eddieo45

1. Rear visibility. I keep adjusting the side mirrors using the side of my car as a guide, then I'm looking skyward! Thru the rear view, clear plexi area doesn't defog, and the "spoiler" is right where I want to look.
2. Pano roof goes seemlessly from "flip-up" to "slide-open", whereas sedans do these things separately.
3. Spare tire came uninflated, and now I can't seem to uninflate it as small as it was. Tough to cram back into well. Neat compressor, though.
4. Wicked dark back there where the spare is.
5. Adjust headrest at all and seat won't flip forward without hitting sun visor.
6. No rear cupholders. (y'know, for the kid)
7. Them big-a** doors is hard to open.
8. Car is way too much fun to drive. I had hoped for 30mpg, but flooring it all the time has me getting only 24 :-(
9. Stock looks too good to mod.

Of course, there are also some cool improvements over my W202:
1. CD changer in glove box.
2. Left side stalks seem better arranged. No more hitting the cruise control when signalling.
3. Steering wheel radio controls. How did I ever reach all the way over there?

nlpamg

don't you miss not having a digital display for the climate control too?

eddieo45

no, my wife's often looks messed up--you've got to run your finger over it to "smooth it out". Plus, I must be a spaz, as I can't really seem to figure out how to make it come out of the places I want. Her display doesn't seem to offer, say, A/C out of the dash vents ONLY.

nlpamg

wow, I had no problems with mine. I liked the fact that it showed you what speed the fan was at, and that I could press a button and it would change and show you what vents you were using...

one thing that I do like from the c280 to the c230k is the handling. the c230k has the same power, but is waaaay more nimble and more fun to drive... (but, as for reliability, I don't know)

did you change the control arm bushings on your c280? mine were already gone, and I heard that it was pretty common...

eddieo45

Our 280 Sport actually handles great (knock on wood; no control arm bushings yet with 81K); but it feels like a Bentley compared to my coupe, as far as comfort and solid-ness. I'd like to sell it and get a W203 sedan, which I find hard to believe is larger inside and out (it looks more compact). I want my wife to choose whether she wants a 230SS or 240-4Matic; she's a mellow driver with a short, stop&go commute. She says she likes a "sporty" car, but I'd bet she couldn't tell the two models apart.

CitronC230K_03

that is an easy fix!

CitronC230K_03

1. Rear visibility. I keep adjusting the side mirrors using the side of my car as a guide, then I'm looking skyward! Thru the rear view, clear plexi area doesn't defog, and the "spoiler" is right where I want to look. you get used too it, get convex mirrors for blind spots.
2. Pano roof goes seemlessly from "flip-up" to "slide-open", whereas sedans do these things separately. never seemed like that big of a deal to me
3. Spare tire came uninflated, and now I can't seem to uninflate it as small as it was. Tough to cram back into well. Neat compressor, though. there is a compressor and Roadside assisntance, who cares.
4. Wicked dark back there where the spare is. when i get kidnapped and thrown in the trunk ill complain. atleast i can still get out with the release button or too let light in.
5. Adjust headrest at all and seat won't flip forward without hitting sun visor. should have splurged for power seats
6. No rear cupholders. (y'know, for the kid) dont have that problem
7. Them big-a** doors is hard to open. not really, hit the gym
8. Car is way too much fun to drive. I had hoped for 30mpg, but flooring it all the time has me getting only 24 :-( that kinda sucks especially with gas prices
9. Stock looks too good to mod. hmmm, thats debatible. OEM mods!

eddieo45

don't get me wrong, Citron, I love my car---almost as much as you love yours (it was your posts that mostly turned me on to the car), and I know I'll get used to these things (that's the the name of the thread). I only want to question two of your "rebuttals":
2. you never just want to crack up the back of the roof for a little ventilation? that's always been a great feature of a two-way roof.
5. if you need to let someone in your back seat, does the power seat somehow flip up farther than mine, even with the headrest up?

CitronC230K_03

2. you never just want to crack up the back of the roof for a little ventilation? that's always been a great feature of a two-way roof. push the button, dont pull, the roof will then just vent. pull the button down to close. the button represents a sunroof. when u want it back, push it back. when you want it to vent. push it up like its venting. hard to explain.
5. if you need to let someone in your back seat, does the power seat somehow flip up farther than mine, even with the headrest up? i have power seats. when i release one to push forward to allow a passenger in, the headrest lowers to the lowest position and returns to the set position when the seat is placed back and locked. also depending on how far forward or back the seat is, depends on if the seat goes up one extra position for easy entry. plus my seat goes back and steering wheel up when i turn off my car. and when i go in reverse the passenger mirror tilts down so i can see the curb. gotta love power!

and yes i love my car!

drexappeal

Eddie, this one is debatable. Steve's got the upgrade offered for 202's manufactured 1997 and up:

LINK: MBenzNL multifunctional steering wheel upgrade

nlpamg

for eddieo it is!

for the 05's and up, we're ****ed. Steve said it was a no go.

CitronC230K_03

ahhh, you still have the upgraded interior so its not all a loss!

Saprissa

love this Coupé thread !

panoroof vs sunroof pop-up. It works the same on my C-Coupé and on my C-Sedan.
Like Doug said, push instead of pull the button. You can just get it to pop-up and vent, instead of sliding all the way back.

as for gas mileage... another great perk of having an ECU reprogrammed by RENNtech is that now i'm getting on average 29-30 mpg, and this is on a 3.2L V6 Coupé.
Not to mention higher HP & TQ, no top-speed limiter, and no throttle-acceleration lag.

All in all, the C-Coupé is by far 100 times more fun to drive than the C-Sedan...(excluding C32/C55). Only complaint.... power. 218 stock / 235 modded is still a bit low for my taste.... 2006 C350 SportsCoupé in Europe & Canada would have been a dream here in the US !

Too bad MBUSA didn't think so !

Carlos

Saprissa@aol.com

CitronC230K_03

yeah the 2006 C350 would have been a hell of a car!

Outland

That is impressive for the six. Ive had several C320 sedan loaners, and I felt the mpg was dreadful each time.. Never did better than 21 on the work commute. My Coupe does 27 -30 every time.

Couldn't agree more. Even on the sport sedans, with supposedly the same suspension, the Coupe is more fun.
I would have traded my 02 in for one. Once again, allow me to reiterate, MBUSA sucks.

valdes

mbusa does suck

jedcred

Doug, about the convex mirrors, any idea where to get them and how difficult it would be to put in? I've had one too many close encounters with cars in sitting right in my blind spot, right out of range of my vision (I wear glasses most of the time, so that cuts down on my range of vision even more than regular people) and I always check before merging. It's just too difficult sometimes to see through that back window over your left shoulder when you do a quick check.

drexappeal

You can get them from Steve (MBenzNL). I just had mine put in with the folding mirrors in August. It's definitely worth it. At first I was skeptical, but now that I've had them for a few months, it makes a big difference.

I'm pretty sure Steve sells them without having to purchase the Folding Mirror assembly.

Justinius7

convex mirrors... are amazing! i rented a C200 komp in europe a few weeks back, had car for 2 weeks... was very difficult to crawl back into my coupe with the US spec mirrors. NEXT MOD: New mirrors! takes a day or two to get used to, but when your crusing at 90+ mph they are very useful.

CitronC230K_03

they are well worth the $$$. the driver side is pricey becuase of the auto dimming feature. about $250 for driver and $80 for passenger

drexappeal

Doug and Justin, did either of you get dizzy looking at those things the 1st couple days?...LOL...After Steve did the install for me, I couldn't really look at the mirrors without getting nauseous.

CitronC230K_03

actually i had them on my VW before so i was to them. but yes, i did the first time i put them on my VW.

JohnCL

I just got my mirrors and I don't know how I lived without them. It took a few days to get used to, but they are great! Steve had mine installed in about 3 minutes. By far it is one mod that has been the most useful.

CitronC230K_03

i had mine installed by the dealer when the car was delivered.

Justinius7

i know what your saying about the nauciousness... First day, i kept staring in them, trying to figure out what i was seeing in reality... Which they gave me a sense of confusion... BUT after the first day (drive between amsterdam and Brussels) i felt very secure with out even bothering with "head checks"