Hello all,
I never thought I'd own a Mercedes-Benz, but today I signed for a very gently used black on black 2007 C350 Sport. Only 46k miles. Seems to have all options except for the NAV. I think I got a great deal on it and I'm happy. I got it for less than many of the C230s are selling for.

I have been looking at many ~$20k luxury sports sedans lately and none of them really got me excited. But when I first saw this C350, I knew it was special.

It will be a big change in refinement for me as I've been driving a Mazdaspeed3 for the last 18 months. Foolish purchase.

Looking forward to Benz ownership. Hopefully it won't be problematic. I'll be doing plenty of reading around here.
-Bill in North Georgia

Edit: A few quick pics I grabbed at the dealer before the sun went down. Yes, this car was found at a Toyota dealer! It was a direct trade in there. Not sure who could go from a C350 to a Toyota...

 

ok well we need pics now lol
Sounds like a nice car if it really does have most options. Does it have the HK stereo? and 6spd manual or 7 speed auto?
what town in north GA?
Let me be the first to welcome you to the forum. Please take the time to read the stickys.
And if you have any questions feel free to PM me
EDIT: we have pics
BIX FTW

 

Oh yeah, forgot to say it has the 7sp auto. Getting a car with an auto trans was part of the reason I started looking. I've had manual trans in every car since 1989 until now, but my commute has gotten much worse lately and I've grown tired of all the clutching in stop/go traffic. Perhaps its also because I turned 40 recently...

Yes, it has the HK/ent package, HID lighting pack, Sunroof pack, heated seats, fold down rears, and Ipod dock. Sadly, it doesn't appear as if it were completely setup for cellphone/bluetooth. Before I purchased, I thought I just had to buy the blutooth module, but then I just read a thread that indicated all the other stuff that is required which runs over $1k. For that, I'll just be using my Samsung earpiece for quite some time.

BTW, I'm outside Atlanta on the way west side.

 

I would love a w203 manual but the traffic in DC area is ridiculous and i would kill myself after a week of it so understand.
I bet you love your BIX best option period on a w203. BTW bix are the projector style hid headlights.
Yeah a headset is much more cost effective I have a really nice one and have never looked back.
i asked about where because we have a member around Rome (wach out for him LILBENZ230 AKA Matt lol) and i visit Fayetteville often.

 

Welcome, looks like you got yourself a very nice one, southern car, clean, and has a lot of great options. Navi is actually somewhat rare on the W203, but every so often you'll see systems pop up in the classifieds or on ebay. They are plug and play and simple to install if you feel you really want it. If I see you around these parts I'll wave.

 

Welcome aboard from a fellow c350 owner. '06 6 spd here. Only but a few of the 3.5L m272's here. Nice to see another, especially one as nice as yours. Pick of the litter.

 

I poured over the CarFax for this car. The previous owner had it in for EVERY service to a Dealer in Charleston, SC, so the car has spent its entire life in the south. I called the dealer in SC to verify a few things but it looks like the owner was a lady and she followed the dealer recommended service to a T. Two brake fluid changes, trans service, regular service every 8k miles or so. Also, looks like a brand new set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S+. They wouldn't be my first choice in a tire, but they are certainly good tires that should last for a couple years.

 

Sounds like a beauty. That service record is a score for you my friend. The first owner situation sounds like a familiar story... she drove it til the warranty was up and moved on. And for you I'm happy she did!
Was your 18-month run with your Mazda an average lifespan of ownership for you? You said you had regrets... I've never owned a Mazda (and never will lol), what was up with it?

 

Very nice find! Factory bi-xenon's are rare to find on w203 C-classes and really help both functionally and aesthetically.

Be careful if and when you try to retrofit the bluetooth kit into this car. The 2007's did not come with the phone pre-wiring and need much more than the already expensive MHI kit, phone cradle and bluetooth puck to get the functionality working.

 

Actually, no, 18-months is not typical for me. Prior to the Mazda, I had a B5 Passat V6 Manual for just over 9 years. Prior to that, I had a car for ~40 months before someone T-boned me and it was totaled by the insurance co. Prior to that, it was an Acura for ~6 years.

I'm not really sure I have regrets for buying the Mazdaspeed. It is very fast, handles great, I still think it looks great too. It has been a lot of fun, but it is tiring after a while. Its loud, rough riding, etc. I guess I'm just over it. It just wasn't the best choice for the long run. At least I can say I'm not really loosing much if any money on it because the dealer gave me a trade in value of just $1500 less than what I paid for it 18 months ago. (I bought it used, 1 year old with 12k miles)

Surprised? I'm not. I've seen the Mazdapeed3 listed in various places as having one of the highest residual values. I think 3 years of Car and Driver award winning comparos helped it along.

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story....ct=best_resale

Now, I think this Benz is the kinda of car I'll be happy with for 5-6 years as long as it isn't problematic.

 

This one is actually wired for it because it came with the 'entertainment package' option. I won't be bothering though due to cost. Its just not that important to me. If it were just a $200 module, maybe, but not $1-1.5k!

 

That's an amazing return on your Mazda. I wish that was always the case. Otherwise I'd have a new car every 18 months. Crazy.

The '06 and '07 are generally known as the eiptome in re: to hassle free... as you probably know by now. It really just comes down to proper maintainence, which technically doesn't have to come around as often as the first owner did . The only thing I can think of is hit or miss, cam sensor magnets. You may have already ready about them. They seem to still be a potential source of common issue. Very cheap fix though! Only other thing I can think of that is also hit or miss are the catalytic converters. One on my wife's 07 got replaced under warranty by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

 

Great car and welcome to the forum. I own a 2006 C350 sport and I love it. What do you think of the power compared to the Speed3? I know those things can move.

Overall the car is going to be very reliable (knock on wood). Maintenance isn't a pain in the butt. Do you know if the transmission service has been done? Recommended is at 39k. At 56K that I am at now I am really starting to feel it's time to change the oil and filter.

 

Nice find man. My Benz is the same model as yours except mind has the smaller engine, the C230 and just basic. So far I'm loving it in 5 months of ownership as a daily driver in DC traffic, besides the cam sensor issue it's been worry free.

 

I checked and it had tranny service done! Yeayah!!

Power-wise, hard to compare. The Benz has a strong steady pull, but the Mazda feels faster in a narrow RPM band because of the steep torque curve when the boost comes on. Bottom line, the C350 is fast enough for me.

I guess from what everyone here is saying, I should really be thankful for the HIDs. These will be my first in a car and I'm actually looking forward to some night drives. Pretty thankful for the HK audio too. Despite what some people say, I think it sounds pretty darn good for stock audio.

 

some here are harder to impress than most.
i have stock audio and love it.

 

Ugh that car is gorgeous. I really love the 07s. If it were a manual, I'm local and no good at stealing things but I might know a few people.

Just kidding. Great car, though. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Excellent buy! Enjoy! - & welcome to the forum.

 

Very nice! There hasn't been a C350 Sport for sale around here in a long time. I was looking for one when I decided I wanted out of my C230 and gave up. Very nice car, looks super clean. Good deal on all the service history too, the 7 speed can only be serviced at the dealer since it is filled from the drain hole. You should be happy with the Pilot Sport A/S Plus, I put them on my back of my C55 after the ****ty Pirellis wore out in 3k miles and I've got 4k miles on them and they still have over half life left and the traction is factastic.

 

Great purchase, and a nice upgrade from the mazdaspeed3. That car is quite abusive, mazda should have made it 4wd from factory instead of the FWD, primarily because of torque steer.

 

Welcome!

 

Congratulations on the new ride. That is a great looking car and well optioned. Also great to see someone else from the Atlanta area!

Don't discount being able to do the integrated phone and bluetooth too quickly. There is an excellent writeup HERE, that details most of what is required, etc. Quite a bit of information, and it covers more than just your model, but good information that has been updated as things have chanced. There is also a link HERE with the MB documentation for installing the required hardware. The list only goes through 2005, but that should be the same system in your '07.

A lot of it is available on eBay, and using the everything is probably not required because the factory setup and kit uses a linear amp in line, expecting the physical connection with the phone. That isn't needed using the bluetooth connection, as well as using the cradle eliminator cable, the entire cradle setup is not needed. Although it is not the cheapest solution, it is a nice setup once installed.

 

Looks as clean as a baby's... Well, nevermind. Welcome aboard!

 

Tell that to John Anderson who services his 722.9 in his garage. It can be done.

you wear tires out that fast? Just in normal driving or lots of burnouts?

 

He's a better man than I am, I work on cars every day and I wasn't even going to attempt it.

Norman driving for a C55! Like I said though, I've already got more miles than I got out of the Pirellis on the Michelins and there is still at least half tread left. The Pirelli is soft but the traction is still horrible! It couldn't keep traction with my C55, I don't know how the C63 guys are getting any traction at all. Pirellis are junk. Now with the Michelin I have to want to burn out because they keep traction so well.