Mike T.

My 77 year old Dad took our 2002 red C 230 K in to the dealer for a sunroof repair (mysterious squeak, common problem!) and was given a 2003 C 240 Classic wagon with automatic, roof, part leather and rain sensor as a loaner. This car only had 40 km on it until he got his hands on the wheel.

Anyway it was interesting to compare the C 240 wagon to the C 230 K 2.3 L.

First comment:
That V-6 is rough! It vibrates noticeably at about 3000 rpm (put your hand on the auto gearbox selector to feel it) and also the high frequency vibrations can be felt in the floorboards too. That is a poor point in the rev range to exhibit roughness! It idles a lot more smoothly than the 2.3 but that's it. I noticed this rough spot in a couple of manual and one automatic C 240s I drove a couple of years back too, so it wasn't unique to this particular car. This is understandable; after all, it's a 90 degree V6 with a balance shaft, just like the equally rough Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V-6 of the 1970s/80s.

Second comment:
This car had an interesting whine coming from the rear axle when under light load climbing a gentle hill at highway speeds. My Dad could even hear it and his hearing range was trashed by being a Cold War fighter controller (radar) in the 1950s/60s. I'd guess the rear end was not properly adjusted. Hello, warranty!

Third comment:
The luggage area was symbolic at best. After having seen and even owned real station wagons, the luggage capacity of the C Class wagon is a huge disappointment. I'd not buy one for that reason (and because, next to an SUV or van, a wagon is an admission of hopeless domesticity).

Other comments:
Nice car overall, quiet, it handled well, rode OK for a German car (as "smooth" or, if you prefer, "rough" as the C 230 K actually) and seemed to be well assembled (in Germany). The huge hubcaps are pretty mean looking after having alloys on the C 230 K. The automatic is great if you're lazy, but the 6 speed is SOOO much nicer!

The semi-leather seats are truly nasty! Cloth would be better any day! Even the leather feels like plastic, and they let you slide around a lot in the corners. Not good. Mercedes should offer seats with leather bolsters and alcantara "suede" inserts. That would be a worthy alternative to the cloth. Perhaps the best of both worlds. Oh, and this car had a light gray interior and it was already getting dirty (especially the fuzzy door seal thingy on the sill plate). Bad choice! Looked cheap too. And the wood trim looks like plastic. The aluminium is better, I think. If ythey're going to have real wood, it should be oiled, not varnished into oblivion!

If I were to buy a sedan, it'd have to be the C 230 K. Even though it costs a fair bit more than the C 240 Classic in Canada, it's probably the best of the Cs for everyday use. The premium in price over the Sportcoupé is hard to justify, though.

MarkL

OK, I'll bite

I've got a 2002 C240, and I've never noticed any engine roughness that you mentioned, and I've got a 6-spd which wouldn't soak up vibration like an auto. It's interesting that you noticed this on several vehicles -- I wonder if it's an engine mount problem...

All US C-Class models have alloy wheels standard -- no huge hubcaps here!

You must not be a "leather" person. The partial leather/MB-Tex seats compare very favorably with the full leather version, IMO. I compared both before I ordered my car, and I think a person would be hard-pressed to notice the difference.

Same interior choices as the coupe, right? Not a comparison issue...

Again, personal preference. Wood trim in most modern cars is coated to protect it from wear and tear. I prefer the wood to aluminum in my C240, but that's me.

JadeLotus

If I had to guess from my own problems and that of my C240 loaner once upon a time, I'm guessing MB is still having differential problems. I just had mine replaced 4 weeks ago for that same annoying whine. Two dealers told me they hadn't heard that problem before, when the first dealer's loaner had that very issue! So, beware people, if you hear that whine and determine it's not a "rear end adjustment" issue like Mike T. hypothesizes, get the differential checked and fixed under warranty!

I had two threads going on that very issue.
Not that it bothers me since I have charcoal and as full leather as they can manage in the C-class, but the MBTex/leather in the other colors looks good. I didn't care for the Ash either, myself, I thought it looked very cheap and plastic. Sorry to anyone who has it and likes it... I've seen the java, oyster, and charcoal and they all look better than the ash in my opinion. Then again, I wasn't thrilled with the aluminum interior trim that comes with the sport package, but it's really grown on me.

(And by the way, I have to agree on the engine... I almost bought a C240, ended up with a C320 more by chance than by design... I didn't notice at the time, but there is a HUGE difference between the two V6 engines. Next time I take my car in for service, I'm going to ask for a C230k loaner so I can try that too.)

Cheers! And watch for the differential whine!

MarkL

Are you agreeing w/ his statement that the C240 2.6L engine exhibits roughness? The 3.2L version is based on the same block, right? I wouldn't think there'd be a difference other than power output...

Sorry, but I've driven both the 2.3L and 1.8L version of the C230 coupe, and, IMO, there's no way the 2.3 is smoother than the 2.6L V6. Now the 1.8, that's another story...I'd say they are on par w/ each other.

tommy

I'd have to agree with Mark - I had a 240 loaner, and it's much smoother than the 2.3. It was a slushbox, though, and with the one big on-ramp that is Jersey, was pretty dangerous to drive in commuter traffic.

Xpeed

Mike T. if i was you i would take the c240 and do every crazy thing i could think of doing that i would not normaly do to my car. and find out what the car is rally capebole of doing. how fast it really is can you make it pell off will the trany take the abuse and so on the reaction from Mike t after reading this

KOMPRESSORnSC

I've got a C240 loaner right now, and I miss my Coupe! The 240 is really smooth and soft, and I'm sure it's a great car for some people. I just like the edgy feel of my coupe-a lot more feedback from the road, and a lot more fun to push hard and keep on the edge. I didn't realize how huch difference there was between the two, but I'm sure it has a lot to do with my AMG sways & 17" vs. stock sways & 16" on the C240.

MarkL

I don't disagree about the power and suspension differences, but I think my 6-spd C240 is more fun to push, etc. than an auto version... But that's probably true for all manual vs. automatic vehicles...I guess I'm saying, 6-spd version of the C240 is more lively and until you've driven that, it's hard to compare an auto C240 to a 6-spd C230.

Mike T.

About the wood trim, there is a better way. For example, sit in a BMW 7 and you'll notice matt finished wood that looks like wood and not some Cadillac plastic mactac pattern. If not oiled, at least a matt finish...

Yep, the hubcaps are cheap but that's the price we pay for having the taxi version for sale here in Canada.

Sorry to those with the small displacement V-6, but I'm just telling it as I see it. The 240 engine was not terribly rough, don't get me wrong, it just happened to have a "buzzy" period around 3000 rpm, which is an important part of the rev range. If you have the 2.6 L V-6, gear down until you're at a constant 3000 rpm on the highway and feel the shift lever. You'll see what I mean. The 2.6 L V-6 is way smoother than the 2.3 L four at idle, but since where I drive the car is at idle for about 1% of the time and at or near 3000 rpm maybe 50% of the time, I know which one is more important to me!

I doubt the vibration was an engine mount; there was no excessive noise transmission or movement in the drivetrain under acceleration. Besides, an inherently smooth engine would not require the insulating properties of a hydraulic engine mount to attenuate vibration

The rear axle whine was a real surprise. It seemed to be the gearset rather than a bearing, being apparent only under drive and not the overrun. Which is why I suggested that they might not have adjusted its clearance properly at the factory. In any case, he'll mention it to the dealer when he gets our red C 230 K back tomorrow (we hope). They should not sell this car as it is.

I have not been a Leatherman since Village People days Seriously, although it undoubtedly wears well, Mercedes leather seems antiseptic (does not smell like leather) and it's slippery as hell because you do not sink into the seats as you would on a French car. In a French car with leather, being somewhat sunken into the seat cushion holds you in place. Because of the hard seating surfaces in a M-B, and the slick leather, you can slide around a lot in corners. Which is why I wrote that leather bolsters with Alcantara inserts might be the ticket for "upmarket" seating.

I'm not into abusing cars Xpeed, so forget it! The C 240 is adequately fast for me even with the automatic and it handles quite well.

JadeLotus

Well, I guess I was still half asleep this morning when I replied, but I actually wasn't talking about the engine roughness... now that you mention it, I'm not sure I know what Mike T meant. I didn't think it was as much rough as that there is a slight "hesitation" maybe??? With the 3.2L, the acceleration is even through the power band, there isn't as much as a noticeable kick at higher RPMs, though if you floor it around 4500RPM it'll glue you to the seat. (Duh. That's where the horsepower difference is normally noticeable.) So, I don't know what I was saying in the first place, but that's my impression nonetheless. I'm actually interested in seeing how the supercharger on the Kompressor models works into that equation- maybe I should go and drive one at the dealer for fun.

With regard to the seating, I think it's more an issue of the sport seats vs. the regular. (If I'm not mistaken, cloth buckets are standard on the C230k?) After being used to mine, every time I turned, I ended up mashed to either the door or the center console. (*grin* Now you know how I drive.) The suspension and thicker stabilizers come into play there, cause I had a C320 wagon loaner that had such excessive body lean!

All of these things are not things you would normally notice unless you were accustomed to one of the other models, I think... not necessarily flaws as much as personal preference.

After rereading this message, I think maybe I'm still half asleep!

BenzC240

Long time no see jade

As much as i hate my car the engine is smooth and rides soft and nice. Keep in mind also with more hrp it will feel even better as the c320 would. I test drove both and ofcourse saw a difference, u r coming from driving a car with more power on a daily basis and thats why u may feel some roughness. as to the other issue i never had it, not yet at least

JadeLotus

Hey BenzC240... wasted enough time at work on the last thread, figured I should probably do what I'm getting paid for. Be glad you didn't have that issue to add to your litany!

If y'all want to see a real difference, try my last unfortunate loaner (I made a surprise visit to the dealer- no appointment, no Mercedes loaner!) which was an '03 Chevy Malibu. It's a 3.1L V6 with supposedly 171hp and only slightly less torque than the C240. You can mash the pedal to the floor from a dead stop and probably get more speed if you got out and pushed it. But the minute it gets up to 3000 rpm, it wakes up. An issue with gearing ratios, I'd think.

With that for comparison, the C240 does an admirable job of providing smooth power, but the extra 47hp does make a difference. Then again, I drive mine pretty hard on a daily basis (gotta do something for fun on that very short 6 mile commute!) and the transmission performance reflects that- my C320 wagon loaner w/ 500mi on it actually was pretty stodgy in comparison. The power was there in reserve, it just wouldn't dip into it.

BenzC240

I agree, go out there and drive american cars, see the difference Seriously though yes u will see a major difference between american cars and the benz, it is smoother

Guest0001

i have a 320 and a couple weeks my friend took his C to service and got a 240 loaner. i drove it... wow that car is slow! for people who are looking for 240, spend the extra 5k and the 320. hp diff is very significant! i have yet driven to 230 sedan so i dont know how it compares to that. other than hp on the 240 it is a fine car.