c230bbslm

Any opinions on them? Any input would be appreciated

Sauceboy01

I have a stick and i love it.. then again, i've never liked AUTO

mick1

if you don't care, it would be easier for you find a c230 kompressor with auto. c230 kompressor with a stick is pretty rare.

BabyBenz6spd

I have a stick. I personally would not get a Automatic transmission on a vehicle that doesn't have great amount of Torque.

I love revving engine. If you DO get a stick.

Rick

My coupe is a stick...the 6 speed is a good match for the Kompressor motor, even if 1st gear is a little short. But then again, the only auto I'd ever buy would be another 4Matic.
(hmmm....maybe a coupe with a C55AMG drive train and 4Matic?)

Naughty Pants

In traffic the stick shift is more entertaining and will help burn more calories.

Buellwinkle

My old 2002 C230 and my new 2004.5 C230 are both stickshift, wouldn't have it any other way. As for them being rare, when I got mine back in June all they had was 5 C230's left and not one slushbox in the bunch. What I don't like about MB's slushbox is that it's too slow to react, even using the manumatic mode. Doesn't bother me as much on my other cars.

Alba

Stick with the Stick! I test drove an auto coupe before I bought the stick and it's just not the same. Wife has the auto on the C240 and Buellwinkle is right about the reaction time issue.

Jim Banville

Right now, in the Southeast, manual C230K SS's are RARE! We drove an auto today and, hopefully, will drive a manual on Tuesday.

jobiwong

Stick of course...
I am driving the auto 2005 C230 SS, as compared to the stick I had on my old 2002 C230 Coupe, stick is so much more fun...

slammer111

Wow, when I bought mine there were over 20 in inventory, and only 1 manual! The stick one also had zero options, and was mars red (ie you don't even have to pay for metallic paint).

I have yet to see a single auto c230K coupe anywhere.

808_230K

stiiiiick

and my dealership had 0, so i had to order mine...

Outland

STICK! AUTOMATICS SUCK! MB needs to get this through its head- we want to shift our own gears, and not via the lazy autostick. The MB Auto5 speed is a sweety, its one of the smoothest trannies, but its still a slushbox.

Even with a torquey motor like the M111, or the 3.2L v6, Stick is still the way to go. With the M271 or the weezy 2.6L six, its a must.

BabyBenz6spd

Mercedes Needs to put some Getrag 6 speed manuals in some of their cars. Getrag make the best 6spd manual transmissions. I know so far Nissan Skyline GT-R has them, CTS-V has them too. Maybe they can stick on in the AMG models.......then we will definitly give BMW a good competition.

mctwin2kman

I own a stick coupe. I have a 2005 C230K Sport Sedan with Auto as a loaner right now. The auto is a smooth tranny but yes it is somewhat slow to re-act when you want it to. That and it seems to not like my driving style and holds the gears to long after I get on it and let off the gas. It is a great tranny don't get me wrong, but it is not my cup of tea in a Sport Sedan. Especially the way that sedan pulls you around over every road imperfection due to the big rears tires. Although I like what they have tweaked on the suspension on the 2005 as it seems to have less body roll than my coupe does and the brakes are great as well. I guess I need to upgrade my front brakes and maybe sways on my Coupe.

Biznatch

I am 90% positive that Mercedes used Getrag on the 2005 6Speeds.

BabyBenz6spd

According to their site, I think only the vehicle listed uses Getrag 6spd. (Some are 5 spd trans.)

Getrag Link

BMW 3er, 5er, Z4 Roadster
Ford Lincoln, Jaguar S-Type
BMW 540i, Z8, M3, M5, Alpina
Nissan Skyline GTR, Toyota Supra, Supra Turbo
Cadillac CTS,Holden Commodore V6

tonewheel

My 04.5 SS 6-spd was found in Minneapolis (St. Paul, actually). It was late in the model year, and the dealer's computer search found only 7 six-speeds left in the entire U.S.

Love the 6-speed. If you get one, just be sure you run out the gears...don't be too quick to shift through them. If you shift with revs too low, you'll know, as it shifts poorly. With the exception of 1st, most shifting is between 3500 and 4000.

I changed the stock shift knob to a carbon fiber Momo knob. There's just something about not having the gear pattern printed on the knob.

coaxtdk

stick is the only way to go with these. as for stick being rare on the c230k ss i am unsure as i bought my 2004 used with 7k miles. it belonged to the internet sales manager at mercedes benz laguna niguel and he was shocked to find a 21 year old kid who used to date one of the women in his office was buying it. its black sport sedan with nothing extraordinary like parktronic or xenons or command for that matter but its black on the outside and black leather on the inside which makes me happy. this is the first stick shift vehicle i have owned and i dont think i would buy another automatic if there was option to purchase the car in stick. i just feel like i have so much more control now.

oel

I am not sure if i should ask this here, but i see so many 6 spd drivers replying here.
How do you guys launch your cars when you race? Do you drop the clutch or slowly let it out? I am a pretty new driver to manual cars. At what rpm do you guys launch and shift at?
Thanks

BTW: my car is a 02 c230 coupe 6 spd

andrei

I would absolutely take the manual over the automatic any day in a sport sedan. I believe that automatics and smg's, in general, really take away from the driving experience if you are an enthusiast. While the tranny/clutch in the c230k is not the greatest in the world, (my previous car was an e36 M3 so I'm probably jaded) it still is much more fun than the automatic in my opinion. It's good to see more manual benz's out there; hopefully MB will get the hint and offer it with the amg's and some of their coupes! =P I never understood why they do not.

BabyBenz6spd

3500RPM = Lots of wheel spin

If I launch anything under 3000RPM the engine just bogs down as soon as I shift into 2nd.

C-Dub

I love my six-speed! Compared to other cars, first is geared low and overall the trans. feels notchy, but I would not have it any other way. It makes the sport sedan enthusiast's heart race! 6-speed with rear-wheel drive is the true definition of sports sedan. I test drove one, then ordered that same week with the options I wanted.

white_w203

go stick....you loose less hp to the wheels. you need every little hp with the small 1.8 motor.

c230 o5

with stick you control the car the way you want to drive.. in auto you dont realy control the car, it controls you ......... stick is alot better and faster then auto, lighter tranmission