mr.candid

Hi Folks, Brand new member, great forum! I am a private guy from Syracuse,NY

Im young and looking for that new car thats for me. Im done with the fast cars, need a civilized sedan. Daily, for year around.

Just looking for some opinions and comments on what im getting my self into.

Im stuck between the 2005 C230 Sport and a 2006 325i. I just dont know. Pricing wise im at 12k. I have found some phenomenal private individuals lately that have both these cars.

And this is what i get after hours of searching, phone calls and more,

-2006 325i, At least 90,000+ miles or so and hard to find original owner Always more pricey then the c-class. The look is just there new body style 2006

-2005 C230, Lower miles usually under 80k but for a bit less money. Older look but the benz ages well and is pretty. Not as "young" looking as the bmw


So im stuck, ive test drove them both and still cant decide. Bring me input!

Peydidy

All about preference really, I would choose the 05 C230 but thats probly because thats what car I have right now haha. That aside 2005 is a good year out of the w203s because it has the facelift plus the m271 engine which is a 4 cylinder so you get great gas milage (I get 32 on the high way) and it is a Kompressor so it defiantly does not compromise on power. Fun car to drive if you ask me. Welcome to the form btw!

kirax2

the miles seems kinda high for european cars... depends how the first owner drive them but are you tight on budget? if so their repair cost might not be for you

mr.candid

Nice to hear you enjoy yours. How many people comment on it ?

I really like the m271 engine. Timing chains a plus and just the construction of it seems very nice. I have owned a w8 engined car and 24valve vr6. I can spot a reliable engine out.

The owner of the benz im looking at did say the great mpg it gets. I favor it because of the issues the 06 v6 has with balance shaft.


---------Im working on a cash budget i have a number i want to hit. Ive just been with my dealer friend at the auction and i know the wholesale prices they go for and trade in value. Hell my friend just picked up a 03 e320 like new with 61,000 miles for only 8700.00 !! Black on Black saw a red c230 go for 9100 recently as well!

Peydidy

Ehn I dont really get comments on it that much, I get alot usually the day I wash it but other then that not much. Gas is great on it, I get better gas millage then my moms mazda 6 and my dads mazda 3. One thing I always regretted in my car was not getting a command navi and seat heaters. But those are my preferences, the key is to think long and hard about what options are important to you and the color. Are you planning on keeping your car stock or modding it?

mr.candid

absolutely stock oem +look if anything. I got this pewter/black c230 i may go look at...private party lady.

Peydidy

If your considering pewter look at some of my pics in my thread, I have pics of how the car looked when I first got it, the pic in my signature is how it curently looks. There are some really nice pewter c230s on this thread, and some really nice modded ones. Pewters a really nice color at night, but in direct sunlight it can look a little weird. I love the color because its not a very common color, everone always asks me what color it is and when I say pewter they just look at me confused.

heres the link to my thread of when I first got my car though: https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post5031321

kirax2

here is a pewter C230 coupe!!



this is the guy i bought the Brabus Lips and Grille from

mr.candid

very classy. I like the pewter..

ferrariyellow44

EVERYONE has a 3 series, get the C class for that reason alone! Although I'm sure the BMW is a better drive..

TexFinn

If I was to choose between a C230 and 325i, my choice would definitely go in favor of the MB. If the BMW was a 330i, then the decision would be a bit more difficult.

I have both so it is easy for me to compare. And I still love them both.

In any case, it all depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for more luxury than sport, then I think the MB is better choice. If it is sport you are looking for, I'd go for the BMW.

BMWs require a bit more preventive maintenance than MBs, so one important criteria in your search should be whether the car has a verifiable service history or not. Also, to be able to do some work on the cars yourself is very beneficial. Taking the car, whether it is the MB or BMW, to the dealer or even indy shop every time it needs something could drain your wallet fairly quikcly.

LILBENZ230

80k miles is a lot for a European car?

My 130,000 mile 2005 C230 begs to differ. It's as good as it ever was.

I'd go with the C230 Sport over a 2006 325i. Those early E90 325s are plain and quite ugly. The Benz does not look dated at all in comparison.. on the contrary, looks far better.

TexFinn

Agree. Even though I'm probably a bit more biased towards E46, but still.

My E46 has 136K and W203 92K miles and both are running great, so the miles are not really a concern for me. The major factor with these things is the maintenance it has received during the miles they have been driven.

LILBENZ230

The 3-series and C-class have never looked better before or since than the Sport W203 and E46.

tommy

The important question is what is your cash budget for repairs/maintenance over the next 2-5 years? If you haven't budgeted any money for it, you'd be far better off getting an Accord or WRX, imho (especially for the nasty Cuse winters).

However, having said that, I'd pick the Bimmer over the Benz; their more sporty nature just wins out, even more so if you're going to keep them stock. Unless you're a member of AARP, of course.

polarbexar

My 05 just past 170K and runs great. The only thing I've had to do is the belt tensioner and trans. mount.

mr.candid

thanks everyone for the responses and comments...

Good to hear about some of the high milage owners are still kicking. I think im going towards the c-class..

it be my first Mercedes but probley not the last. LOL

Tri-Star

Syracuse ... I went to college up there. You should be looking for something with awd not rwd since it snows like 10/12 months. I'd try finding a 4matic or XI.

pa-hawk

I was going to suggest the same thing based on your location, 4matic or xi. When I bought my 07 4matic I drove both it and the BMW xi. I chose the C280 for several reasons. I am in PA so I am actually in a milder climate than you but I would not even consider a RWD car for commuting to work. I talked to the owner of an 08 4matic who had several RWD Mercedes and he said the RWD models are helpless in snow. All I know is the 4matic is the best car I have ever driven on snow covered roads. The only problem for you is fuel economy. At least for 07 to the present models the only engine available in 4matic is the 3.0 liter V-6. It is a great engine but not a fuel economy champ. Figure on 25mpg in summer and about 24mpg in winter.

mr.candid

Ok i missed my car deal. Now im out looking again...

Whats up with the 2006 year c230...

Im interested in one thats very near by with about 88,000 miles. I do know the 6 speed transmission and the new V6 engine is new to the year.

How is the dependability and drive of the 06 07 ? Should i save a few bucks and go with a slightly older 2005 c230 ?

MBfinatic

Do you mean 6 speed manual or automatic? The 230k is going to faster and more gas efficient.

mr.candid

Automatic or 6 speed. How is the v6 engine reliabilty the first year in 06?

LILBENZ230

The 2006s could have engine balance shaft issues, but that's not too common.. you should definitely stick with the 6MT, though, because the automatic transmission in the 06-07s are having conductor plate problems ($1000-1500 repair).

ncmudbug

I think Mercedes does better automatic than manual transmissions (and the pedal position suques). I think you have to be a little more motivated by a manual to get one in a Mercedes. The automatic is pretty good. It's smooth and almost never puts you in the wrong gear. Of course it requires more maintenance. I didn't realize about the conductor plate which could be a little bit of a negative.
The V6 is very smooth. Mercedes did a really good job with the balance shaft (unfortunately, there is a known issue with it but MB is known to take care of people with the problem). The I4 is not rough but it is not going to be as smooth as the V6. In that respect it feels a little more sporty and the V6 is a little more luxury feeling.
I haven't had a Bimmer in a long time ('82 320i) but as I remember, its 5-speed was pretty good and the pedals were placed well so if a manual tranny is important to you, you should seriously consider the Bimmer everything else being equal.
Having said that, I like my '05 C230 (6MT) and I also like my wife's 06 C230 (AT). I like mine just fine and wouldn't trade it with my wife (unless she REALLY wanted me to - but she doesn't, thankfully). I'm not familiar with all the BMW models anymore but I think the Mercedes cars generally look better than the Bimmers lately.
Good luck and let us know what you end up getting!