aolsen

What was your experience like, buying your first C-Class. (You can mention another model if you bought a different Benz), but this is preferably for C-Class owners.

How did you feel the weeks/days before taking delivery of your car? And what was it like having it the first few days?

Any positive/negative feedback from others people? Any HATERS? lol

Chauss

My first Benz was a 1984 - 190e....the predecessor of the C class.
That was quite a while ago...

e1000

My C350 was my first Benz. It actually started back in 2003 when I got a new job and could afford a C230. Kept doing research and in 2006 finally decided to take the plunge. The C350's came out and since the performance was significantly better, decided to step up. I had to shop around a little bit, the first two dealerships I went to didn't take me seriously. I actually started dealing with the guy at the first place but when he said "you know, if we were dealing on a C230 you'd be out of here by now". Seemed like he was implying I couldn't afford the C350 so I walked out. The next dealership didn't even bother to look in the national database and flat out told me I had to order one from Germany (although I knew there was a car in Ohio with the options I wanted). The third place I went to was completely opposite. Very attentive, took me seriously, and was actually trying to up-sell me into a C55. Immediately looked up the car in Ohio, didn't pull any tricks on me and I got the price I wanted.

As for picking the car up, my buddy had to drive me because I ended up selling my old car to him instead of trading it in. Another good buddy decided to go too and we left work and made our way through Chicago traffic. I was a nervious wreck. When we got there, they had the car inside the service bay, nicely detailed, full tank of gas. Everything was set, ready to sign. Did the actual deal in about 20 minutes. They started to tell me about the car but by this time, I knew more than they did about it so we just took it from there. The three of us went down the street to Hooters for dinner and I was all grins!!!! On the way back home a E39 528i was driving a bit agressively so I introduced him to the new C350 SS. He got the message when I was breathing down his trunklid.

aolsen

great story. I can relate with knowing more about a car than the dealer. I originally wanted to purchase an acura tl. Funny: At the dealership, we get in the car, and on the roof (or on the ceiling lol) there was a wire sticking out to connect to a radar detector. I guess the previous owner had that installed. The salesman directs his attention to it saying, "you got a telephone wire there". Lol. Good thing I didn't buy it. Next thing I know, he'll be telling me the "R" on the six speed manual knob is 7th gear. "Sure, pop it in "R" at 90MPH and you'll get 54 mpg!"

I'm awaiting delivery for my car, you can imagine how I feel. Just about two more weeks. Not to mention, this is not just my first Benz, but my first car period.

infected

Way to break her in, e1000.

Next car will be a BMW... 135i?

LuxuryC240

Nice story E...at least because of this forum, we all can at least go into the dealerships a lot more informed than current non-mercedes owners or like you said more than some salespeople...whether its buying a C-class or reading about the other models on here...i bought mine from a used suburu dealer, it was pleasant, but they also didn't take me quite seriously at first...but oh well, thats what you get for looking young....I would love to own a mercedes from now on, but we'll just have to see what kind of job I get coming out of college, lol

aolsen

you're from boston? i have a special friend near there. Haven't spent a weekend in boston yet. how is it?

KA8

This is our first mb. 5th unscheduled visit coming soon.

ushawk1

I first owned a panzerwagen 380SE of 1984 vintage. I should have kept it as it was a two year only kinda deal. I loved it. It was so cheap to fix and easy to work on. I put on good shocks and good tires. It rode better than my aunt's '05 Lexus. The electrical doo-dads malfunctioned like crazy, and the idle was always erratic. I sorted out most of those problems though. I was expecting the same on my '03 C230K. The ride is not that great, the handling a bit heavy, and God help me if an electrical problem occurs. The parts are still sorta cheap. I got mine because I wanted another German car, can't quite afford a Cayman and don't like drop tops so Boxster is out, not a fan of the BMW, VW, or Audi, and I got it cheap.

I felt good the day of buying it, felt like crap for two weeks after it, accepted it, felt great, then felt like crap when I started to notice all the little dings and scratches your eyes miss on the dealer lot. I am back into my acceptance phase, so I am feeling good.

Firemane

My '02 Desert Silver C240 was my first Benz - purchased new - and we actually originally got it for my grandmother. She had an '88 Eldorado at the time (lovely car BTW - I drove it every day until it was totalled by a red-light-runner last year ) and wanted something smaller and easier to drive. We looked at a number of other cars, including Acuras, BMWs, Audis and Cadillacs, but the Benz seemed to have the best quality and comfort at the time. The "little Benz" was kind of a surprise to us both, not only in terms of price, but also comfort, convenience, and - most of all - road manners.

The first thing that I noticed during the test drive and during the coming weeks/months/years was that it really was down in the power department. Let's face it - 168HP only goes so far. But it was for my gran, and it was adequate for her needs. What impressed the hell out of me though was the handling - this little luxobox handled better than the '99 Camaro I had at the time, which surprised the hell out of me. I was amazed that a car that comfy and quiet could handle so incredibly well when given the beans! And I had never driven a car with such amazing materials and fit-and-finish quality. We were sold, and felt super great with the purchase!

Over the next couple years, she started driving less and less, and it slowly became "my car" over time. Even though to this day I feel like it's a total dog under the hood, I still get a big ol' SEG whipping it around corners and through twisty roads. Then turn around for a nice quiet cruise, and it becomes the epitome of a well-heeled boulevard cruiser. It's the most balanced chassis I've come across yet (in terms of performance versus comfort), and I love driving it.

All this led me to recommending that my mom buy an '06 Barolo Red C230 to replace her aging '92 Buick. Out the door, she (and I) was in love with the car! The way that car handles and rides just blows my socks off. Over the next few weeks, she started hearing an odd thumping noise though, and the local Benz dealer service experience has been, shall we say, very "General Motors-like". So that's been a major killjoy for her. But save that one problem, the car is simply amazing. The new 205HP V6 was a much-needed boost under the hood, and is paired nicely with MB's brilliant 7-speed auto. The only way the car could be better (besides not thumping) is if it had a manual tranny.

So again, we've been extremely happy with our Benz purchases. Not so much with post-sale warranty support for my mom's C230, but I'm confident saying that the buying and ownership experiences on these cars have been great.

aolsen

nice story. when you and your mom looked at the c230, did you get a chance to compare the 4 cyl supercharged to the v6?

Firemane

At the time, the only C230k's were leftover '05s, and she was not interested in testing one. However, I had one for a loaner for one of my C240's service appointments, and I must say I was extremely impressed. It's throttle response is much snappier than the C240's, and it makes good power especially at higher revs. It's definitely a solid performer, and offers noticeably superior performance to the 240's V6.

If I were to compare it to my mom's V6, I'd say that the V6 feels torquier (is that a word? ) at low RPMs, but they become very comparable to each other after about 3k RPMs. IMHO, YMMV, yadda yadda.

aolsen

that's cool. I'm getting the car displayed under this message, (2003 c230) in about 2-3 weeks. I liked driving it. I especially felt that it wanted to pull when i got to third gear; showing its a good highway driving car. I like the idea of being as powerful as a v6 but benig economical. (unless i drive it like i stole it)

e1000

Thanks everyone!

blown93lx

I bought my 07 C350 in August and it took a few weeks for people to realize I didn't rent it. I found it on ebay for 11,000 under MSRP out the door, i flew to ohio from Florida to pick it up.. Drove back and have been loving it every since.

I work so much I rarely even get to drive it. Only about 2,000 miles on the clock (1200 from driving it home)... Its a 6 spd so it's always fun when I do get to drive it. I am on the taxiway at LaGuardia now waiting for these stinkin delays.

No problems so far but hey it's only been 2k miles.

Thanks

C24owner

I saw an ad for a pre-owned 2004 C230 coupe and decided that I wanted that car. Went to the dealership and found out it was sold. So I bought a brand new one. The only problem was that I couldn't drive it until I got my license, so it sat in the garage for a month.

I had the car for 1 year and most of that time was spent at the dealership. I had the pano roof replaced 4 or 5 times. Most of the time the car was at the dealership for 1 week. The last time I had the roof replaced it took them 2.5 months. Meanwhile I was driving a brand spanking new 05 c230 ss. Fell in love with the sedan and *****ed to the dealer about the coupe and it being a lemon. Which in turn got me a killer deal on the c240.

drexappeal

Interesting topic.

I've driven Benz's since I got my license at 16.

My parents owned a 1978 450SLC, which was the ish when it was running well. Problem is, my parents knew nothing about vehicle up-keep and whatnot and drove that car to its death. Just a testament to how well made old Benz's were, that car went 10 years straight without an oil change! Finally conked out when I started driving and needed a new engine. The mechanic said the oil was a black sticky paste when they opened it up. Despite that, they were able to find a 1984 engine that the put in and it was running decent for a little while after that. When the car finally died a few years ago, it was running on 4 out of 8 cylinders. Either way, it lasted around 26 years.

The other car I drove was my parents' 1989 300SEL. When we first got it, it was DOPE. Such a tank and felt so safe in that car. That car promptly died last year. Good news was that someone hit it while it was on the street and we got back more value than we would've gotten if we tried to sell it.

In 2002, my parents decided they wanted a new car. So, as their anniversary gift, I told them I would pay for the monthly's for a whole year on a new E320 (last year of the w210).

In 2003, my MX-6 started to give me major problems (also happened to be after I got all the body work done), so I started to look into what I could afford by the time 2004 came around. Sold my MX-6 so I could have a little more cash for down payment (despite the fact that parting it out could've landed me more cash) and used part of that for deposit on a "special order" for my current car.

I was 2.25 seconds away from backing out on getting the C230K, considering I was really wanting a C32 (but just couldn't afford it at the time). The main thing that convinced me was that I loved the w203 and it was so hard finding a Midnight Blue (not even considering the options I wanted on it) that I just buckled down and closed the deal 2 days after it was delivered to the dealership. Funny thing is, the dealership was VERY close to just selling it because they had already debadged it (per my request) and put it in the show room next to a Midnight Blue Maybach!...LOL.

Yeah, I'd say my first experience actually "buying" a Benz for myself was great and very rewarding, but also made me realize how grossly underpaid I was and realize that it probably would've been smarter to get my MBA or go to Law School, so that I'd get a higher paying job...hahahaha

BlackLiquorish8

got my c320 4matic last summer 06 and at the time it only had 39k previously drove a mint condition w126 91' 560SEL 60K miles with few mods so the power was def a decrease when i drove the c320 but i needed something with AWD and wanted to stay with mercedes again. i've loved the car ever since, i didnt buy this car because of performance i bought it for the classy style, looks, handling, and as a daily driver. i do drive it when i have the need for speed. i've done only cosmetics to the car so far and plan to keep it that way... maybe a exhaust later but thats it. also found out that the car has warranty up to 100k and not 75k so i'll keep the car for awhile. i've done all the required maintence on it, did plugs, brake fluid flush, tranny flush and a bunch of stuff replaced under warranty. the car is going in for my indy shop to do pretty much service B but for a lot less than what the dealer wants. also doing new OE brembo rotors and EBC redstuff ceramic pads. the car has 62k right now. i cant wait to drive it tomorrow when it gets done. the car doesnt stop now and its raining out thats why i've been driving like a grandma lately lol

flushing out the coolant and rear diff is next on the list along with a L style roof spoiler

aolsen

So here's my story. Might be kinda long. I'm 20 years old. I started car shopping before I even had a job, lol. The car I decided on was a 2004/2005 Acura TL. It had to be a six speed manual. I had done research on that and other cars and this one was the one I wanted. I would see them on the road and say I was gonna get that car. I read peoples complaints about the rattles they heard with the car, but I still wanted it. So I try to buy this black one, six speed, tinted windows, ground effects, tried everything to get it, but loan wouldn't get approved! I wasn't at my job long enough. So time passes by (I'm bummed), and later on, while online, I do an insurance quote for a C Class. WOW! it's low! Cheap! I do a qoute for an Acura TL, and its nearly double! I do it again to make sure what I was seeing was true. Sure was! The C class was cheaper for insurance.

Ok, don't wanna write a book here. So, I find this 2002 c240, with sport package, six speed, real nice. I go to test drive it, and really liked it. So, I go to the bank, and wait for the results. Meanwhile the saleslady at the dealer, knew I was very interested in it, and I think it had been at that dealer for about a month. Finally the loan is approved, so I call the dealer to let them know. What does she tell me? She says she was out sick and she thinks someone sold the car. Imagine the feeling! OUCH! Like a girl shutting you down for a dance in front of everyone! I go to the dealer to see if it was still there, nope...gone.

But I'm glad they sold it. I didn't know a lot about the whole line of C-class models then. I did some more research, and BLAM! I decided I really wanted a c230 sedan. So the dealer started looking for a car for me. "I'm gonna find you a car", guy says. Week goes by, then another, still nothing. I search online, nothing. I found c230's but they were either too far away, or had high mileage. I sit down at my computer one Sunday, and search for c230's again....and there it is...a black beauty...a 2003 c230 sedan, great condition, MINT, low mileage, 17" AMG rims, 14" rotors, 4-piston calipers....super dooper nice! So I call the seller and he's this really cool guy, knows a lot about cars. Had BMW's etc. But, the situation was this: He was awaiting delivery for his new car, which still had to go through production. It was gonna be like 2 more months before I could pick up the car. I let him know later on that it would be too long of a wait, and that he could go ahead and feel free to sell it to someone else who comes along. I told him that if time goes by, and if I still haven't found a car, and he still hasn't sold his, that I would see what I can do. Time goes by, and I still haven't found a car. I had to have a six speed manual!! So, later on he emails me, and I decide to go with it. I go and test drive it, really like it, and leave a deposit.

Now it's only about 2-3 weeks before I can pick it up. I'm so glad I didn't get the c240. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a nice car, but I prefer the economical 4 cyl with the supercharger.

And the car I'm buying has a nice list of options including the bose system, cold package, really good brakes, bi-xenons, etc.

That's my story, yeah kinda long, lol.

Can't wait to get my car. Did I mention it's gonna be my first Mercedes? Did I mention it's gonna be my first car period?

Firemane

Good story, and great first car! Beats the hell out of my first rolling junkyard ('85 Mercury Lynx) that's for sure.

spyderpig

Still driving my first car here (used the sister's IS300 for a while and switched back to my benz) despite minor electrical instabilities, I feel happy every day I sit in it. I love the feeling on the steering wheel that is unique in precision. I hope you will feel exited every day you drive it, and hope that's gonna last for many years.

zoomie

1. I totaled the first mercedes I ever drove. Sorry mom. Sorry dad. Engine ended up on the ground. I broadsided a speeding SUV while I was approaching the middle of the intersection from a stop at 7mph (10mph tops).

2. Bought the second one from craigslist. Total beater. Everything on the outside was practically busted, but I got it all fixed and it drives like new.

ML55CLA45

my first car/benz when i turned 16 was a 1979 300d....

hand me down from my parents...

it had 70ish thousand miles. everything was original. no rust everything worked except the clock in the cluster. it had the classic huge *** steering wheel and the old school dial knob becker radio i hated that car because as a teenager i just didnt think it was cool.

half the time in high school id drive my parents new 1994 e320 (new at the time) to school. id leave for school after they went to work and was always home way before.... im sure they knew i drove it.... but still to this day id like to think i was sneaky and took it to school without them knowing...

back to the 300d... it was a great car and still is... ive spent more money on getting her running again than shes actually worth... most of the parts ive replaced on her this year were the original parts from the factory... 28 years ago...

-carino

sludge

I looked for my car for about 6 months before I found it. I wanted a 2003 sedan in super clean condition, in red or midnight blue. Oh, and it had to have the right price of course. Our son was about to be born, so I wanted the red kompressor for the sportiness, and the 4-door for the daddiness.

I bought my red 2003 C230k sedan used near the end of 2006. It was a previous corporate lease vehicle, and it looked like it had barely been driven- a 3.5 year old car with 27K miles. It had been CPO'd by Mercedes a couple months before I bought it, and they had it listed for $26K. Well, it bounced around the Crown dealerships in FL but I guess they couldn't sell it for that price. Eventually, they put at their Audi dealer and dropped the CPO guarantee, and I got it for a little over $19K (I tried to get the CPO back for that price, but there was no way). But, I knew that the car had just been certified, so it was good peace of mind for me. The car looked and ran like brand new. I was tickled to death. Especially since I checked out MANY C230's and resisted the temptation and stuck with my beater until I found the right one. My wife, on the other hand, bought the first car that she went to see last year (not a Benz), and she's hates it and is trying to get rid of it a year later.

It was and still is amazing to drive. After a year, I still actually look forward to driving to work every morning.

Kompressive

I had quite a varied collection of autos in my life starting with my first car at age 16, a red 1965 Jaguar XKE roadster with a 4.2 liter straight six. It was a great car off the line and was my dream ride until I blew the engine and the flames were blowing out of the hood vents onto my windshield. My second and third cars were both Porsche 914''s. An orange '72 1.7 litre, and a white '75 2.0 litre...great in the summer with the targa roof but prone to random donuts in the snow...pretty scary. Did I mention that both had lousy heat? My third car was a '83 Caddy Eldorado...I got talked into it - 11 miles per gallon. My next was a Volvo 240 diesel wagon...this was my slow period. After that it was all Benz starting with a 1988 190E (black), a 1996 C220 (black) and my current car, a 2204 C230K (black). I'm really trying to like the headlight/front end look of the new C's. Maybe if I see a black one, I'll cave. For now, I'll stick with the Kompressor sedan.