Where did you first discover the C230K?
03-01-2002, 12:14 PM
#1
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Where did you first discover the C230K?
I first saw the C230K at the 2001 LA car show last January. Fell in love right there and pestered my MB dealers until they knew about it! I read everything I could find in the Europress about it. Decision made.I got my car right after the WTC disaster, one of the first ten in L.A. according to MBSoCal. Where did you first see and fall for yours?
03-01-2002, 12:34 PM
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2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Had my first sighting innocently browsing mbusa just to humor myself with what i thought i couldn't afford, and there she was in Brilliant Silver Mettalic. It was love at first sight. That happend around August -September.
03-01-2002, 12:44 PM
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1991 mr2 turbo, 2002 coupe
I think the first I saw it was in the Oct. issue of C&D. I think that was around the time of the attacks- saw the commercials too, but can't remember when- don't see them anymore though.
I thought it looked nice although C&D wasn't too fond of it. I did have the preconceptions where that it would be:
1. Overpriced and undervalued
2. Severely lacking of standard features
3. Not worthy of the sports coupe name
4. Would feel and handle clumsily
My colleague decided one slow day, to see what German car he could build online and keep under 30k, with the features he would want. Purely hypothetically because he was not at all in the market. I knew he would have trouble. That's the first time the coupe came into the picture for me. I tested it that day but as I said, I had fairly low expectations and my visit to MB was really more to satisfy curiosity of what this thing was all about. Well that night I knew that it would be my next car. A few weeks and test drives of different configurations later (with and w/o C7, sunroof), I placed an order on my:
C230/6speed/orion blue/C7/changer- and I couldn't be happier!
I thought it looked nice although C&D wasn't too fond of it. I did have the preconceptions where that it would be:1. Overpriced and undervalued
2. Severely lacking of standard features
3. Not worthy of the sports coupe name
4. Would feel and handle clumsily
My colleague decided one slow day, to see what German car he could build online and keep under 30k, with the features he would want. Purely hypothetically because he was not at all in the market. I knew he would have trouble. That's the first time the coupe came into the picture for me. I tested it that day but as I said, I had fairly low expectations and my visit to MB was really more to satisfy curiosity of what this thing was all about. Well that night I knew that it would be my next car. A few weeks and test drives of different configurations later (with and w/o C7, sunroof), I placed an order on my:
C230/6speed/orion blue/C7/changer- and I couldn't be happier!
03-01-2002, 12:49 PM
#4
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I first laid eyes on her across a crowded dance floor, disco music was playing, lights were flashing and the smell of cigarette smoke and sweat in the air. We exchanged glances and right then and there I knew she was the right car for me. I've been riding her hard for over 6 months now and she's still as good as the first day.
03-01-2002, 12:56 PM
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Location: Sitting behind thing freakin desk of mine. Dreaming I was playing my Taylors, and driving my Benz. Long Live The VRAA!!!!!!
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C230 Sports Coupe
I saw her on the 21st of July 2001. An hour later she was min. first one in NC, and from what the dealer told me one of the first 10 in the Country. I went until November before seeing another one. And that was in Florida
03-01-2002, 01:01 PM
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2002 C230k
I think the first time I saw it was the Road and Track article, at least that was the first time I took any NOTICE of it. I still haven't seen the TV spots (dang!). I guess I need to sit around and watch TV more often!
I remember reading the R&T article and thinking if I got one it'd be black as there was NO WAY I'd pay more simply because of color! Also didn't like the looks of the sunroof... and basically decided it might be something to look at, but only to reassure myself the 1.8T Jetta was the right car for me.
But I waited on the Jetta to see if any late intro models would come out (like a Wolfsburg Edition, or Turbo S or whatever). In the meantime I looked at a few other cars (WRX, Spec V Sentra, etc) and still decided on the Jetta. Then my wife convinced me to drive the Benz one afternoon just on a whim.
My signature tells the rest of the story.
I remember reading the R&T article and thinking if I got one it'd be black as there was NO WAY I'd pay more simply because of color! Also didn't like the looks of the sunroof... and basically decided it might be something to look at, but only to reassure myself the 1.8T Jetta was the right car for me.
But I waited on the Jetta to see if any late intro models would come out (like a Wolfsburg Edition, or Turbo S or whatever). In the meantime I looked at a few other cars (WRX, Spec V Sentra, etc) and still decided on the Jetta. Then my wife convinced me to drive the Benz one afternoon just on a whim.
My signature tells the rest of the story.
03-01-2002, 01:24 PM
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Awaiting a new arrival...
I travel a lot, so I never went seeking one at a dealer. However, COMDEX 2001 in Las Vegas in November was my first introduction at the MB Tech Drive - drive just about any new MB model on a short, but quick auto-x course. I drove the 2 C Coupes they had, Paprika and Orion Blue automatics, every day, all week, and was in a dealership a week later starting the initial number crunching. Ordered vehicle arriving sometime in April...
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03-01-2002, 01:33 PM
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saw the coverage on the 2000 Paris Auto Show and Photos from MBspy and immediately fell in love - I like hatchbacks like the Audi S3 and Alfa 147. Then i thought its cool for MB to make a hatchback so i placed an deposit last year this time and i think i'm the #2 on list with the dealer
Magma Red C5 C7 6sp
now thinking of :
Kleemann speed sensitive shocks
Kleemann supercharger pulley upgrade
Magma Red C5 C7 6sp
now thinking of :
Kleemann speed sensitive shocks
Kleemann supercharger pulley upgrade
03-01-2002, 02:10 PM
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2002 C230 Orion Blue w/ C7, Auto, Bose, and CD changer
first time I saw it
I was at the Legg Mason tennis tournament in DC which is sponsored by Mercedes. They had all different models there none of which I could afford. Then I saw the C230, I thought to myself I bet this one is $50K dollars or more too. But to my surpise it wasn't. It was an orion blue one, I later test drove one and ordered mine on Thanksgiving of '01.
03-01-2002, 03:44 PM
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I remember seeing one from the back in the Fillmore district in SF, but it was from the back so I didn't think much of it.
Then I went to the SF Auto Show and jumped into all the cars I was interested in, but nothing felt right, until I sat in a Bordeaux red one on display. Everything felt right, seating position, room. I turned on the stereo and it sounded great (must have been a C5) Then the security guard told me to shut it off. But I enjoyed the time in the car for sure.
And now that I've finally test drove it, there's no other choice.
Then I went to the SF Auto Show and jumped into all the cars I was interested in, but nothing felt right, until I sat in a Bordeaux red one on display. Everything felt right, seating position, room. I turned on the stereo and it sounded great (must have been a C5) Then the security guard told me to shut it off. But I enjoyed the time in the car for sure.
And now that I've finally test drove it, there's no other choice.
03-01-2002, 05:33 PM
#12
Out Of Control!!
I first saw the TV commercial back around Aug/Sep. I remember not thinking too much of it. I had seen the new designed C Class and I liked it a lot, but thought that the commercial didn't really show the car well. On a trip to Europe in September, I saw a couple over there, and that's when I really took notice of it. I thought it looked nice! More sporty looking than I thought from TV. When I got back home, I started doing reseach, and I ordered one in October.
Long story short -- too many delays, and I couldn't wait any longer, so I ended up getting a sedan (which I'm happy with).
Buell, I think your story sounds the best!!
Long story short -- too many delays, and I couldn't wait any longer, so I ended up getting a sedan (which I'm happy with).
Buell, I think your story sounds the best!!
03-01-2002, 06:00 PM
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2002 C230K Sport Coupe M6 C5 desert silver
None of the above. It was time to add another car to the stable as my son was driving and my wife complaining. I started going through the auto web sites and the Mercedes C230 Sport coupe kept popping up as one of the top 10 cars for 2002 (whatever that means). I really like German engineering but my Scottish side comes out when it comes to the price. The price seemed too good to be true. I went for several test drives before convincing myself that this was a great car. It helped that the comments by owners on the MS whatever car page were very positive. What really sold me was I was lucky enough to walk into a local dealer (in fact the closest) that had one in stock and willing to sell under MSRP. I have no regrets.
03-01-2002, 07:42 PM
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09' BMW M3 E90
I actually was not interested in getting a MB. I was just shopping around one weekend looking at BMW's +Audi's when i stummbled accross the C230K sitting in front of a Benz dealer here in calgary. I seen this car in Europe last summer and loved it. And when i saw it over here it was a done deal for me.
03-01-2002, 07:53 PM
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2002 C 230K
I was dozing off while watching TV one day last July when I saw the commercial. I immediately woke right up and went to the website, checked out the car and entered a contest to win one. The next day I went to the (one) dealership we have and pretty much made up my mind to order it.
03-01-2002, 10:50 PM
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Crossfire Coupe
The first time I saw one was in the Mercedes Benz showroom back in April 2001. I was shoping for a new car and walked in and while looking at an ML320 the salesman approached me with a small postcard type looking photo. I went and bought an Audi instead however just 7 months later, I walked in the same dealer and bought the C-Coupe.
'02 C230 Coupe Blk/Oyster Leather, auto, C2
'02 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro, 6-Speed
'02 C230 Coupe Blk/Oyster Leather, auto, C2
'02 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro, 6-Speed
03-02-2002, 10:24 PM
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2002 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe
I first noticed it when Motorweek TV aired their C230 review (a black one) back in either late October or early November.
03-03-2002, 08:20 AM
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C230K Coupe/Orion/C4/C5/CD/AMG Spoiler/V60/TeleAid, 2 MGB's
AutoWeek (www.autoweek.com) posted spy pics of it in 99, then did a brief article on it in Euro-trim in early 2000. I decided right then and there that it would be my next car. They released a full spread on it in March 01, and after seeing the actual car at the NY AutoShow ...I knew I was hooked.
03-03-2002, 04:16 PM
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2005 CLK 320 Diamon Silver/Ash
Last October there was a review in the Boston Globe Auto section. I read this before attending a European Motorcycle Day at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation. Displayed in the center of the museum was a silver C230K!
A couple weeks later I finished work early and sought out the closest dealer and took a test ride. Very impressed with it. I kept thinking about it and read the few internet reviews. Salesmen never called me. 4 weeks go by and I call the salesmen to arrange another test ride, this time with my wife. She didn't actually go saying "Get it if you want it!". So, I arrived and the salesmen was doing a delivery. No car was available for a test ride, it had been taken to the local auto show! They did a valuation of my trade-in, but didn't tell me the amount. I left since I wasn't getting any service.
Tried to get a different salesman assigned to me without luck.
Now it's early November and I'm still thinking about this car so I visit a different dealer who has none is stock or in the parking lot!
I call the original salesman to get a the valuation of my trade-in and find he has lost it! So, I make an appointment anyway and bring it in.
We make a deal and in three days I have the same car I drove in mid-October! The salesman was too busy with another delivery so he had another salesperson help me. I was glad!
Since the purchase I've received four customer satisfaction requests. In each one I give the car and preparation high marks and the salesmen the lowest. I haven't been back, since, and have enjoyed the last 4,500 miles of this car!
A couple weeks later I finished work early and sought out the closest dealer and took a test ride. Very impressed with it. I kept thinking about it and read the few internet reviews. Salesmen never called me. 4 weeks go by and I call the salesmen to arrange another test ride, this time with my wife. She didn't actually go saying "Get it if you want it!". So, I arrived and the salesmen was doing a delivery. No car was available for a test ride, it had been taken to the local auto show! They did a valuation of my trade-in, but didn't tell me the amount. I left since I wasn't getting any service.
Tried to get a different salesman assigned to me without luck.
Now it's early November and I'm still thinking about this car so I visit a different dealer who has none is stock or in the parking lot!
I call the original salesman to get a the valuation of my trade-in and find he has lost it! So, I make an appointment anyway and bring it in.
We make a deal and in three days I have the same car I drove in mid-October! The salesman was too busy with another delivery so he had another salesperson help me. I was glad!
Since the purchase I've received four customer satisfaction requests. In each one I give the car and preparation high marks and the salesmen the lowest. I haven't been back, since, and have enjoyed the last 4,500 miles of this car!
03-03-2002, 07:07 PM
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C230 Coupe Kompressor
TV commercial while watching nba basketball... i said to my girlfriend.. 'what a great car.. look at that sunroof!.. too bad is a mercedes... too expensive! but when i saw the price at the end of the commercial i was shocked! the next day i put an add selling my 2001 toyota sequoia.. only 3 months old by that time!
03-04-2002, 03:17 PM
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'05 c240 4matic wagon
First Sighting
I saw my first one at the Frankfurt Airport - Sixt/Budget rents them. It was a dark color like obsidian black, and looked sharp. Right then I decided that this could qualify as my next horse.
Prior to that, I just saw the pics on the mbusa website, and I must admit, I wasn't too thrilled.
A while later it dropped off my radar screen as I was shopping around; I was zeroeing in on either a GTI, A4, or Saab 9-3, when the Altima caught my attention. I test-drove one, which was awesome, but I was put off by cheap interior plastics and design (not at all like the Maxima), and the high price after checking the options I regard as essential (minus the leather); in the end, it still didn't have auto-dimming mirrors, rain sensor, or automatic climate control. On top of that, the sales manager was such a ***** he just lost me by nickel'n dime'ing me to death.
Then I picked up Road & Track and came upon Dennis Semanaitis' excellent little test drive report. Bing! that's when I remembered the little Mercedes. I saw the standard options and base price, and went to look for a showroom immediately. Nobody there took notice of me (Morristown, NJ), but that was fine by me. After the Nissan experience, I was in no mood for any sales schticks. One test-sitting, and I was sold! Believe it or not, I ordered one via carsdirect.com as soon as I got back to my desk - without even a test drive. I just trusted the testers and the old Mercedes brand, knowing they wouldn't let me down. I was not disappointed.
Phew...to think that I almost bought into a NISSAN...
I think MBUSA is not making enough noise about the car - the awareness is still pretty low; friends see the car from behind and say "I thought you said you got a Mercedes?!" It hasn't quite caught on. And I haven't seen the commercial in a while. I believe there was only the one with the guy driving around with the roof open, and the music playing "...driving in my car..." (who is that, by the way?). Apparently, they have no trouble selling that puppy straight off the boat. Getting people to the showrooms is the big step. I was always intimidated by the thought (och, you can't afford anything in here, anyhow, and it shows...). But - seeing is believing. And, I must admit, the showroom/ownership experience is quite different from that at Nissan, Jeep, or the likes
Prior to that, I just saw the pics on the mbusa website, and I must admit, I wasn't too thrilled.
A while later it dropped off my radar screen as I was shopping around; I was zeroeing in on either a GTI, A4, or Saab 9-3, when the Altima caught my attention. I test-drove one, which was awesome, but I was put off by cheap interior plastics and design (not at all like the Maxima), and the high price after checking the options I regard as essential (minus the leather); in the end, it still didn't have auto-dimming mirrors, rain sensor, or automatic climate control. On top of that, the sales manager was such a ***** he just lost me by nickel'n dime'ing me to death.
Then I picked up Road & Track and came upon Dennis Semanaitis' excellent little test drive report. Bing! that's when I remembered the little Mercedes. I saw the standard options and base price, and went to look for a showroom immediately. Nobody there took notice of me (Morristown, NJ), but that was fine by me. After the Nissan experience, I was in no mood for any sales schticks. One test-sitting, and I was sold! Believe it or not, I ordered one via carsdirect.com as soon as I got back to my desk - without even a test drive. I just trusted the testers and the old Mercedes brand, knowing they wouldn't let me down. I was not disappointed.
Phew...to think that I almost bought into a NISSAN...
I think MBUSA is not making enough noise about the car - the awareness is still pretty low; friends see the car from behind and say "I thought you said you got a Mercedes?!" It hasn't quite caught on. And I haven't seen the commercial in a while. I believe there was only the one with the guy driving around with the roof open, and the music playing "...driving in my car..." (who is that, by the way?). Apparently, they have no trouble selling that puppy straight off the boat. Getting people to the showrooms is the big step. I was always intimidated by the thought (och, you can't afford anything in here, anyhow, and it shows...). But - seeing is believing. And, I must admit, the showroom/ownership experience is quite different from that at Nissan, Jeep, or the likes
03-04-2002, 07:43 PM
#24
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C230 K coupe Orion blue, Evo, prem leather roof, premium sound and cd changer, auto.
First Time
was at an auto show in 2000. The Benz display didn't have the car on hand but they were running a video of Mika and DC running the car on some race track. They were commenting on the cars capabilities. I wasn't all that excited about the car at the time. I was more interested in the Audi TT and Honda S2000. After sitting in both the Audi and S2000. I was hooked on the sleek Honda 2-seater. The Audi turned me off after sitting in the vehicle. The car's outward, side and rear visibilities were horrid. I was determined to test drive the Honda. I went to a dealership to enquire about a test drive, but was brushed off and told that test drives were off limits! This was the same line at another prominent Honda dealership. I decided to go to a nearby BMW dealership and enquire about the 325 and 330 ci. These were nicely appointed cars but really not all that interesting. Too common. I went to a nearby Acura dealership and like the Honda dealership did not allow test drives on the weekends. Their loss! I ambled over to the Benz dealership, a short distance away. I became reacquainted with the C-coupe. I sat in the car in the show room. A sales rep approacehed me and enquired as to whether I would like to test drive the car. I said "why not". Expecting the dealer to join me in the test drive I was taken aback when he gave me the keys to a car and told me to bring it back in a half hour! As I entered the vehicle, I noticed it was an automatic. I made a suggestion that I was more interested in the stick. The dealer agreed, commenting that I should drive the car that I intended on considering. he went back retreived a key for a stick demo and I was off! After the test drive I was greeted by the dealer who provided me with ordering info. After about 2 months I returned to the dealer and ordered the car.
