schvetkaaks

Whomever was the fellow who owns a C240 (not an E) and was telling us how the E is problematic and not as good as other cars like the G35 is a nut. I can barely stand driving the C-class from the dealer to my home, and regret knowing I have to drive it again to go get my car. There is SO MUCH different about the C-class than the E-class that it shows me that he never even has driven an E-class. What a world of difference between the cars - can't wait to get back in my E500!!!

Rock72

heh...yeah, i had a C240 loaner a little after i bought the car. it's totally different. i was in there laughing and saying that if i never rode the e-class i probably would have thought this car was pretty good....but after driving the e-class, the c240 just looked like a ford contour type car to me.

all the dials, cheap imitation leather, lack of power, etc. there is no way that this car should be classified as a luxury car.

in the past i might have been proud driving a mercedes, but with that car i was embarassed that someone might see me in it.

don't get me wrong...it's not a terrible car (and certainly better than the ford contour). but i think if i was in the market for one, i'd rather have a bmw 3 series than a mercedes c-class.

Rock.

Gethen

I wonder what kind of loaners Bentley and RR owners get. "I had to drive this POS S600! Awful!"

Sorry, couldn't resist

Silver_Lana

The C Class and E Class automobiles are obviously mismatched. You can imagine how i feel right now driving a Chevrolet Malibu while my car is in the shop for some repairs.

That doesnt mean the C Class isnt a capable car. My C320 will outrun an E320 , and its interior isnt as bad as you would make it seem. You should remember that the dealer loaner cars are usually "lean" cars, meaning no options whatsoever: No leather, no special features. I for example, doubt the car you were given even has power seats since they are optional on the C240.

Anyway, all i am saying is its nice to have a higher class car but its not that good as to make a C Class look like a ford contour.

Rock72

i was just kidding about the ford contour thing.

i travel a lot for work and usually end up with a ford taurus or pontiac grand am, etc. the c240 had that similar feel to it. but you're right in that the loaner did not have very many options. the seats were partially power. i think it moved forward and backward electronically but you had to pull the lever to bring the back up.

it had the rear shade so i played around with that.

it did not have the leather package so the area on the side (where the doors are) felt really cheap. overall, there was a lot of beige plastic that made the car feel cheap.

i think the c320 is pretty good in terms of power but the 240 was lacking. i feel that the e320 is slightly lacking in power too but i didn't want to spend the extra cash for the e500 (i spent many days with the e320 vs. e500 dilemma).

Rock.

Juke-box

LOL! you guys are pretty funny.

when i took my car in for changing summer/winter tires, i asked my salesman to let me have a "long" test drive of the C320 since i was planning on trading my E430 for one..

well, i drove it for a day, C320 4matic was actually very very heavy imo. wasn't great to accelerate, and the engine seemed quite weak. but i actually enjoyed driving it because the car was very "tossable", going into corners were awesome, and the small size was great for the smaller streets. but i decided to stick with the E430...unless my parents are going to shell out 30,000 for a C32:p

saintvir

Hold on to your hats!!! The C240 owners are going to start flaming now!!!

I don't think it is a fair comparison between the C and the E. After all, the C is marketed as an entry level car for MB.

AlpharettaC32

But comparing the E500 and the C240 is just ignorant.

Of course, I don't know why someone would want something as slow or floaty as an E500, either.

Hrm.

Rock72

do you think the S class owners have the same reaction when they get an E as a loaner?

Rock.

p.s. of course the comparison is ridiculous. a C240 costs like $32k and an E320 costs like $55k.

schvetkaaks

The origin of my post is that this guy wtih his C240 (never having driven an E-class) is comparing the E-class with a G35 and other cars NOT in its class. His very own C is more a similar size and class to the G35, so it was just frustrating to drive the loaner C when thinking about this guy spouting about the E when he has no idea how different they are.

WyattEarp

There, there ... Did you get it all out now?, Does your ego feel better?

schvetkaaks

it has nothing to do with my ego - perhaps you should read the rest of the text from which you took that Nietzsche quote...

Gethen

So what do Contour owners get to complain about? I can hear blues playing...

MB-JIM

I picked up an E500 on tourist delivery in September and couldn't wait to get home to drive my C320. I didn't care at all for the strange feel of the steering compared to the quick precise response on my C320. It gave me an uneasy feeling. Granted the 500 engine is great but the 0-60 6.9 second response on the C320 is excellent. The C320 has an excellent ride with minimum wind noise. The seats are the only significant drawback to the C. They are simply too hard. Otherwise, the only justification for the E is more roomy and snob appeal. I don't know about the 240 which may be stripped down but don't put the C320 down until you drive one.

AlpharettaC32

Complain about being given an Aspire; that's simple!

And schvetkaaks, really shouldn't you be doing something about the smokescreen of an argument you made about the reliability of the E-class?

Unless you can somehow equate the fit and finish of a C240 loaner to making a statement about the reliability of the new E. While "Own One and You'll Understand" is the sloganmark of Infiniti, it's a throwaway statement where vehicle ownership has precious little to do with making a statement about the reliability of a car. It's entirely possible that someone who doesn't own your car (I can say with some degree of confidence an example of this would be every mechanic at your dealer) might know something about the car. Certainly reading any of the comments in this forum wouldn't hurt; collect enough arguments by analogy and eventually you've got a pretty strong case. After all, your car was at the dealer for SOME reason today, right? Or are you checking out loaner cars for jollies?

If we're going to flame, at least try to build a simple logic structure. It makes it so much more entertaining for those of us who do not wish for a degredation to "yer mama" jokes.

schvetkaaks

alpharetta,

I never made any claims about reliability of the E-class, I was simply pointing out that a C-class owner who admitted never to have driven an E-class was preachy on how it has so many problems, and compared it with other vehicles that truly are not in the same class.

This is ridiculous! Obviously the C-class owners are coming out in droves - whomever mentioned the flaming to come by them was right on the money!

I'm perfectly entitled to my opinion of the two cars because I have driven BOTH! To compare a car one hasn't driven to others and to harp on its perceived poor reliability is simply stupid, and that's what I pointed out at the start of this thread. Sorry to have offended all you C-class owners...I was only pointing out the ignorance of one poster, not all of you! Perhaps a re-read of the first post in the thread is in order for all of you??

WyattEarp

I don't want to get in a philosophical discussion with you but how exactly do you not associate free spirit (what Nietzche was talking about in Beyond Good and Evil) with egotism and self centeredness. It is precisely because of ego that Nietzsche adopted his own set of values and it is precisely because of ego that you publicly bemoan the proletarian virtues of a C Class. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it, however it is egotistical.

schvetkaaks

Why would my post reflecting my opinions (freely expressed) of the two vehicles be egotistical? Am I not allowed to prefer the one car over the other without being egotistical? In the same way, is your promotion of the C-class mean you are less egotistical because perhaps you prefer it over the E? Your theory is remarkably flawed...

I appreciate the E-class because it rides far better than the C-class, the interior is much more luxurious, the power more substantial, the interior more richly appointed, the seats more supportive, and so on and so forth - substantially different than the C, and my preference would be the former. This does NOT make it egotistical, no matter what you say. It's a matter of preference, pure and simple.

AlpharettaC32

You're making two completely unrelated claims. You're saying the following:

The C-class owner who said the E wasn't reliable 'is a nut.'

The C class is not as fit and finished a vehicle as the E (these are my words, not yours, but its my perception of your statement.)

How do these two correlate? They have absolutely nothing to do with each other. As I said before, simply reading the gripes of people on this forum who do own the vehicle and pointing at those specific cases is enough to raise a question about the reliability and build worthiness of a Year 1 vehicle. It's certainly as much (if not more) "evidence" as your limited forays into driving a C class today.

Nobody's questioning your ability to have a preference; I'm simply asking to know what the bridge statement is that equates your two statements. If anything, your second statement is the justification for your claim. That makes even less sense, as the C and E have nothing relevant in common here.

The original author of the first quote might indeed be a nut, but you've certainly given no proof of that.

You became defensive when someone voiced an opinion that your car is unreliable. Now you're incredulous that others are defensive when you belittle their car?

You can't have it both ways...but with an E in the shop and a C in the parking lot, perhaps you do have it both ways.

WyattEarp

The answer to this question is so self evident I don't know how to reply. Unless of course you don't understand that all opinions are egotistical and that men/women all act out of their egocentricity.

You can prefer any car you like, the choice is one made by your ego. Whether your ego dictates you to be a tree hugger and drive a Toyota Prius (sp?) or your ego tells you to be flamboyant and drive a Porsche. Two ends of the spectrum both however driven by ego. Finally of course your ego is controlled by your financial acumen which is the reason that some people do not feel succesful until they've achieved financial independence and others adopt the view that the bourgeoisie is evil.

You are inferring that my position in this argument implicitly defends C Class vehicles, that is your interpretation; however, I have not explicitly promoted C Class vehicles in this discussion. There may indeed be flaws in my theory but as far as I can tell you have not yet pointed them out.

What can I say your right, I'm wrong. Sorry didn't mean to mess with your ego.

Faheem Daddy

etenn

HEY..jhb...

Where are you, Jeff???
You were very, very quick to criticize and point out that EDJ and myself were "irritating" to you. BTW your post was "irritating" to me.

Isn't this a worse thread?
Most of the posters here are new (or at least we haven't seen them for a long time) to the W211 forum.

Apollo

Hi

Not impressed. C Class = entry level. Do not think so, maybe the A class.

I like the E but have not driven one, but I think the C is also nice and I would not say the interior in mine is cheap.

Apollo

Hi

Not impressed. C Class = entry level. Do not think so, maybe the A class.

I like the E but have not driven one, but I think the C is also nice and I would not say the interior in mine is cheap.

britton

How does the 2003 clk 320 compare to the e 320 or the clk 500 to the e 500?