curioused

I just had a conversation with a dealer and the salesman told me he would get my c230 for 24-26000, which is still good value considering I put in 5000 miles.

I am planning to get a c240 for family use (expecting a baby in August)....

Dealer told me I would only increase my monthly payments by 50-70 dollars....

Comments?

Buellwinkle

Have you driven the C240/automatic? It's going to be a shock going from the C230 to the C240 in performance. The tranmission feels like it's always hunting for the right gear. The price difference is only about 3K when you factor in the automatic, power seats, bose stereo, electronic climate control are included in the C320 and the higher residuals mean that it should not cost too much more the C320 to lease. Also save a few bucks and don't get premium leather. The standard leather is good enough and I bet you won't recoupe the premium leather at resale time. Another way to get a C320 for the C240 price is to get the station wagon. They have huge incentives to move the wagon and you can probably get the C320 wagon for what a loaded C240 is going for.

SoCal240/6

That is good advice, I think.

I've driven the C240 stick and auto extensively, and C320 auto and the C230 stick.

I did not find the C240 auto acceptable, partly because of the lack of power, but mostly because of the way the transmission has to try to make up for it. 168 hp is ok with a 6 speed, but falls to less than ok trying to push an automatic. Also, I don't really like the MB automatic that much generally, even in the C320 it seems to "hunt" to much, have delayed throttle response, etc.

There is the price difference. True, the C320 comes with more stuff, but to me that stuff did not have much value, as its all stuff I would not want. But if those are items you would want, and would order on a C240, it would be insane to not get the C320, IMO (assuming you want an automatic).

(What I really wish they offered was a C320 stick for $3K more than the C240 stick. I would have been all over that!)

If I were looking for an automatic, I too would consider the C320 wagon, simply because you can get something like $4500 off the sticker price.

Buellwinkle

Wow, you agree with me. I guess there's a first time for everything.

curioused

Haven't tried driving a 240 or a 320....only 230.

I will ask the salesman tomorrow before making my final decision but thanks for the input.

No matter what happens I'm still going to be here in this section of the forums....:p

Iceman's C230

Why don't you keep the c230 for your self, and buy a minivan for the baby?

curioused

I would if only MB would make cool minivans.... :p

SoCal240/6

That's not true! I've agreed with you on lots of things.

SoCal240/6

They do. Its called the ML.

trench

They do, it's called an ML!



BT (donning flame-suit)

PS: I like MLs, any vehicle that can win its class in the Paris-Dekar rally has definite off-road capability. All joking aside, an ML320 would probably run you pricewise somewhere between a C240 and C320. Worth consideration.

trench

Apparently SoCal240/6 and I are on the same (smart-a$$ed) wavelength.

:p

BT

young

what about an e? all the e's have some sort of deal now that the new ones are coming out. well, at least at carsdirect. i know it's a lot more than the c240 but i don't know your financial situation. sedans and wagons.

btw, i have a baby and the c230 works ok for me; although the stationwagon is the real babymobile.

SoCal240/6

Hey, all I can say is that some of us are leaders . . . others are followers!

(The ML may or may not be good off-road, which is not really relevant since 99% of them will never even see a dusty paved road, but it still *looks* like a minivan to me. Its like a minivan on the outside, but without the burden or hassle of all that minivan room/space on the inside!).

curioused

Thanks for the input guys...anyway I think I'll keep my coupe. Hey Young, can you post pictures of your C230 with a carseat?

Is the carseat thing workable in your coupe? What about stroller? (Making me type all this makes me laugh, sorry about that I'm a first time father)

SoCal240/6

Congrats on becoming a father . . . its the greatest!

A 2 door is workable with a small child. My 4 year old has ridden in the back seat of my 911 (in a car seat) since he was born. Heck, my parents never owned a 4 door car when I was growing up.

So it can definately be done.

A 4 door, though, is more convenient, esp. when they get older and bigger. Most dads would seem to be happy with a 2 door, but most moms seem to appreciate the convenience of 4 doors (which definately is easier for kids and all their stuff).

Anyways, congrats again. You'll love being a dad.

curioused

I'm sure I will thanks

Funny thing is, this is the first 2 door car I've ever owned so I guess I was just freakin out...

Haven't owned one with leather though..tsk tsk..

young

sure thing. i will take a pic this weekend and post it for you. (maybe even a video )

our first baby too so we were learning. when hali was born, we had a soobie forester. didn't like it so we got a station wagon.

as for the coupe, basically, w/ the passenger seat pulled up, i find it pretty easy to move the carseat in (have to angle it a little). i actually sort of sit/rest on the back of the passenger seat while putting hali into the seat. i also use the LATCH system belt so i don't have to use the car's rear seatbelt. i think i could use it daily if i had to as a baby car...

when we went to toronto for a week, we took the coupe and it held all the junk that baby's come w/. incl. the big stroller. had to put down the left side of the back seat.

btw, my single piece of advice to you is to not to get a big bulky stroller... we did and it was heavy, hard to manoeuver and took a lot of space.

curioused

Thanks Young, don't you have an Orion 230 too? What kind of upholstery do you have? what color? leather? cloth?

young

haha, yeah, i have an orion blue c230 also... w/ charcoal cloth and it's growing on me!

btw, i have c2, bose, c7, cd changer, stage1 hids (self installed) and the infamous evolution mats!

Buellwinkle

Some people prefer a coupe for small children because there are no windows or door handles. My kid threw a temper trantum one day, opened the windows and crawled out. Luckily we weren't going that fast and she didn't get run over. At the hospital, afte patching up the wounds, they held her for phsyciatric evaluation and it turns out we have a certified brat (vs. a suicidale maniac).

revstriker

Funny!! (The brat certification that is) I remember when I was young, I was wrestling with my brother in the back seat. The car went around a corner, and I went out the door! Nothing serious, just some scrapes. Nothing that an ice cream couldn't fix!

Luckly, most cars today have controls where you can "child-proof" your back seat. They can not open the windows; you have a switch to prevent this. There is also a child safety switch on most cars on the door jam which will prevent the door from being opened from the inside.

MB-BOB

Maybe your child is so fed up with your constant b!tching about your car that s/he decided crawling out the window was preferable to staying inside. :p

(Sorry Buell, just being a certified brat myself...)

tommy

I would guess that Buell was discussing the pulleys with the kid in the car, and she just couldn't take it anymore.

Road kill or more pulley discussions? I'd have a hard time deciding myself.

SoCal240/6

"That kid ain't right."
-Hank Hill

curioused

Just went to MB dealer, the salesman was so busy that I didn't even bother coming up to him.

Good thing there was an exact coupe which I have right next to a desert silver C240...examined a lot of things and basically found out that the insides were very identical.

I even opened the trunk and the space wasn't that much of a difference.

My passion to trade in my coupe has dwindled a bit....

Sticker price for the sedan was 30,000++ not much of a difference from the coupe that I got... I got mine for 31,000++ out the door.

Figuring 30,000++ plus sales tax would be around 34,000 not much of a difference.

(by the way) loved how the orion blue coupe still stood out in a group of CL, new SL, SLK roadster. :p