Used 1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Consumer Reviews
Great Car +200,000 mileage - Seattle,WA
Good Reliability but expensive maintenance. Beyond 180,000 mileage expect to pay lots of money maintaining this car. Between 185,000 miles and 200,000 mileage I spent nearly $3,500 in replacement parts such as tie rod assembly, oxygen sensors, Drive shaft flex joint, water pump, radiator, AC compressor, brakes, ball joints and etc.. Very smooth ride and handling.
Never gets old!
When i bought my 97' c230 benz it was the best decision ive ever made. This car has never put any extra stupid maintanance cost no matter what. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE NAY SAYERS! Car is great in value perfect for a nice first luxury or retirement car.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Love my car, hate the maintenance.
First off, I love this car. My mom owned it for ~7 years then gave it to me and it looks good, feels great to drive, and has a very luxurious interior with tons of wood trim and ruffled leather. In addition the engine powers the car effortlessly with very little noise until you get to the upper end of the tachometer. I've never broken the wheels loose in a turn like front wheel drive cars do all the time. The gas mileage is reasonable BUT I have had to replace the head gasket ($1000), the antenna doesn't go up and down, I had the AC fixed a few months ago for $500 and it's broken again. Also the camshaft sensor broke and cost $800. Not impressed with the reliability.
Mercedes is not worth the money
I found the car to be three times as expensive to maintain. Brakes, shocks wore out prematurely. Transmission needed rebuilding at 125,000 miles. It was costing me $3,000 a year to keep the car on the road. Dealer service was at best, equal to other dealers.
'97 C280
I bought my '97 C280 in Aug 99. It had only 13000 miles and now only has 34000. It still looks and smells new. I'm not wild about the color (ruby red), but otherwise, it's still one of the best looking small sedans on the road. Quality of the interior is the same as larger Mercedes. Engine/trans is well suited for the car - plenty of power and smooth running. Only had a couple of minor problems, but routine maintenance at a Mercedes dealership is outrageous. I don't need my own personal service advisor and don't want to pay for one.
Two Thumbs Way Up
8 months ago I purchased my 1997 C280 with 138,000 miles on it and I love this car. Since then I've driven 10,000 miles and have enjoyed every one of them. Everyone who drives it says how fast it is at any speed, and even my wife enjoys driving it. Drives and handles like a dream.
Drive to believe it
This car is very cool..I bought it when it had done 52k miles...now it is at 75k miles ...I never had any problems... When i bought it i had to change the water pump which was bad and i was not told about it... Other than that i had no problem with the car..... ITs really cool.... If you have good tires the car really handle's great...Tires play a major role in the comfort of the ride... The fuel economy is really good..it gives me 35 miles per gallon and some times close to 38 when i go for long drives..In the city it gives me 22 to 28 miles....
1997 C230
I bought this car with just under 15K on the clock and it now has approximately 151K on it. It has been extremely reliable and is my 4th MB in 25 years. I current own a 2003 E430 as well. I perform most repairs myself so dealer labor costs are not usually an issue. Parts are pricey but that is to be expected for Mercedes.
Great when the Check Engine Light isn't on
Have owned a 1997 C280 for 10 years now, bought it used in 2005. In that time 3 engine coils have gone bad, had to replace CATS, spark plugs, brake pads, repair a dry rotted fuel line, the headliner is peeling off, but it drives like a dream! Crazy how much I love driving this car. To help save on inevitable repair costs I have started to do my own maintenance. Expect to spend 1K a year in maintenance costs (but heck... it's paid off and much cheaper than a car payment) and buy a OBD2 unit... you'll need it. This is the only money-pit I have ever loved... if it only drove like crap I would have junked it years ago.
Safe
Bought to drive for awhile, however the car was in a roll over, I could not even think it was rolled over, by the looks of it after. It was hardly messed up, with just a small crack in the windscreen. A few dents here and there, but in all it looked good for just being rolled over and slamming into a tree. No one was hurt at all in fact all the doors opened just fine. This really is a safe car. One thing I did not like when I had this car was the fact it leaked fuel. When you would put fuel in, I have read in other places on the net this is a problem with this model. I think MB should do a recall. Other than that I was a great car. Had to replace the water pump. Did it myself with a new part.