c240

[benz222]

interested in buying a c240 4 matic,and haven t seen too many positive reports in this forum.if i did but one,can anyone give advice as too how i shud drive the to get better speed,esp at start[/list]

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[PC Valkyrie]

I will save you from responses like "do a search".

The stock 2.6L V6 is relatively underpowered for the car's weight and not very fuel efficient. That's the bottom line. The automatic transmission is driver adaptive so one thing you can do is "drive aggressively" so the transmission will upshift at higher rpm's where there is more power (peak torque is at a pretty high 4700rpm).

However, if you are not looking to blow people away from the stoplight, it is more than adequate for everyday driving. There is plenty of passing power once at speed. The engine is silky smooth and the car is a very stable highway cruiser (even at speeds close to 200 km/h).

If you have the means, however, gettting a C320 4-matic will get you the best of both worlds: silky smooth quiet engine, and a lot faster car.

[pokerFACE]

benz222, note that PC Valkyrie's comments come from a C240 *rwd* owner. Therefore, any sluggishness in the car with this engine will be more noticeable in the heavier 4matic version.

[elchinocache]

get a c320 4matic. i test drove my friends c240 4matic and its slower than my non 4matic. if you plan to keep the car for a while get the 320 because even though you pay a little more now, in the long run you'll make your money back and more in gas savings. as it is right now in the middle of winter in ny, i get 16mpg city driving and about 23 highway. its deplorable wat i get in mileage. my last car was a civic that gave my 30+ mpg all year round.

[MarkL]

Crazy question maybe, but have you considered a BMW 325xi? More powerful than the C240 and thousands less than a C320. 4-year free maintenance to boot. Production of the 2005's is almost over since the retooling for the '06 3 series is about to begin. You can probably pick up a nice 325xi at a good price -- just a thought.

[elchinocache]

mark has a point

[05Css]

I would stay away from the C240 at all cost. I owned one for 3 years and hated it. The power is so weak. I know you want the 4matic but if u must have something like that then consider other cars. If you want a Benz and dont car about the 4matic then get the 05 230 SS, I love it. Good luck to you.

[wblynch]

We have a 2004.5 C240 Wagon (rwd). It's actually a very pleasant little car. It runs very smooth and quiet.

The handling is great (well we have the 17" staggered SS wheels and tires on there) and the overall build quality is superb.

Having had a 3.0 JAguar X-Type I can say I really like the all wheel drive. We really didn't consider it for our 240 wagon, though, due to budget considerations.

Knowing that the 4-matic is much slower than the rwd brings me comfort and happiness because I realize I do not own the slowest Mercedes Benz in North America.