andwhysee

I am interested in two used cars 1. 1998 C280 w/40kmiles for $15,000 and
1999 C230 with 38kmiles for $16K. Are they both good buys? how reliable
are these vehicles? any problems I need to be aware of? What kinda problems
Will i have for next 30Kmiles on these two vehicles??
These two ads I found on cars.com the prices seem very good because used
Accords and Camrys with similar mileage are not much cheaper

davis449

I would go with the 1998 C 280. They're good cars.

DougandhisC280

I agree. Just the fact the it has two more cylinders would do it for me. Most of the bugs had been worked out by that time so you shouldn't have to worry about much. If you were originally looking for a camry and stumbled across the Mercedes, beware the horrible expenses of getting them fixed.

mic280

If they still starmark or with warranty go for the C280 otherwise
check the transmission part number coz it will give u a headache later. Unless you are willing to spend another $5000 after you hit 70k for a new tranny.

andwhysee

which transmission number should i avoid? is it common to replace to the transmission every 70kmiles on MB?

95c220

If you are looking at late 1998 or 1999 models, you should be fine. The issues with the 1997-early 1998 transmissions was that they were the first run of the electronic transmissions with the "lifetime" fluid fill. As you get to mid-1998, they've worked out most of the bugs. What you should do is as you get close to 50K miles, find a dealer or independent mechanic who will change out the fluid and filter. Make sure that you use the MB fluid *only* for this transmission.

merclover

C280 all the way

tpliquid

C280 then u can put in kompressor have more HP

andwhysee

Thanks for all your replies. I am more concerned about Reliability than performance or ride. I know MB perfoms and drives well.

Jano

I'd go for the C280 since you'll get a more refined engine with slightly more horse power.

But if your more concerned about reliability, I would have to say that you need to know the service history of both of these C-classes. Without such information, either car could be a bad choice if the current owners did not takecare their Mercedes Benz!

vjd3

Where do you live, Andy? I have a really nice 99 C280 still under factory warranty that I will give you a good deal on. I'm in Boston.

Vic