. I run the 270 degree on/off ramps at 60 MPH. I don't want to give up this type of zippy handling. Also, compared to the G35 the MB power is down. I don't expect to hang with Z cars, but want a good showing. Comments from C320 owners?????
How is the after market for these. Such as big sway bars and engine upgrades. I am not a ricer (42 years old) but after years of autocrossing Datsun Roadsters I want a capable car.
Thanks for your time and keep enjoying your Benz.
You probably know the 320 powered V6 MLs from '98 to the first few months of '03. That's nearly a 5K pound vehicle that tows 5K pounds. The C320 is about a thousand pounds lighter than an ML. The 320 engine powers MB's E-Class and even some S-Class models that are not sold in the US.
The C320 develops its peak torque at a low rpm and holds it over a long, flat plateau. It's a great mountain climber (doesn't need high revs or need to peck around for the right gear) and offers good engine-braking on the way down the mountain too.
I noticed many of you paid well below invoice on your '03 C230 coupe. I am surprised and envious! Where do you all live? I haven't had any luck with the dealers in the New England area. They are only willing to knock off $1K from the MSRP. I think that's horrible especially compared to what you all paid.
What is considered a good deal on this car? Does anyone know of a good dealer in NE?
Please, any suggestions & advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
I will continue to post questions/experiences after I receive my new Benz!
Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
To address the pricing question, I also got a car under invoice price here in Connecticut. It seems that deals are even better now since on carsdirect.com you can get it for $2000 or more under invoice and I am sure at the dealer's you'd do even better.
Anyway, will be happy to address specific questions if any...
I test drove the C230 Coupe and fell in love with it. It beat all the other cars that I test drove -- the G35 Coupe (more horsepower but just plan loud and gawdy, not to mention dealers who are arrogant about having the Car of the Year), the Acura TSX (no power passenger's seat even optional and no memory seats), the Saab 9-3 (no complaints, but the car was soul-less), and a whole lot of others... The C230 coupe is also much better looking that the sedan.
I just want to make sure that I don't get taken. When you love something, you can do crazy things... I'm thinking about carsdirect.com, but I am willing to negotiate if I can get a better deal.
Any thoughts, group?
My 2 cents - if you have the time, get 2 other solid estimates in the area and make them beat the lowest.
- P.