Used 1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Great Car +200,000 mileage - Seattle,WA
kaleo, 08/10/2014
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C280 4dr Sedan
29 of 29 people found this review helpful
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.
Love my car, hate the maintenance.
MattJones, 10/11/2009
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C280 4dr Sedan
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
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.
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class for sale near you
Showing 3 of 4 listings
- C230 SedanMSRP: $3,6681,007 mi away
- C280 SedanMSRP: $10,9952,358 mi away
- C280 SedanMSRP: $6,9992,418 mi away
See all 4 listings
Drive to believe it
MD Asad, 06/23/2002
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C230 4dr Sedan
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
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....
'97 C280
Uncle Dan, 06/14/2003
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C280 4dr Sedan
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
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
Will, 11/06/2006
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C280 4dr Sedan
21 of 23 people found this review helpful
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.
Never gets old!
Sam nabard, 09/16/2015
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C230 4dr Sedan
28 of 32 people found this review helpful
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
Mercedes is not worth the money
Keith, 04/20/2006
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C230 4dr Sedan
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
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.
1997 C230
eclipseproduction, 12/04/2008
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C230 4dr Sedan
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
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.
9 yrs of ownership
yjmontreal, 08/23/2006
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C230 4dr Sedan
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Expensive maintenance. C$500 Air Mass meter. floaty ride (I need sport shocks). Many features that are standard on less expensive car are not standard. (i.e. CD, intermittent wiper, TSC etc). Interior build quality/material is very good. Everything is still tight after 9yrs. Currently experiencing little foul play in suspension (steering wheel is little shaky at speed). Good fuel economy, but requires premium grade (I tried regular and noticed right away that the car didn't like it). Torque available only after 3k rpm. Don't like the single wiper, and wiper blade is expensive to replace. Transmission is very slow to respond. Lack of side airbags
Great when the Check Engine Light isn't on
c280owner, 01/15/2015
1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C280 4dr Sedan
11 of 14 people found this review helpful
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.