FrankW

the SAME, you are refering to is the dashboard, and i'm not talking about the dashboard. Of course the dashboard would be the same doesn't matter if it's a C-coupe or sedan. Heck even the new CLK has the same center console as the C-class. I don't like the woodtrim in the C-sedan too. Looks and feel plastic although they are not.

So, what??? So, that the C-coupe only has two door, has a hatch, and small back seat to the already small back seat of the sedan. But the C-coupe does have the pano roof.

umm...reality check, did you get the C-coupe because it has the same quality (material and fit and finish) as the S-class, E-class, and CL-class. or for the price. (u don't have to use that against me because i know i pick the C because it's a good deal compare to the $80 + price tag of the E55, CLK55, etc.)

Yes, i know i just put down the C-class, but hey, i am driving one myself. and i love it.

I'd go with the 5-series too because it's more of a drivers car and I think the fit and finish is much better than the E-class (W210), but who knows what that Chris Bangle will come up with the next 5-series.

Xeon

WOW (War of Words)

I do not see the coupe as any other thing but a smart move by mercedes benz.

Well, i might be bias, but read on.

When you compare a C sedan to a 3 series, the 3 series is sportier, when you compare the old E to a 5, the E looks older, so, how to prevent BIMMER ( MERCEDES GREATEST RIVAL..not mine though) from running away with a big chunk of market share? ( and i am not talking about any market, but a market full of future potential S-Class buyers).

C coupe is the answer.

Although the base price of a coupe is around 25k, how many ppl really get it around that price? most ppl will want the innovative roof, the sport package. How much will that be? I don't know/care about you guys...my car rolled off the lot at 35 !

Do you think coupe owner can get a 3 series? I think 75% of them can..so why get a coupe?

1) They love mercedes
2) They don't want to buy a car that is soooo common

Also, I personally won't even look at cars like accord or RSX...not that i despise them, it is just not between my bracket !

C coupe owners are not millionaire nor are we buyers with a limited budget. A lot of us are in our late teens or 20s and therefore, I sincerely believe that MB target us as potential future S-Class buyers...chinese call them "golden turtle"...So, instead of waiting for us to grow up, why not hook us up with them now first.. to create a sense of belonging ( you know, some ppl stay with 1 brand forever !)....well..unless they are sooooooooo disappointed with their coupe that they feel disgusted to be associated with another Star.

Thank You
All of the above are based on my personal opinion.

Last but not least...i feel proud about my coupe...especially when so many ppl feel good about my interior!

Xeon

CHRIS BANGLE ? is he that wierdo that bring us the 7 series and Z4 ? well...frankly speaking...the 7 looks better each day..especially those big wheels!

but i will be looking foward to his new design..any idea on snapshots of the new 5 ?

Mike T.

The way you go on about this!

Please just give it a rest. You're so tied up in C-Class hierarchy, when they are ALL downmarket "me-too" versions of the more expensive M-B cars. In the case of the C sedan it's all too obvious - it's a 3/4 scale S Class for the proletariat. At least the C Coupé is not such an obvious knock off of something else in the M-B model range.

So a C 240 (Hamburg Taxi) is no more noble than a C 230 K (Hatchback) - they are both cheap-ish M-Bs.

The C 230 K happens to be good value for the $, so what? Who cares? Not everyone has the same values as you do, so maybe you should stop projecting yours onto everyone else.

Go have a good dump - it must have taken hours of **** retention to come up with those press quotations

FrankW

yeah, he's the head designer of BMW. The new 7 from the start i think it's great, but the Z4 just...eww...what's with the extra lines on the side. Don't forget Chris Bangle brought us the Z8, the current 3-series, and the X5 too.

I agree with you on the view for MB's move with the C-coupe, but i somewhat doubt that 75% (young kids their parents support them not included, that includes myself) of the people who own C-coupe can get 3-series. 3-series is not cheap. A fully loaded 325Ci or i will run about $37-8k at msrp. that's still $7k gap between the fully loaded C-coupe. IS C-coupe a great buy, DEFINITELY. I doubt Mercedes-Benz is making money on the C-coupe. I think the range buyer for the C-coupe are more likely to choose between the C-coupe and the other japanese premium brand i.e Lexus IS300, Acura 3.2TL, etc.

Xeon

FrankW...i was just approximating the percentage there.. =)

maybe it is closer to 50% ?

but i seriously dont see why it TL will be fighting it..they are 2 diff type of car..maybe the CL Type S

vadim

No, not only the dashboard. ALL materials are the same. Next time you visit your dealer, poke your head into one.
Hardly a reality check. You shoudln't expect the C class to match the more expensive E- and S- classes content-wise. However, they all DO share interior elements, taken from the same MB parts bin. But that aside, they are addressed to a different buyer than me. Auto trannies only, comfy rides... I find both E- and S- classes boring. I was considering a CLK at one point, but I didn't want the old platform of the W208, and I don't like the W209 at all. Plus, neither offers a stick. The Coupe was a nice combination of a great price and a fun car - just what I needed for my daily commute and beyond. Love the versatility of the hatchback.

BlackC230Coupe

i still think alot of people that bought the c coupe can have a 3 series coupe especually the 325Ci, not everyone nees a fully loaded car so there for they can get a 325Ci for $30,000. I persoanlly could have got a any of the 3 series even the M3 but unlike how many people may feel i chose to have the c coupe and the CLK430.

mctwin2kman

Actually I priced up the 325Ci and the Coupe, the BMW came in at 35K and the Coupe I want at 31K, so there is a bit of a diference in there price with the same equipment on them. The Coupe I want has C1,C2,C4, Bose, and CD-changer.

Boo2

Well, if a downmarket sedan with a 168hp is expected to be "riced" out, then it's along the same lines of a 4-banger forced induced engine (same specs as all the other "riced" out japanese cars).

For all the older people here, I guess it must be hard to grasp that the c-class is affordable to many in the younger age brackets. Modding a car is a fad, like tatoos and piercings. I guess I understand your need to be a parent and point out something that you think is stupid. Don't even trip, kids eventually grow out of it.

Yeah, I agree, the wing is ugly and I still think a little bit like a racer.

BlackC230Coupe

where not saying the 325Ci does not have a higher base price to begin with. and the 325ci may even be more with the options u want. but all i was trying to say was, if u wanted the 325ci would u have been able to afford it? instead of the c coupe.

session

my statement was a joke (as stated before). :p

mctwin2kman

Well I have not ordered my coupe yet, but yes I would have been able to afford it, but would rather have had the 330Ci, which I could afford but would not want to spend that much. A better question is would I want to spend that much. I actually priced the coupe up for more than I really wanted to spend but if I am getting one I may as well get what I want.

girlmb

that any automobile that is priced the lowest will always get called the "el cheapo" version. it is something everyone has to deal w/ simply because it is.

if everyone is saying this price is a great deal, then an acura tl is a great deal. now why haven't anyone gotten in on that deal? probably because some of you are also snobbish (the same way socal240 is looking down on the hatchback) and think your mb 230 is superior to an acura because it's a benz. IT'S NOT!!!!

this is just my opinion, but the c230 hatchback is sooooo ugly. the rear of the car looks like it has a big fat ***. it's not proportionally correct.

amdeutsch

The woman has spoken. Everybody listen up.

Now, now, lets not bring comparative human anatomy into this even if we have somebody who appearently prefers "knockoffs" to "true engineering design".

dr_feelgood

if mercedes made a downmarket product then i hope my insurance would've noticed such. im 25, im paying 1,300 dollars for insurance/6 mos because insurance says im still too young to be driving a benz. i guess not, mercedes is still top tier after all

be proud of what you have guys! you worked for it! satisfaction is in you and not what others think of it.

TK2001_C

I wish that everyone would just realize that the C230 is not a coupe, look at it, its a freak'in hatchback. My opinion, but the C230 is just plain old U G L Y! The riced-out C240 is also one UGLY car!

trench

Apparently a lot of people think it's a better deal.

Sales volume for Aug 2002

Acura TL: 6,368
C Class hatchback: 1,315



BT

PS:
I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull up tough

FrankW

if all the material is the same, then it's the problem with the fit and finish of the C-class being generaly not up to the quality of the S, CL, E, etc (except the ML, which is really bad)

name just one interior element the the C shares with it's big brothers. You are right about they address to different buyers. You should've got a Bimmer if you want a manual trans. lol

FrankW

man, i just realized that u could've gotten a CLK55 AMG instead of one CLK430 and a C-hatch coupe, but heck i would want to get two MB instead of just one if i can too.

anyway, my honest opinion/guess on the reason people who bought the C-coupe. 1) It's the cheapest (as in MSRP) in the MB history in the US. 2) When people have the choices between a well know luxury brand name car (doesn't matter if it suits their need), and family sedans from Toyota, Ford, Hondas, Nissans, etc for the same price, they are definitely likely to go with the well known luxury brand (in this case it's the Mercedes-Benz). 3) It's a great bargain, hps per dollar. 4) Financial resources, the lack of resources disallowed people to get the cars that they desire, instead they find the best thing they can get for the money that leads to 5) It's a chance for people to own their first ever Mercedes-Benz.

conclusion: C-coupe is affordable, fun, and a Mercedes-Benz.

above is my opinion, ur thoughts on it would be great. No flame or immature comments please.

trench

Pretty much sums up why I bought one. Originally, I was going to get one of the C-sedans, but decided I wasn't quite ready for a grown-up car .

Regarding fit and finish: I went to the MB E-motion last Friday and got to check out the entire MB line-up. I found the fit and finish of the C-class to be comparable to the rest of the MB line-up with the exception of the S, CL and SL (no surprise there, the S and CL were nicest). I was most surprised at the G, although I'm sure it's an extremely capable off-roader (I like how it has the ability to lock the various diffs in different combinations for off-road adventures), the interior fit and finish wasn't really that great. Seemed more like a high 40s-low 50s price point should have been the target not mid-70s. I thought the SL would be nicer as well, but I guess they decided to take it a little downmarket with the R230, since I think the old R129 SL500 was about $10K more. The interior of the new E and CLK - were essentially the same to the C. Some of the interior bits seemed a bit cheaper - the doors for the sunglasses pocket in the E's dash were often crooked, I saw a couple Es with broken underseat storage compartments (granted these cars have 10 zillion ******** getting in and out of them everyday, but still it seems like they should hold together a little better).

Personally I think that the fit and finish of most newer German cars probably won't be as good as their older cousins due to laws enacted in Germany that make the car's manufacturer 100% responsible for the cost of disposing/recycling used cars. This will cause all of them to resort to cheaper, more easily recyclable materials.

Cheers, BT

PS: I loved that V8 in the E500 - the W211 E55 is going to be a monster.

Boo2

The C is no grown up car. It's too small. The E and S are grown-up cars.

brabus c

Face it... the C class is not in any way a luxury car... it is not a real mercedes... just because it has a star.... mercedes use to be a exclusive car... a car that shows wealth and prestige... like Porche, and moving upwards Ferrari, Bentley..etc. a car does in a lot of ways show your wealth. I hardley think that people buy a 50, 60, 120 thousand dollar car because its worth the money. the cars are all basically the same 4 wheels an engine and something to cover your head when it rains. Cant say the MBZ engines are really reliable more then a Import car.. (i.e. hondas, toyota, etc.) they are really realiable and are cheeper to fix then a euro car. So my point just because you drive a car with a star does not make you one.. iv been really irritated latley at some of the post i have read on this forum where i hear
c-coupes/hatches talk about other cars or experiances say ...."its ok you drive a benz" when in acuallity its not what BENZ use to be. i think that yes maybe the c-coupe/hatch is a bang for its buck but IMO if you wanted the manual tranny fun car to drive sports car etc. you would have gotten a BMWci. because they are more of a performace car then MBZ. but the price tag is a little higher. Which means price is a factor to a majority of the people, i dont like hearing people say i got it because i wanted a coupe with handling and performace etc. your just getting what you able to get with what is in your budget. my best friend drives a 330ci. and he always tells me ... we are not driving real BMW's or MBZ's its not living up to what the name is. It does not carry the prestige of its name. So just be happy with what you drive.. but dont make it seem like you have a better car then someone else because of the name or the badge number... because that just shows you that you are trying to show off what you just dont have. because if you really do have MONEY that you are trying to show.. you would not have these cars. so just drive and enjoy that you have a new car, where as so many people would want to have a car period.

Matt230K

brabus c, what the hell is your point? Why don't you and your friend both get 7 series then if you don't think your cars represent the name Mercedes-Benz well enough.

You'll be hard pressed to find an exclusive car anymore though. Even Porsche will have an SUV soon. Exclusivity probably doesn't bring as much profit as having many types of cars and selling to a larger market. That's why they do it. And because of that, people like you are actually able to buy a Mercedes.

If you don't like it, why do you own one? Just because it's a new car? You can get a new Hyundai or Kia for much less and still say you have a new car.

You might think it's not what a Benz used to be, but guess what? It's what a Benz is now, so get used to it.

amdeutsch

Brabus C,

Where are you from? I think before you start lecturing people your grammar and your spelling needs to improve. If you don't like what you get for your money go out and buy a Yugo. Judging from your comment here that might even be too classy for you.

Get a life.