Hi fellas,

After a lengthy car searching process I've recently narrowed it down to the c32 amg, bmw 330, and infiniti g35. After driving the c32 yesterday, I'm in love with the car. Handling is amazing, I love the acceleration, I love the engine sound, ... it's truely an amazing car. It's better than the other 2 in every way.

The particular specimen I'm looking at buying is available here:
http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/B..._66000kms.aspx

My only concern is the reliability issues I'm reading about on several forums. I'd hate to buy the car and then have it be stuck in the shop every 3 months. Then again it could be that members who have problems post more often than those who don't, so it creates a skewed perception in my mind. I can get this particular car with a 3 year bumper to bumper warranty for $3000 CAD, so that alleviates some of my concerns, but how frequent are problems on these cars? Does just about everyone run into trouble, or is it just the unlucky few?

Hope someone can help shed some light on this issue. Thanks, and I hope to join the c32 ranks soon :-)

Cheers,
Art

 

I recently switched from a 2001 BMW M roadster, and agree with you that I loved EVERYTHING about the C32. I don't miss the M at all.

Two points on your toy.
1. It does not have the navigation which was about a $2000 option
2. It does not apear to have the Xeon/ headlight washers, a $700 option.

Use this to bargin on the price, as the ad said FULLY loaded, and it is not. A good/fair price for this in the states would be around 27-30k

Good luck, and you will love her, I DO!!!

 

Do *NOT* buy the car without a warranty. Make sure you buy the best warranty you can get. If you do, you'll love the car. If you don't, there's a good chance you'll hate it. There's a descent chance that the car will need an expensive repair, but it isn't something that will keep the car in the shop for more than a few days.

 

A few months ago I went through a similar experience - first two contenders were 330i and the Lexus IS350 - a though choice in my mind. Then I read single review about c32, did some more research, drove the car and the choice was easy. Compared to many, this car is addictive

I did buy the MB extended warranty for 3 years - $2800CAD.

There have been posts with advice to C32 prospective buyers - like a checklist on what to ask and check out. Do a search, I do not know key words off hand.

 

1) Get an MB dealer to do a VIN# report (tells you details of every time an MB dealer has touched the car).
2) Get the car inspected by an MB dealer.
3) Get a warranty (<$3K Canadian seems incredibly cheap)
4) Navigation can be installed for ~$1.5KUSD by Steve
5) Common faults:
There's a long list of minor ones but the main one is the transmission fluid being contaminated by a leak in the radiator cooler (check for the newer radiator (Valero?).
6) Also doesn't have rear sunshade and the C32 has 350HP not 375.
Good luck and go for it (the car flies )
Ian

 

if youre asking that question in a MB forum expect to get this asnwer

C32 what are you f***ing crazy?

330 unless it was the newest 1, what a 2006 then fine

G35, id consider only the newest 07 or maybe an 06... nah not even

DONT FORGET a C32 is a BENZ, a wolf in sheeps clothing, ENJOY and listen to the fellow members... WARRANTY will give you piece of mind just in case - GOOD LUCK and post pics ASAP

white on charcoal/blue is a SWEEEEEETT COLOR COMBO!! i'd say fairly rare.

want to hook it up a bit... get bi-xenons and nav, maybe even flat emblem and a grille and u will forget about and G or 3-series for sure

 

You'll love it. Buy the warranty, and worst case scenario is that you'll never use it!

No car is flawless, and most German cars of similar capabilities (BMW M3, Audi S4) will have a similar collection of mechanical issues. I've got another year of warranty, and I intend to keep the car after that. I bought a 2002 in 2005, and it's been largely flawless. And it's never spent more than a day in the shop (and I get a nice loaner!).

 

Got my 2002 in February and it's been great. Any car that can run a 13.6 in the 1/4th mile stock and still have 4 doors and tons of luxury is a winner in my book :-)

 

OK.. I went to the dealership today again and asked some of the questions. I forgot to jot down the VIN # of the car, but I should be able to call and find out. I will definitely get the warranty just in case I run into problems, the salesman said it's transferable if I sell the car so everything's covered there. I read that extended warranties are rare for this car, but these guys seem like they really want me to take it. I'm hoping that means the car is in good shape, but I will check up on it to make sure there's no accidents and see if there's a history of repairs from MB (thanks for the tip!)

I will see if I can find that checkup checklist, I think I saw one on c32life as well.

-- 4) Navigation can be installed for ~$1.5KUSD by Steve

Is this a stock or aftermarket nav system? One of the things I will need to do quickly is get some sort of mp3 playing capability (that works with the steering-wheel controls). It doesn't matter to me if it's iPod or a deck. I've been thinking about possibly replacing the cd-changer that's in the glovebox with something that plays mp3s.

-- 6) Also doesn't have rear sunshade and the C32 has 350HP not 375.

I will bring up the sunshade next time I'm there, and yes, I called the guy on their false advertising of HP. I was wondering if perhaps the car is modded, but he said it was a 'mistake' in the ad

-------

One of my coworkers drives a CLK55 AMG (2004 I think), and another use to drive a BMW M3. They've both had some minor repairs every couple of months, but rarely anything major where the car can't be driven (engine, transmission, ignition problems, etc). If the C32 is as reliable as those two or better, I should be alright

Oh, and one last thing, I noticed a squeaky sound coming from the engine bay (high pitch, oscillates at about the engine's idle rpm rate). It sounds like a belt slipping or something, is that a minor problem?

 

The navi from Steve is an OEM one. It does not play mp3s. You can get an aftermarket unit from ICE to play you iPod, but it isn't perfect. The MB OEM iPod kit will not work with the C32 or the factory navigation (the OEM navigation is called COMMAND 2.0).

There is a significant chance that your intercooler pump will need to be replaced at least once (minor warranty work), and there is also a significant chance that your radiator/torque converter/tranny will need to be replaced too (warranty also, takes about 4-5 business days for the whole job).

 

it's a wolf in sheeps clothing

 

Try to locate the source, could be a bearing as well...

 

im an idiot, i changed it... you can delete this post thanks

 

A fellow Vancouver member, welcome! I bought my first car from Lenux Motors when i was 17 (97' Eclipse). those were so rare back then.

anyway, i also sold my 05 c230 to them 6 months ago. i was looking at the ad and some members already pointed this out, but they either dont know their cars or copy and pasted from somewhere that has no clue what a C32 is. have you talked them down on the price at all? i honestly dont really trust these guys, they give me the creeps but this is a nice car and you will love it. if it is in good shape and the VIN checks out alright then go for it. i wouldnt pay more than $33k for it myself.

good luck and dont forget to post picture.

 

Art, good luck with your purchase! Make sure you double-think everything before you get it. I sometimes jump the gun and feel sorry afterwards.. Not that you will ever regret buying a C32.

 

Art,

That car looks clean, and the color combination is great. I have the same interior and just love it! Also, You'll be happy to NOT get the Mercedes-Benz nav. It's fine, don't get me wrong - but upgrading it is limited because it's fiber optic-based. You're better off getting the car without it and putting in an Avic or something, IMHO.

Good luck!

 

Things are moving fast -- 2 new C32s just popped up today, so if in the end I go for the Lenux (white) one, at least they have more competition and I can more easily get the price down. (Thanks for the heads up about them being shady)

I'll be talking about numbers to several of these guys tomorrow, and hopefully I will drive off the lot with a new car

This one here I'll check out tonight:
http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/B...00kms_4dr.aspx

I talked to the salesman on the phone and he said they don't offer warranty, I'd have to get a 3rd party one or go through MB. I also checked out a silver one with black interior this morning, it's not up on the web yet so no pics, but it's a 2002 model with only 27,000km. The salesman told me that the transmission adapts to your driving habits, and the car had a tendency of staying in 3rd when I thought it'd shift to 2nd. That would indicate that it wasn't driven hard (assuming the salesman isn't lying). One downside though is it doesn't have the upgraded BOSE stereo. Is there a big difference in the quality of sound between the base and the BOSE? Can I easily upgrade/add speakers and get top quality sound?

I will likely put in an aftermarket nav that will play mp3s, I looked at Eclipse AVN7000 briefly, but it looks like it might block the heated seat controls and or vents. I searched the forum to find pics of other people's aftermarket audio setups, but I couldn't find anything. Is there such a thread, and does anyone have any pics of a nice aftermarket nav setup?

 

Before making a final choice, make sure you can get the extended warranty. If you are aiming for extended MB warranty, MB may not be willing to extend the warranty on used cars they have not sold themselves. They may do an inspection to determine if the car is eligible. I may be off with this statement but it would be best to call MB Canada. If the car is still under factory warranty, you have a good chance of getting an extension by MB in any case.

 

i may be wrong but i've never heard of the cars transmission adapting to your driving habits. the ecu may, but that wouldn't effect the tranny.

 

Actually, I think it does has some effect on the tranny. When the jerk is at its worst, I can reset the ECU and it feels considerably smoother for a week or so.

 

Yes, tranny selects one of the preprogrammed shift algorithms (maps), based on the way you drive. We should probably chase the programmer in Germany to find out how to disable adaptation after the ECU reset.

 

I just bought an '02 -- white/merlot with 29,000 miles on it for $25,500 USD. And this was a CPO car with warranty and the 3.9% financing deal. Fantastic vehicle! I love it. You will not be disappointed.

I'd definitely get the warranty, and one with low miles. They don't seem to be moving very fast at this point so it's a buyer's market for sure, at least in the U.S. I was able to get mine for substantially less than they were asking for it. As a word of warning, it's not a particularly economical car. I was rather shocked going from my C230 to this in terms of how fast that gas gauge needle moves. MPG is akin to a large SUV. I don't know what gas prices are like in Canada but you may want to keep that in mind.

In any case, good luck!

 

Yup.. I'll make sure I definitely have the warranty before I buy. There's an '02 available with 27,000km on it, they're asking $35k CAD. I'll see if I can talk them down to $31k or so, I'll be negotiating the numbers tonight -- wish me luck!

 

............all it needs is a clutch. LOL. (Personal bias)

I agree with your original post. People that have problems tend to complain and let others know. People that are happy with a product hardly ever say a word. Unfortunate but human nature.

Lot's of good advice here and other than the above all I can say is good luck and if you get it, ENJOY!!

I do so love the sleeper nature of this car in general as it would be a family car that IS NOT boring!! With 3 wee girls I NEED a backseat. I never realized until recently how roomy the C32 is. One day..........

 

By getting a COMAND system installed you also get the option for the line in socket in the glovebox so you can connect an iPod/MP3 player but it won't be controlled by the system controls or use the MB display(s).