MCesar84

As the title states, i'm looking to sell my M3 (probably in the spring) and get a newer, more efficient daily driver that still has some class to it. Research has begun and ive been increasingly drawn to the 05 C230K (6MT) to fit that bill. Biggest reasons (and questions) include:

-MPG. The sticker is 23/32 on the 6MT. Is this an accurate number?
-Warranty. The CPO is nearing the end on the M3 whearas i would have a bumper to bumper until 09 (?) on the MB. Are there any prevalent issues on the '05s? Do the cars require expensive Inspections like the ///M series models?
-Style. Comparing to cars such as the E90 and TSX, its no question this car stands out in front of them.
-S/C. This is where I have questions. Mainly, what are the most effective perf. mods that can be done on these vehicles? I have no expectation of output being anywhere near my M3, but it would be nice to have some upgrade options.
-Comfort. Needless to say the softer ride will be welcome. Are rattles an issue at all on these cars? Is it a quiet car at highway speeds? How are the seats for long rides?
-Price. Low 20s for an 05 with 15-25k and a warranty, how can I go wrong?
-Tranny. I know MB is exactly known for its manual trannys. How do you 6MT owners feel about yours?


I appreciate the help; looking forward to spending some time on the boards here to solidify my decision!

alpinweiss

I will take a shot at answering since I have a Mercedes C230k, as well as an E46 BMW (but NOT an M3).

1. The mpg numbers are fairly accurate for the C230k. I get about 25 around town and about 31 on the highway. I normally drive about 80 on the highway (yes, it's permitted here). I live at high altitude, so that may affect mileage. The C230k should get better mileage than the M3.

2. MB warranty is comprehensive, but full maintenance is not included on 2005 and later MB's. Remember an M3 is a very specialized high-performance car. Maintenance costs will be higher on the M3 (after the free maint. runs out). Even a standard BMW E46 will cost less to maintain than an M3.

3. Style. There is no doubt my MB is a head turner. I have received a lot of compliments.

4. Performance upgrades. This is not a strong area for the MB. There is not a lot out there, other than pulley kits for the supercharger. Low-end torque is excellent on this engine (M271), but horsepower is nowhere near the M3, especially at higher rpm's.

5. Comfort. Will be better on the MB, maybe comparable to an E46 with sport suspension. The ride is sporty, but not punishing. The C230k rides a bit stiffer than my E46 (without sport susp). MB should have fewer squeeks and rattles than the BMW. The structure feels more solid on the bumps. The BMW weatherstrips need to be treated periodically.

6. Price. A lot of 2005 MB's will be coming off their leases (often 3 years) in 2008. You should have some choices at reasonable prices.

7. Transmission. The 6-speed manual is really the way to go, but they are fairly rare. The MB dealers will try to sell you an automatic (better resale, etc.), but the manual is really nice. The better resale argument is mostly a smokescreen; in a few years the manual will probably be worth more, due to its rarity. The MB manual tranny is not very different from the BMW. Both are good.

MCesar84

Thanks a bunch, my goal would be to find a Metallic Blue on Black. 6MT is a neccessity but the color i'm flexible with. Private seller would be prefered but I see so many at dealers. I may start the search early so I can get exactly what I want.

How many of these cars actually have Xenons? Ive only seen a few with that option and thats something i'd really like to have.

Also, is the HK sound available without the Navi option? I'm not all that impressed with the HK in my E46. How does the standard unit compare?

Tangerine

If its anything like the 6MT that came in the C240 the first gear is short but grabs quickly and fifth and sixth gear are very close to each other. For daily driving I only go from 2-3-4-6 unless I am on a hill then I would switch to first.

e1000

wow. good luck finding a blue car, much less a 6-speed. not trying to discourage you, just saying. Not many are ordered with Bi-Xenons, but they can be retrofitted. Yes the HK sound is an independant option of the Nav.

anonymouse

1. Going from 333 hp to 195 hp is gonna be hard. Really hard. If you can try to find a 06 c350 in M/T. They do have them out there. I have an 06 and it supposedly makes slightly more top end power than the 4 cyl models but it is a dog off the line. A fat lazy dog. Don't expect any excitement until 6k rpm in 3rd gear - after that it simply purrs.

2. The M/T is pretty damn good. I have a friend with a C320 A/T and as long as I stay in the powerband he cannot pull on me at all.

3. Ride - decent. I live in the DC area and had a g/f in Boston for a while and used to make regular trips up there (and NYC) to see her. I never really had any problems. The passenger seatbelt knocking can get on your nerves after a while.

4. Looks/styling - I prefer the M3.

5. Durability - The driver side elbow rest has started to deteriorate and I believe the pad atop the center console will start to go next and my car is not yet 2 years old. Then again I do have 63k miles on it. Other than it's pretty durable.

nlpamg

Welcome! We're getting quite a few e46 M3 owners over here...

I have both... In short, you may not enjoy it.

1. The MPG figure is about right. You'll get on average 6-9mpg more on the C230k than the M3. With the way I drive, I tend to push the C230k more than the M3 b/c I've gotten used to getting to the same speeds relatively quickly in the M3, even in high gears.

2. There are no prevalent issues, but if you have a warranty you should be fine. However, Service A and Service B are what you need for the car and there's nothing really as expensive as an Inspection 1 or Inspection 2. Service A and Service B are just like glorified oil changes.

3. The TSX is garbage--if I wanted a Civic, I'd get a Civic. As for style, depending on what you do, the C230k looks great. I've noticed that my modded C230k gets more looks than my subtly modded M3.

4. Performance upgrades, not that many. Like the M3, you're going to have to cough up a serious amount of $ to get anything substantial, even then, you're going to absolutely not enjoy the speed. When I drive the cars back to back, usually the C230k after driving the M3 all day, I am DYING. The car isn't close to as fast and takes a while to get up to speeds that would be nothing in the M3. To be honest, after extended time in the M3, the C230k really isn't all that fun anymore, it's a great car, but compared to the M3, you will be bored.

5. Comfort on the C230k is great. You'll enjoy the comfort, the ride isn't as harsh, the cabin is much more quiet (well I have an M3 vert with an exhaust, so mine is pretty loud), but the C230k is a more comfortable car. I do have a rattling sound coming from the center console that the dealership nor I can figure out where it's coming from and there's the usually sunshade creak, BUT nothing close to the M3's creaks and sounds. At highway speeds the car is pretty quiet. It's not as deceptively fast as the M3, but it is quiet and the seats are pretty comfortable for long drives.

6. With regards to getting metallic blue on black with 6-mt, bix and h/k, good luck. It's pretty hard to find a 6-mt, loaded at that. Quite a few cars have both bix and h/k, like mine, but finding a 6-mt will be difficult. On another note, the h/k in the C230k is superior to the h/k in the M3, hands down.

MCesar84

thanks for all the great info! Speed-wise, i'm not expecting any comparison to my M3. Most people I talk to tell me to keep the M3 and stop being cheap My previous RSX-S is probably a better comparison to the performance of the C230.

Is there a visual give-away in the interior that the car has HK sound?

I know it will be a cross country affair to get the options I want, so i'll be sure to drive one locally before I make a decision. Maybe ill fall in love with a silver or black in the process.

e1000

RSX-S with a intake and Hondata would kill a C230, be neck and neck with a C350. only problem is the RSX is FWD.

I believe the HK equiped cars have "Harmon Kardon" on the front door speaker grills

alpinweiss

HK equipped cars will have a SMALL label that says "harman/kardon" on the speaker grill behind the left rear seat. It is printed in about 5mm high lettering, so it is not very obvious.

In terms of choices of colors and options for a C230k, you may be a bit disappointed. MB didn't sell very many MT versions in the USA; maybe 1 out of every 20 or 30. I special-ordered mine, so it is a 6MT model with fairly nice equipment (see sig. line). If you are willing to watch and wait, something suitable will come along.

You may also have to retrofit some things. Xenon lights can be retrofitted, but the price is high. You may wish to try premium bulbs such as PIAA Extreme White before paying for the Xenons.