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Mercedes-Benz CLK (2005 and earlier)

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Comments

  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Here's a new discussion that some of you may find intersting: Mercedes-Benz C230 vs. Saab 9-3. If you have any insights to share on this subject, please join us there. Thanks!

    Revka
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    Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
  • jacktimjacktim Member Posts: 2
    I ordered a C-230 with leather in September of 2001 and was told I could expect a January delivery. I'm now being told maybe March because of mad cow disease in Europe. Can anyone help me here? Both the dealer and MBUSA tell me the same thing.
  • cimoca6cimoca6 Member Posts: 1
    Anybody used the European delivery for a new MB. My dealer Millennium in New Jersey told me I will save the delivery charges ($695). He quoted me a price 2.5 % under MSRP. Any other better dealers in NJ?
    Thnnks
  • huntzingerhuntzinger Member Posts: 356
    I'm really surprised that you're still waiting.

    I did a test-drive in a C230 with leather back in December, so while there have been leather shortages due to the problems with Mad Cow disease, their supply wasn't completely cut off.

    (FWIW, I also found that the seat designs are surprisingly different between leather & cloth: the center panel in the leather is sprung very soft, and the cloth is quite firm).

    Also, while I skipped leather, I didn't place the order for my C230 until earlyish January and it came in 2 weeks ago (I took delivery on Monday of last week).

    My scheduled build period was 1-10 February, which was a modification of an existing allotment - - I'm not sure, but it appears that transmission is the primary thing that "locks in" the build, as I was able to change colors and change options. My guess is that cloth/leather interior MIGHT be another "locked in" constraint. Your dealership should be able to tell you the answers here.

    Your "maybe March" sounds slightly at odds with how I was handled: I'd ask your dealer why you don't have an exact build date period like I was told (Note: I was told this at the time of sale). The only uncertainty I had in my delivery process was exactly when the car was going to get to the USA after it was built. I was told to expect it ~30 days after the end of the build window. My point here is that if we were to suppose that it was slated for delivery on March 31st, that means that its build period probably would have had to have been 20-28 February.

    Finally, it does appear to me that M-B's vehicle tracking system might not have too many checkpoints in it for the dealers to check status. I don't know if there's a "got built" checkpoint or not, but what I do know is that the main one that reportedly "pops up" for the dealership is when the car arrives in its US port. From there, its ETA should be just a few days.

    Hope this helps,

    -hh
  • huntzingerhuntzinger Member Posts: 356
    Anybody used the European delivery for a new MB. My dealer Millennium in New Jersey told me I will save the delivery charges ($695).

    That seems to be about it for any discount from M-B. I'm going over to Germany later this summer and in the end, decided that it wasn't worth it. IMO, BMW is the company for which ED is quite worthwhile.

    He quoted me a price 2.5 % under MSRP. Any other better dealers in NJ?

    Intercar up in Newton, NJ gave me 3.5% below MSRP. Phone# is 973-383-8300 and my salesman was Reid Smith (he was quite good).

    However, Newton is easily an hour's drive north of Millenium in Bridgewater, so might not really be worth your time for a $300 savings, but Intercar also only charges a $99 documentation fee, and some dealerships charge a lot more (M-B of Morristown: $300! Not recommended). Depending on how much Millenium wants, this might make the trip worthwhile.

    -hh
  • mapman1138mapman1138 Member Posts: 68
    And it still isn't here. I also have "late March" as the next arrival date. I'm beginning to get pissed, and I am thinking about turning up my nose if it ever does get here. I'm a patient man, but a winter without a car (aside from a CR-V shared with my wife) has ticked me off a bit.

    The Acura CL-S 6-speed is looking better and better to me. :o(
  • tommyp13tommyp13 Member Posts: 146
    MB actually has a complex series of 2-digit codes for cars throughout the entire process, from the time that it's ordered to the time that you pick it up.
    If you haven't done it yet, first of all, I'd wait at the dealership while your salesperson gets into the production system, prints out your car's order, and gives you the current code associated with your car.
    That will serve two purposes: you'll be able to completely verify your car's options, as well as find out what the status is of your order. When you've got the code, either on this forum or the W203 db at mbworld.org will be a listing of all of the codes. If the salesperson refuses to do this, take that as a warning sign that you're not getting ths straight scoop from them, and either ask to talk to the sales manager, or kill you order and walk.
    Even with leather, most ccoupes are 2-3 months total from deposit to delivery; leather isn't the big wait that it used to be.
    I bought my ccoupe from Prestige in Paramus, and all that I got was a reduced price on the cd player, but I ordered it in July, when they weren't doing anything on price. Your 2.5% sounds reasonable.
    Also, you might want to do a blind call to Millennium's service dept., and ask about their loaner policy. Most dealers in the NE only give out loaners to people who have bought their MB's from them, so that alone might be a reason to buy from a local dealer.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Anybody read it? There's a sidebar on MB's 6 year production plan. Pertinent information for this board includes: 2003 C-Class Coupe AMG (I wonder what's going to power that thing). 2006 "All new C Class Coupe, which will be the first totally drive-by-wire Mercedes-Benz model." This car muct be impressing the big wigs so there is a bright future for it!

    BTW: I think the Supercharged 3.2L V6 from the C32 AMG would be a nice fit in the C Coupe's engine bay for that upcoming AMG model:)

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • timjacktimjack Member Posts: 7
    To: tommyp13 and huntzinger,

    Thanks for the information on helping me understand why this car has taken over 6 months so far. I ordered an auto. trans, C-4,C-5, in brilliant silver and after initially telling me January am now being told March. I paid $500. under MSRP so probably more than the rest of you.I also want to tell the dealer to take a hike but after reading the postings, it weems to be a pretty good car.

    Has anyone heard what changes will be made on the 2003 as I may cancel this one and wait.
  • jjpeterjjpeter Member Posts: 230
    Timjack, looks like some different engine modes to the C230-kompressor may be in the offering for the 03's. Link below


    http://mbspy.bacosys.be/M271.htm

  • timjacktimjack Member Posts: 7
    Anyone want to help me create an offering price to the dealer for the C-230 sport coupe in brilliant silver,auto,C-4,C-5 and navigation. List is $33,155 and invoice is $30881. I'm in CT and last summer everyone told me they were getting list.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Have you had a chance to check out Edmunds' TMV Vehicle Pricing Calculator? Also, from Edmunds' Advice section, here's an article about Edmunds' TMV and setting your target price. Others here may have more to add. Good luck. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
  • sf_collectorsf_collector Member Posts: 3
    Hey you all,
    I just got my C230 kompressor a month ago. Loving it. The performance is great. I even bought a car cover for it but never used it. So I am putting it up ebay for sale. If any of you are interested, please go to ebay and look for.

    Item # 1811218783

    Bought it for $198 and will let it go cheap.

    thanks!
  • mlsphdmlsphd Member Posts: 26
    timjack:
    I bought a c230K from jordan at MB of Greenwich. The price was invoice +3%. To avoid any problems, I suggest:
    1. agree on a specific number for the price. You should be able to do it for 31,800.
    2. They will try to add in an amount for "document fee" of $200. Tell him you want 31,800 delivered, exclusive of tax and license. They might give you a price of 31,600 and then add back in the document fee.
    3. I did not pay any advertising fee.

    Jordan was very easy to deal with. I did the deal over the phone, gave a cc# for deposit, and he faxed the sales contract.

    I ordered end of nov and took delivery 3rd week of jan- they were able to customize an existing build slot.

    I am a pretty satisfied customer--they also threw in winter mats and sent a nice gift basket after purchase. (However-also got put on some high end mailing list, and got and incredibly plush and slick solicitation for 3000+sf trailside ski condos).

    A few days before delivery, I was able to talk them into an installed price of 725 for the cd changer.

    BTW: MB dealers in New London and West Hartford were also willing to be very competitive on price. The salesman at the Fairfield, CT dealer (where we went for a test drive) was very insulted when I asked about a discount. He called a few days later and was willing to deal, but I didn't want to play.

    Happy shopping.

    It is worth the effort and wait. And CT is a wonderful place to drive it. It is a joy on the winding 2 lane roads.
  • chowchow3chowchow3 Member Posts: 9
    Location: Northern California
    timeline:

    First tested drive in October, 2001. List price only from various dealerships. NO pricebreak at all.

    Went to a few websites. Only deal I got was from Carpoint.com which hooked me up with Symthe European (San Jose). The sales person was Matthew Le. $500 off MSRP. I went back to the Walnut Creek dealership where I test drove the car originally and they would not match it. So I went back to SJ and ordered my car. Even though I told Matthew I have already test drive the car and all I wanted was to place to order, he still took time to show me the different colors, options and offered another test drive. Car arrived at the end of Dec. Some mixed up (could have been a deal killer). The car was the one I originally wanted but not the right price. I didn't want to wait anymore. Ended up with $750 off MSRP and a set of all weather floor maps (I hike, bike and run - this is important to me.)

    Car - C1, C2, silver,cloth, no CD (mistake,will probably go back and get it), extended warranty (For the listed price. I intend to keep this car, knowing how much it cost to fix anything related to MB, the 2K seems a good investment)

    Matthew was great. His assistance Inga was great too. To be fair, there were some avoidable mistakes but we are all human. Because of some other mixed up, he delivered my car to my house (3 weeks after I close the deal) which was more than 65 miles from the dealership. Nice touch. Got flowers too. Another nice touch. (guys, chicks dig that.)

    I thought I got a good rate for the car loan. Their loan manager looked at my credit history and actually gave me a better rate (1/2% less than the one I got from a credit union and without direct deposit or down) Another plus.

    I would definitely use them again.

    I have 1K miles on the car. LOVE IT. :))Handles superbly. Lots of truck space. I used it to move some furniture and it holds a lot more than I thought. One complain - the antenna is SO SO weak. Any suggestion? Do I need to upgrade to the Boise System? I don't think buying the CD would help. Also, since I intend to take my car to service by a different dealership, someone said I need to make sure a mechanic is assigned to my car. How do I do that?

    Hope that this long winded message help some future buyers out that. Help with my questions would be most welcome.
  • galaxygrrlgalaxygrrl Member Posts: 21
    You got flowers, wow, that so cool -- much better than a fruit basket. I did not even get a thank you note. But I got a good deal guess it's a trade-off.

    I do get a rose when I bring my car in for service though. It's a nice touch.

    Oh, isn't it amazing how many guys still don't get that chick dig flowers?

    Enjoy your car.
  • mlsphdmlsphd Member Posts: 26
    A bit off topic, but since this has strayed into flowers---
    for the last 21 years, starting before we were married, my wife has been getting a single red rose delivered weekly. Best $ I ever spent. And, as you might have guessed from my earlier post, I like to get good value for my $. In addition to the goodwill every week, I get a good deal from the florist for the standing order.
  • chronopassionchronopassion Member Posts: 7
    . . . the C5 and C7 packages as well as automatic. Based on their books, the car is in the Mercedes facility in New Jersey and stated to arrive late this week or early next week to here in the Midwest.

    I felt the C5 and C7 packages were reasonable and make the car more "Mercedes-like". I could not stand the fabric interior, so the C5 gets me oyster leather. I also had to get the sunroof which C5 gets me. The C7 gets me 17 inch performance wheels and includes various measures of the "Evolution" package sold in Europe.

    List was $30,365. Invoice is allegedly $28,287 with TMV as $30,069 in Alabaster white. I haggled briefly and got $1,200 knocked off list which I thought was a good discount based on all the information I had. In the end, they asked if I was interested in trading in my current car. The offered $4,000 which was right on target with Edmunds trade in value. I accepted that. So, my take home price before taxes is around 25K.

    Overall, I am satisfied with the process up to this point. Of course, I do not have the car yet, so I cannot comment on those impression.

    I am looking forward to it and hope that it will give me a good run.

    CP
  • ciracira Member Posts: 37
    I ordered my 230 on 1/7 and was told by my salesman that the car was produced on 2/1 and delivered in March. After waiting through February for a delivery date, he told me last week that the car was built on 2/11 and he would find out an ETA. Today he told me that "production was completed" on 3/7 and ETA would be about a month, probably mid-April. When I asked what happened to the 2/11 build date and March delivery date he said "that 2/11 was when production began and it was completed on 3/7." This sounds like a lot of nonsense to me. That's almost 4 whole weeks to build a car! I got a really great deal on the car and I suspect they would like me to walk so they can sell the car to someone else at a better price. Anyone have any insights as to whether MB is being straightforward with me.
  • jjpeterjjpeter Member Posts: 230
    Cira, we ordered mid-last August, got a build date of the second week of Sept. (yeah, the week of 9-11) and from there they promised a delivery in mid-late October, about six weeks. On Thusday, 10/25 we got the call that the car was in and on Friday the 26th we picked our baby up. Have not been happier. And chowchow, we also bought from Symthe European in San Jose, CA. A very pleasant buying experience.

    From all the posts I have read here, about six weeks for delivery after you have recieved a firm build date.
  • huntzingerhuntzinger Member Posts: 356
    I ordered my 230 on 1/7 and was told by my salesman that the car was produced on 2/1 and delivered in March.

    I ordered mine at around the same time, had the 1-10 February build window. It arrived (in NJ) on 2/20/02. It seems that mine must have just caught everything just right (was the last car loaded onto the boat, first one off and right onto delivery truck, etc)

    After waiting through February for a delivery date, he told me last week that the car was built on 2/11 and he would find out an ETA.

    Today he told me that "production was completed" on 3/7 and ETA would be about a month, probably mid-April.


    Something does sound a bit odd

    When I asked what happened to the 2/11 build date and March delivery date he said "that 2/11 was when production began and it was completed on 3/7." This sounds like a lot of nonsense to me.
    That's almost 4 whole weeks to build a car!


    It is. I would ask if they had a production shutdown, major re-schedule or something, for typically, from the time that the chasis starts to get welded up to where the car is driven off the end of the manufacturing line is typically measured in hours, not weeks.

    Anyone have any insights as to whether MB is being straightforward with me.

    You might try visiting the salesman at an off (known slow) hour, and asking to see the numbers in the computerized report. If they're legit, he shouldn't have much of a problem in showing them to you, as he's probably a bit frustrated himself with the delays. He could decline, but its probably worth asking.

    -hh
  • tariktarik Member Posts: 344
    Without wanting to take away from your happiness, the extended time to release on your car could have been caused by damage in production. Lots of cars are scratched up or otherwise damaged while on the assembly line, and will have to "stay over" to be repaired in a specialty "damage repair" shop within the factory. Usually they do an excellent job, but are not required to even mention it to you. Just be very careful when you get the car, take your time, check the paint, overspray, and possible waves in the sheetmetal.

    Tarik
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    I was at the Lexus dealer today in Portland Oregon and they had just stuck a silver C230 out on their usedcar lot. I didn't have time to look at the car so I don't know how it is equiped.
    Probably traded in on a Silly Ugly Vehicle..
  • chronopassionchronopassion Member Posts: 7
    . . . about the C230 from its buyers (i.e. Edmunds consumer rating of 9.0) vs automotive experts? It seems that people who buy and drive the C230 are quite pleased with it, while the "experts" do not seem to appreciate it. Is it because the professional reviewers have been spoiled driving $120K SL500's and try to compare the two? Just curious. I have already put my deposit down and there is no turning back for me.

    CP
  • toyotas1toyotas1 Member Posts: 134
    Just saw one on the street. That design, that 3-pointed star, it....it....was the most steaming pile of monkey $#@% Ive ever seen! The engine note sounds like a lawn mower wih a busted chain! Pandering to the masses, still TRYING to stay #1 luxury marque. So sad, so sad. Way to water down the marque, good job.....can anyone say 318ti?
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    This Toyotas troll really gets around....
  • chronopassionchronopassion Member Posts: 7
    One of my friends is an Indy Racing League driver from Europe. When I mentioned the car, he had only glowing comments about the Kompressor engine. Again, I guess professional drivers have a completely different attitude about the relative noise from the engine versus automotive magazine "experts".

    CP
  • jjpeterjjpeter Member Posts: 230
    I can't imagine Mr. Toyota has test driven a C230, just saw one on the street, now has to let all us owners know his opinion. All I can say is; try it and then come back with some intelligent feedback...
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...yes, it is my opinion that the car gets no respect from the car nut magazines and such because it is compared to more "upmarket" models in the DB line. The amusing irony about that is that most DB mass-market sedans [C and E classes] sold in the EU market are equipped very much like the C-Coupe, including the cloth upholstery that seems to get the auto buff writers in such a snit. And until recently, most gasoline Es sold in the EU were 4 cyl models, a fact little known and unappreciated in this country, with its dirt-cheap fuel prices.

    Mercedes has brought a lot of this on itself. When I bought my first [of 13] Mercedes in 1968, the car I bought [a mid-size that eventually morphed into what is now known as the E] had a 4 cyl engine, manual steering, tex upholstery, crank windows, a manual transmission and no AC. This was pretty typical for the car then in both the US and EU; only the top line S sedans, and to a lesser extent the SLs, were loaded with so-called luxury features, though even these were commonly equipped with steel wheels and wheel covers.

    During the intervening 35 years, Mercedes has spent a gazillion dollars in this country trying [successfully] to convince the American public that this car LINE [from top to bottom] is a "brand" that is to be synonymous with luxury...so gradually over the years, our market got nothing but loaded cars: leather, alloy wheels, every power option, etc. Now, the presence of something as simple as cloth on the seats sends the press into silly rants - never mind the fact that plenty of EU MB customers still prefer cloth to all of the alternatives.

    It's tough to take one marketing direction for several decades, and then turn in another direction and expect no one to notice. This has all been an AMERICAN marketing "thing": in Europe, the "image" of the car never changed - safe, comfortable, durable, great for high-speed running on long trips, a bit boring compared to some competitors, but dependable and good for the long haul. Any MB below the S class or the sports cars / coupes is the EU equivalent of a Buick to most EU buyers - they don't know they are supposed to regard the Star as a sacred icon.

    So yes, the press is harder on this car than owners are; presumably, most people who buy the car for most of the right reasons [the same reasons that made me make the decision in '68] are happy with their purchase and a bit puzzled about why they should feel like they settled for second-best. All of this would make an amusing case study for Marketing 201, and illustrates for the umpteenth time the Law of Unintended Consequences.

    Just wait for them to bring in the A-Class successor in '04...that ought to start a real uproar...
  • toyotas1toyotas1 Member Posts: 134
    LOL Twice! You guys are precious.....
  • tommyp13tommyp13 Member Posts: 146
    I either want to laugh or cry. They usually tend to come off as a Grey Poupon commercial, and talk about how stuffy the brand is. Then they start with, "this car doesn't have X standard and Y option like on the E and S classes". They really stretch what should be expected in a $25,000 car. I think that they have been much more harsh on it than the 240 (much less hp for $5,000 more), which I think deserves it more.

    Which also translates into something more important to me: rarity! Something that Toyotas definitely cannot have. :~)
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Nice post. I agree completely. The C230 actually is a surprisingly well featured car for the price. It's just that the U.S. public has been conditioned to expect a certain set of features, so we dismiss this car as being poorly featured for not having leather seats, even though it has traction control standard, and this boils down to the artificial perception of the MB brand as a luxury brand through-and-through that is subpar if it doesn't have the luxury features.

    I thought and still think the C230 is kind of pricey. But when you line up up against, say, a RSX-S, you see it coming with a number of features that aren't available on any of the competition.

    All that said - I've been thinking that the 350Z could really do some damage to the C230 given how well equipped the Touring model comes. Granted, two seat vs four seat. Still, MB's first value-oriented vehicle on U.S. shores is going to start facing some rough waters.
  • chronopassionchronopassion Member Posts: 7
    . . . of the United States. When the VAT is taken into account in Europe, many countries price out the C230 Kompressor at nearly $50,000 US. My parents, for example, live in Southern Europe where the C230 Kompressor would cost them $47,000 with similar options that I got. They ended up buying a Peugeot 307 for approximately $16,000. About the same size car (Peugeot has four doors and a CD player!) but about one third the price (no they do not live in France). I do not entirely agree the EU members consider Mercedes simply a well-built car. My Indy Racing League driver from Europe said "Oh, Mercedes, best car in the world" when I told him about my purchase. Mercedes sells a bunch of A Class cars in Europe which might be considered much more accessable to EU members. Even in the Sport Coupe class, Mercedes sells a bunch of "lesser" versions of the C230 Kompressor in Europe. I probably will not remember all of them, but there is a C180, a C200 Kompressor, and then the C230 Kompressor which is the top of the line in this subcategory. So, I simply think the American public is not used to seeing a Mercedes that is only slightly more in cost than a comparable car. You just do not see Mercedes sold in the same close range in Europe (exception is specifically in Germany and a couple other places). Again, a repeat example is that a similar type of car (Peugeot 307) is only one third the cost of the C230. I guess they really consider one of their A class cars (approx $20,000 range in Europe) to compete with the Fiats, Toyotas, etc.

    CP
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    The C230 isn't too bad a value when you factor in the tremendous amount of safety equipment in it. More than you'd find in a Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus. Eight air bags, full-range stability control (Toyota/Lexus's VSC is not full-range, nor is Honda/Acura's VSA), seats that supposedly hold up well in collisions, excellent structural reinforcements for collisions from all angles, turn signals in the side mirrors, etc. Those items cost money and won't be found in every vehicle.

    The key differentiation between the 318ti and the C230 is the power -- not just raw horsepower, which is good, but plenty of torque at low rpm's. The 318ti was a pretender when it came to performance, while the C230 delivers very good performance.

    This while having some real room in the back seat, unlike, say, an RSX which has a tiny rear seat.

    Add free scheduled maintenance in the USA and the cost of ownership is actually quite good in the first four years. Plus the level of dealership support will be, on average, better than most others.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    huntzinger forgot to mention, just this week, another C230 HB is parked in our parking lot. Just purchased, from the same dealership. Different color and more loaded with options, but with 16" rims instead
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    I bought an IS300 SportX over the C230 but I still like the C230. The engine in the C230 does make some different sounds and isn't as smooth as an inline 6 but I found it to be perfectly adequate during the test drive. If Benz puts a 6 cylinder in the car the price will probably be headed well towards 40K which would be a shame.

    wmguan, what do you mean that the VSC in my Lexus is not full range? The VSC seems to disagree with me on throttle angles anytime I try and stick the rearend out exiting a wet corner. It has a little too much range for my tastes. I wasn't able to really drive a C230 hard enough to see how the VSC reacts.
  • ciracira Member Posts: 37
    Someone on the sedan board just posted the changes that will be made in the c-class for 2003. Most of these apply to the coupe. He wrote:

    This list is from a source at mbworld. It applies to the C230 coupe, but a few of the changes will probably make it into the sedan where applicable:

    Interior
    - new design steering wheel incorporates cruise control
    - single CD player standard
    - new design smaller/cheaper 6 disk CD changer intro 12/02
    - new high end DSP stereo system incl sub intro 12/02
    - new interior colors TBA
    - window switches moved up 15 cm
    - storage pockets on seat back
    - seat rack travel increase 5 cm
    - seat latch repositon to side
    - rear seat cupholders built-in console side
    - 12V power point in hatchback area

    Exterior
    - several colors retired and new colors TBA
    - new C7 wheel/all season tire option
    - AMG package C9A/C9B intro 12/02 C9B incl 18 inch staggered
    - rear window wiper option
    - redesigned windscreen for pana roof effective MY2002 05/02
    - bi-xeon headlight option intro 10/02
    - new smart key functions TBA

    Of all the changes, the two that seem the most important to me are the windscreen and the smart key because I have heard a lot of complaints about both. The sedans seem plagued by defective smart keys and electrical problems, and I have heard about (and experienced) the wind vortex that can occur in the coupe. For those of you who have been lucky enough to obtain your 230s, have either of these problems dampened the thrill?

    To those of you who offered your insight on my order dilemma, many thanks. Still waiting...
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    - rear window wiper option

    I thought the car didn't need one? Right, that is why it is an option :-))

    Sounds like Benz has listened to some owners and is making some adjustments. Should make a good car even better.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Like to see a the 3.2L SOHC V6 as an option. Then an AMG version of the C Coupe!

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • toyotas1toyotas1 Member Posts: 134
    I was walking to my car, and I had to sneeze. I blew my nose, without a hanky, and there it was in front of me, a Lime Green Mercedes C230 Coupe! It was....unbelievable! The door handles were a little....moist.....
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    It isn't a Camry Solara, but most of the owners (and other people) on this board are admirers of the C Coupe. They make different cars available in different colors for different people.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • clhawkins01clhawkins01 Member Posts: 25
    from magnetophone. (magnetophone "Toyota's New U.S. Division: Scion" Mar 15, 2002 2:26pm)

    It's the little things that makes me smile ... like this magnetophone's post. Don't get me wrong, my wife has a 2002 Toyota Camry SE and we love it, but I am looking at the C230 to replace my old Explorer. I get some great info from this group, but I'm sure we can all do without toyotas1 juvenille comments.
  • clhawkins01clhawkins01 Member Posts: 25
    Cira, many thanks for the 2003 preview ... it looks like I may wait for these to hit the market. I'm a techy and the new features always grab my attention ... along with my money.
  • clhawkins01clhawkins01 Member Posts: 25
    Cira, many thanks for the 2003 preview ... it looks like I may wait for these to hit the market. I'm a techy and the new features always grab my attention ... along with my money.
  • tommyp13tommyp13 Member Posts: 146
    There is a rumor of the 2.3l being changed for a 1.8l. So, not all change is good.

    In other words, if you're basically happy with the '02 version, get it; '03 may be worse.

    I've had no problem with my smartkey or my windscreen, btw. Had the car since late Sept., and only 10 mi away from 10k. Damn, these miles add up quickly.
  • jjpeterjjpeter Member Posts: 230
    I've noticed the rapid build up of brake dust on the front wheels of our C230. Is this a characteristic of all MBs? Do they use a soft front pad to achieve braking performance? Is there an after market sheild or such that prevents the dirting of the front wheels so soon after they are cleaned. Anyone solve this one or is this just something one lives with?
    Thanks!
  • rowlandjrowlandj Member Posts: 254
    There are two basic options. Live with or put on aftermarket pads that have less dust.

    I have chosen to live with the dust, but I have waxed the wheels to make it much easier to clean the dust off.

    The dust seems to be European Car characteristic no matter the make or model.

    JR
  • mlsphdmlsphd Member Posts: 26
    I already have the '02, so I am not unbiased. However, in software and cars, I prefer to let others do the beta testing and get the kinks worked out. My last brand new engine type was (dating myself) a '72 rotary engined mazda. Mazda replaced the engine twice, and after I got rid of the car, I got a check from the settlement in the class action suit about engine reliability. MB is a different organization, certainly, but the 230K is a tried and true powerplant, the 180K is a new model.
  • toyotas1toyotas1 Member Posts: 134
    Wooooooooo!
  • huntzingerhuntzinger Member Posts: 356
    Mercedes has brought a lot of this [Luxury image] on itself. When I bought my first [of 13] Mercedes in 1968, the car I bought [a mid-size that eventually morphed into what is now known as the E] had a 4 cyl engine, manual steering, tex upholstery, crank windows, a manual transmission and no AC. This was pretty typical for the car then in both the US and EU...

    True, but let's be honest and recognize that Mercedes is hardly alone in this; all the manufacturers have done it, because of the "new and improved" syndrome.

    I recall having a 1979 Honda Civic, and it was a far far, cry from today's mid level (semi-lux) midsize sedan: it had crank windows, a tiny 1.2 liter 4 cyl., no AC, no radio, etc, and the entire car only weighed something like 1160 pounds, less than half of the current 2002 model.

    -hh
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