Considering 2007 c230 sport
#1
Considering 2007 c230 sport
I'm looking at a friend's c230 sport...well maintained, 33k miles. How is the COMAND system on these cars? How is the 6-speed manual? What are the things to look out for down the road in terms of repairs? Anything competitive that you would consider? I would look at the 2006 BMW 330i, but I'm weary of VANOS issues..
i currently have a c230 sport from 2000 (the last year of the w202...perhaps there is a trend...) that I care for quite well.
i currently have a c230 sport from 2000 (the last year of the w202...perhaps there is a trend...) that I care for quite well.
#2
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From: Saint Augustine, FL
1999 CLK320 (sold), 2007 C230 SS (gone), 2000 Grand Marquis, 2011 CR-Z, stay tuned...
I absolutely LOVE mine. It's not the fastest car, and will be noticeable slower, especially on the low end, than your 2000 C230. The command is a great system, too, but I don't have it. We have it in our SL and, while it's not the easiest system to deal with all the time, it's fine once you get used to it. Many people say that Mercedes doesn't make the best manual transmissions, but they are solid. The most common complaint is that the syncros are a little weird for second when it gets cold. I would say to go for it. I would worry about the low mileage, honestly. My car is also right now at just about 33k miles and I had a couple issued from the car having sat so long. This time last year, the car only had 8k on it, so the 33k wasn't evenly distributed throughout the life of the car. As far as common issues, check the stickies at the top. Welcome.
#3
THe 07 is pretty trouble free as is the 06's. The 07 have some pro's and cons being that last year.
07 dont have an ipod aux in so it requires a 300 dollar kit instead of a 50 dollar cord.
You have AMG exaust so it looks alot like a C36 save the wheels and engine
Your car will have a spoiler 06s didnt
The wheels dont look like any other years
The 6 speed is nice, its notchy thats a fact, but its not bad, drive a subaru and then youll know what a bad shifter is, they FN had no reverse sycros and 3rd was like trying to screw a nun.
Command is good, its better then damn Idrive+Gps but not quite as good as Volvos VNS pop out system.
Not many things go wrong on these cars esp the m272 its a very solid engine, only thing I know is common is i think Cam or crank shaft position sensors go bad which are a cheap fix but this may be on the 4 bangers and not the v6 (cant remember some one will chime in)
Id but it seems nice what color ext/int?
07 dont have an ipod aux in so it requires a 300 dollar kit instead of a 50 dollar cord.
You have AMG exaust so it looks alot like a C36 save the wheels and engine
Your car will have a spoiler 06s didnt
The wheels dont look like any other years
The 6 speed is nice, its notchy thats a fact, but its not bad, drive a subaru and then youll know what a bad shifter is, they FN had no reverse sycros and 3rd was like trying to screw a nun.
Command is good, its better then damn Idrive+Gps but not quite as good as Volvos VNS pop out system.
Not many things go wrong on these cars esp the m272 its a very solid engine, only thing I know is common is i think Cam or crank shaft position sensors go bad which are a cheap fix but this may be on the 4 bangers and not the v6 (cant remember some one will chime in)
Id but it seems nice what color ext/int?
#4
I absolutely LOVE mine. It's not the fastest car, and will be noticeable slower, especially on the low end, than your 2000 C230. The command is a great system, too, but I don't have it. We have it in our SL and, while it's not the easiest system to deal with all the time, it's fine once you get used to it. Many people say that Mercedes doesn't make the best manual transmissions, but they are solid. The most common complaint is that the syncros are a little weird for second when it gets cold. I would say to go for it. I would worry about the low mileage, honestly. My car is also right now at just about 33k miles and I had a couple issued from the car having sat so long. This time last year, the car only had 8k on it, so the 33k wasn't evenly distributed throughout the life of the car. As far as common issues, check the stickies at the top. Welcome.
also, does anyone know about 3m clearbra's or competitive products to prevent rock chips?
#5
THe 07 is pretty trouble free as is the 06's. The 07 have some pro's and cons being that last year.
07 dont have an ipod aux in so it requires a 300 dollar kit instead of a 50 dollar cord.
You have AMG exaust so it looks alot like a C36 save the wheels and engine
Your car will have a spoiler 06s didnt
The wheels dont look like any other years
The 6 speed is nice, its notchy thats a fact, but its not bad, drive a subaru and then youll know what a bad shifter is, they FN had no reverse sycros and 3rd was like trying to screw a nun.
Command is good, its better then damn Idrive+Gps but not quite as good as Volvos VNS pop out system.
Not many things go wrong on these cars esp the m272 its a very solid engine, only thing I know is common is i think Cam or crank shaft position sensors go bad which are a cheap fix but this may be on the 4 bangers and not the v6 (cant remember some one will chime in)
Id but it seems nice what color ext/int?
07 dont have an ipod aux in so it requires a 300 dollar kit instead of a 50 dollar cord.
You have AMG exaust so it looks alot like a C36 save the wheels and engine
Your car will have a spoiler 06s didnt
The wheels dont look like any other years
The 6 speed is nice, its notchy thats a fact, but its not bad, drive a subaru and then youll know what a bad shifter is, they FN had no reverse sycros and 3rd was like trying to screw a nun.
Command is good, its better then damn Idrive+Gps but not quite as good as Volvos VNS pop out system.
Not many things go wrong on these cars esp the m272 its a very solid engine, only thing I know is common is i think Cam or crank shaft position sensors go bad which are a cheap fix but this may be on the 4 bangers and not the v6 (cant remember some one will chime in)
Id but it seems nice what color ext/int?
I know a person who I recently met and they have an 06 or 07 manual and they love it. Against my C350 for 2 seconds we are dead even. (rolling)
#6
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#8
Great info. All I have to add is the crankshaft position sensor. I know this is becoming a common problem. Mine is intermittent and all I really get is an annoying "Check Engine". I can't feel anything. I think it's 8 bucks per sensor and replacing is very easy.
I know a person who I recently met and they have an 06 or 07 manual and they love it. Against my C350 for 2 seconds we are dead even. (rolling)
I know a person who I recently met and they have an 06 or 07 manual and they love it. Against my C350 for 2 seconds we are dead even. (rolling)
Also on power, they make a flash for the car for about 600 bux that gets you to 200tq 221hp which is pretty darn good, and on my mod list, it would then have the speed of of at least the old C320 ( down on tq up on hp)and current C300 (heavier car)
I love my C230, I do wish I knew the 350 existed in 6 speed I would have waited but there so rare, if you see one you should buy a lottery ticket, because your super lucky.
#9
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Great car & the 272 engine is a tough gem. You just need to rev it which it loves.
Camshaft Position Sensors seem to fail now and again - available at half the cost that the dealer wants and is identical to the so called OEM part - See Johnand's thread.
Camshaft Position Sensors seem to fail now and again - available at half the cost that the dealer wants and is identical to the so called OEM part - See Johnand's thread.
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,545
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From: Saint Augustine, FL
1999 CLK320 (sold), 2007 C230 SS (gone), 2000 Grand Marquis, 2011 CR-Z, stay tuned...
The M272 E25 is so much better in a manual. It needs to be revved; the low-end is non-existant in the automatic.
#12
YAY I am glad I got something right kinda! Thanks Karo for affirming that, I dont want to be the key to misinformation.
Also on power, they make a flash for the car for about 600 bux that gets you to 200tq 221hp which is pretty darn good, and on my mod list, it would then have the speed of of at least the old C320 ( down on tq up on hp)and current C300 (heavier car)
I love my C230, I do wish I knew the 350 existed in 6 speed I would have waited but there so rare, if you see one you should buy a lottery ticket, because your super lucky.
Also on power, they make a flash for the car for about 600 bux that gets you to 200tq 221hp which is pretty darn good, and on my mod list, it would then have the speed of of at least the old C320 ( down on tq up on hp)and current C300 (heavier car)
I love my C230, I do wish I knew the 350 existed in 6 speed I would have waited but there so rare, if you see one you should buy a lottery ticket, because your super lucky.
also, link to manufacturer/programmer of ecu flash? (is this a full new chip?)
#13
E90 330i > W203 C230. You'd be insane to pick the C230 over the 330i. The E92 is a newer chassis with a design that is still current and the I6 engine is great (and has 54hp and 39tq on the C230's 2.5). If it were a C350 Sport with a manual, I'd say get the W203. But otherwise, get the E90 330, hands down.
Last edited by LILBENZ230; 01-24-2010 at 06:56 PM.
#14
This w203 is a really great car, but in all honestly it depends on you're driving style because my buddy has a 330i with Hamann exhaust and the sound from it is absolutely art. How do you drive is the main question?
#15
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Depends how long you want to keep it. The BMW will never do the mileage the Merc will. BMW's don't make old bones well.
#16
Glyn, as you already know, the US is a throw away society. That my C230 (with the M271) or 135i won't go 400,000 miles for whatever reason is not an issue. In all likelihood, the OP will keep the car 5-7 years max - and the E90 is a newer chassis, the N52 is a hell of an engine.. I think it's the better of the two, not even close.
I love Mercedes as much as anyone.. there are things Mercedes does exceptionally well but there are things they can't touch BMW on, and I think virtually every automobile specialist/journalist would agree.
I love Mercedes as much as anyone.. there are things Mercedes does exceptionally well but there are things they can't touch BMW on, and I think virtually every automobile specialist/journalist would agree.
Last edited by LILBENZ230; 01-24-2010 at 06:56 PM.
#17
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
I love BMW engines - I don't like old BMWs. Where I come from Benz outsell BMW handsomely due to durabiliy as they do in Asia. I hear you on toss out, low valued US market. In SA Benz vehicles retain value far better than BMW for this reason. I know this is not so in the US.
#18
#23
Glyn, as you already know, the US is a throw away society. That my C230 (with the M271) or 135i won't go 400,000 miles for whatever reason is not an issue. In all likelihood, the OP will keep the car 5-7 years max - and the E92 is a newer chassis, the N52 is a hell of an engine.. I think it's the better of the two, not even close.
I love Mercedes as much as anyone.. there are things Mercedes does exceptionally well but there are things they can't touch BMW on, and I think virtually every automobile specialist/journalist would agree.
I love Mercedes as much as anyone.. there are things Mercedes does exceptionally well but there are things they can't touch BMW on, and I think virtually every automobile specialist/journalist would agree.
Well, I've decided against the w203...I'll stick with my w202. the only thing i would be gaining is a stiffer chassis (though I'm not taking the car to the track) and navigation. I like driving cars for the long haul, so reliability is a must (with the assumption that you baby the car).
In any case, at least we get to be happy with our amazing cars, right?
Last edited by tex07; 01-24-2010 at 03:18 PM.
#24
this is precisely why i considered the c230 before the e92. I'm afraid of VANOS issues and don't know much about them to be able to make a good judgment (though the e92 is one generation ahead in terms of handling and engine...i agree with you about the n52 completely).
Well, I've decided against the w203...I'll stick with my w202. the only thing i would be gaining is a stiffer chassis (though I'm not taking the car to the track) and navigation. I like driving cars for the long haul, so reliability is a must (with the assumption that you baby the car).
In any case, at least we get to be happy with our amazing cars, right?
Well, I've decided against the w203...I'll stick with my w202. the only thing i would be gaining is a stiffer chassis (though I'm not taking the car to the track) and navigation. I like driving cars for the long haul, so reliability is a must (with the assumption that you baby the car).
In any case, at least we get to be happy with our amazing cars, right?
#25
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Every recent performance BMW has failed under standard test conditions in the last couple of years when tested by our local Car magazine. They are fragile. Come to Africa - we'll show you how crap they can be.
All Bangle styling sucks! It's still prevalent in the line. The new 5 Series GT looks like an SUV.
I enjoy driving them for short periods when someone else owns them. At 5 years old you can't give them away.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 01-24-2010 at 06:42 PM.