awaken

I took quite long 16-mile test drive on the Interstate 90 in Washington
I like the car it's appearance, how it accelerates and holds the road
The car was bare standard beside sliding glass sunroof (very nice feature! almost like in Porsche targa)
but there are some questions:
1)Clutch have "springy" feel or "binary logic" (on/off). It was hard to depress it smoothly especially when start and shift from 1st to 2nd. I never had such problem with my Mazda MX6, my clutch is smooth and linear. Does C230 clutch have cable or hydraulic linkage?
2)I heard MB manual transmissions are notchy. I hardly can remember this but if it was Ok on this particular car can it be worse on another car? The car I drove was trade-in and some mileage in it
3)Engine and supercharger maintenance cost. It's a new model and I guess there is no statistic yet. But SLK roadsters with similar (or the same?) engines were produced for a while . Can anybody say about engine reliability?

sdcaclint

unless the price is really good, i would consider buying new. i have been hearing some really good prices lately. i believe one post was saying that some so cal dealers were selling at or below invoice. also make sure it has the c7 package. imo that is the best value for the dollar.

Lynn

The clutch takes a little getting used to. The shifter improves with miles. The short throw shifter with the C7 package is much better, but also improves with miles.

According to mbtech208, our resident MB tech, the MB111 engine is the most reliable that MB makes. The supercharged version has been used in SLK's for years and in W202 sedans for a year or two. Don't for get that many markets have taxes on engine displacment and high gasoline prices. In these locations, the 2.3l is a very popular choice in C's, E's and CLK's. The supercharger operates at a very low boost and well within the specified rpm range set by Eaton. The supercharger should last as long as the engine, which is a long time if proper mantenence is done.

vadim

The clutch improves with mileage, too. It's much more progressive now (3900mi) than it was when new.

speedfrk

Plus, you will get used to the clutch as you drive it more, and you will get "smoother" too! The clutch is hydraulic and uses the same reservoir as the brakes. My non c7 shifter is finally getting better after about 5000 miles. It is still a strange transmission though.

MarkL

1. I had a lot of trouble when test driving a 2001 C240 6-spd before I bought my 2002 model because of the short clutch engagement travel. But, you get used to it right away, and it's actually nice to have a short travel for engagement.

2. People like to say manuals are notchy, but in my opinion, a lot of those people have very little experience with any manuals. They confuse the "clicking" into gear, which is normal, to "notchy". I disagree -- my C240 manual is not notchy, nor is it "sloppy", "imprecise", "rubbery", etc.

awaken

My MX6 tranny is notchy when shifting 1st to 2nd (and 1st is very hard to engage when car is rolling).
I can explain it as worn synchros on 1993 year car
But it's hard to believe in the same thing in brand-new car from German top manufacturer.

speedfrk

The transmission oddities in the 6sp are well known, and even the magazines note that the transmissions are notchy. Mine is not so notchy as it is imprecise on the 1st to 2nd shift. It seems like it will feel different almost every time I shift it. I think it is the shifter more than the transmission though. But it has definately gotten better with more miles. It also shifts much better now that it is summer, and it runs at a higher temp.

Mercedes101

The first C Class I ever drove was a C240 6 spd. I didnt have any preconceived notions and was test driving it on a whim - i didnt notice any notchiness about it - it was a real pleasant surprise and very easy to drive, maybe too easy for some as the clutch is very light. The one thing i noticed was that the engine raced to redline pretty quickly but i enjoyed the sound as it fit in with the sporty nature of the 6 spd. I ended up buying an automatic for practical reasons which i enjoy also - others have described the automatic as hunting gears - which i absolutely disagree with - mine locks into gear like a laser and stays there with very good power around 3K rpm.