Used 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Consumer Reviews
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NO COMPLAINTS
At first I had to get used to the power of this car. As I did I had lots of fun blowing away other non suspecting 2dr sports cars. it was quite fun and at the ligh they often ask me what it was and I would say c32 amg, they would look at me puzzled.....I guess this car was really meant for the enthusiasts.
Sweet Ride
I "unfortunately" have the automatic transmission, and that has taken some getting used to. Overall though the car is awesome looking. I have never gotten so many complements from strangers on what a nice looking car it is. The color is "orion blue", and I recommend you look at it on any car on the lot. I know that SLK's come in the color, but have not seen it on anything else. The tire/wheel package on the sport model really sets apart the grandma 240 and the 230. Performance for me is adequate, these 189 do just fine, and at 30mpg highway doing 80... not bad either.
- C320 SedanMSRP: $5,9954 mi away
- C240 SedanMSRP: $4,50024 mi away
- C230 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,900379 mi away
Great Car, Great Price!
The car has been driven nearly 200 miles so far, and still have nearly 2/3 of a tank left. Ride is comfortable, controlled, quiet, but not distant from the driver. Performance is great. Looked at the BMW 3 Series Coupe, the Audi A4, Infiniti G35 Coupe. In all, the 230K Coupe was the best deal. Some fluff options found on the competition are not found on the Mercedes. Driving the C230K Coupe was all I needed to know the car was more solid than the Audi A4, less expensive than a BMW 3 Series Coupe, better built than the Infiniti G35 Coupe. Also, the Merc stands out from the rest. This is a TRUE Mercedes at an exceptional price point.
Lemon
Worst engine ever driven period enough said.
Fun small car!
I have owned this car for almost 6 months and have placed 2500 miles on the odometer (can't drive many miles on O'ahu). Overall, the car has been fun to drive. It is small and compact for the small parking slots here in Hawaii, but large enough in the interior to comfortably fit myself at six foot tall. So far, only minor rattles and noises. A solidly built vehicle with great steering and braking but could use a little more low end torque for this heavy of a vehicle.
Not Happy
Drive train vibration comes & go's,dealer can't find problem, BAS,ESP light came on twice Dealer said it was The computer the first time, the second time they said it was dirty contacts.
Quick and Fun For Less
Great experience with this car. People stop and ask me about it all the time. Mines is Blk w/ Blk int. Hard to keep clean but worth the headache. Had an early problem with the SRS light coming on with in the first two months, but other than that worry free! I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into something sporty, good on gas and affordable. Oh yeah and A MERCEDES!!!
Fun car, great buy!
Picked up my Citron Green C230 up 2 ½ weeks ago. Love it! Car is great, smooth, fun to drive, & looks sporty. Bi-xenon lights add a whole new look to the car. Panorama roof really makes the cabin open. The leather has a great feel, seats are firm yet comfy & the power seats add a touch of luxury. Aluminum trim contrasts well with the charcoal interior. C7 package is the best deal going w/ 17" wheels, larger exhaust tip, & short throw shifter. Base price is a gr8 buy, but options really add up fast. Before I knew it I paid $35k out the door. Tho it was a special order (an additional $1150) it was definitely worth the $$$ and wait!
best value for the money
we had our c230 for over 2 months now, and we love driving it a lot, great gas milage especially for hwy driving,
My LIttle Race Car
I absolutely LOVE this car! It is so much fun to drive and its appearance catches the eye of nearly all who see it. Although small, which I like, it has a lot of room inside. Even tall guys have no problems. LOVE IT!
Alot of bang for your buck!
I couldn't be happier..I was concerned about "get up and go"..what a joke that concern was. With little effort it engages and it reminds me of the star wars.. warp speed! the only thing I would do to imporve it.. is make the seats a little more luxuriest. Mineis loaded so I have the leather..but would like to see a little "cushier" seats. IF you are able to purchase from Calabasa Motors DO. the service is beyond good.. it doesn't matter how small the issue is.. you are sent way with a loaner, no questions asked.
New 230K Sport Sedan is a hit
Traded a Sport Ute for this Sport Sedan. Great upgrade, should have done this years ago. Fun, safe & stylish. The new for 2003 Mercedes-Benz "Sport" packages are wonderful. Sporty 17 inch wheels, powerful Supercharged & Intercooled engine, sport seats, its a great package. Looked at the Audi A4, the Cadillac CTS, the Jag X, and the BMW sedans. THe C230 Kompressor Sedan was the best package for the price.
The 4MATIC is great.
I am really enjoying the C240 4MATIC because of the great lines, quiet, stable ride, the unbelievable handling and the overall fun factor of this car. The two real reasons I considered this car were the many safety features and the all wheel drive. The head, side and front air bags give great piece-of-mind. On the lighter side, the Bose stereo sounds great, the ride is ultra-smooth and very quiet, the leather interior is very comfortable, and the dual-climate control come in very handy.
Good Value and Safety
This is a stylish and fun car to drive. With 8,000 miles on the odometer, the vehicle has been less than perfectly reliable. It seems the problems are very minor but annoying including the High Beam Switch, Radio, Seat Controls and ABS Sensors.
Most excellent car
I love this car. The only thing I did to make it better was to install stiffer springs and swaybars. AMG swaybars actually. Directly from MBZ for only ~$200. Car drives like a sports car for real now.
wow
This car is the best bang for your buck on the market today. Great look, great fuel economy, great ride, and very fun to drive.
Fabulous, FUN car!
I love this car. It has zip and my bike fits in the back...without a rack. It's a great car!
C32 ROCKS!!!
plenty of horsepower and speed. The fuel economy is much better than it has been said(I tried it with my odometer) much better than my old cadillac deville which was ALWAYS in the shop and before that my camery in which I got rear end on a residential street sending me straight to the hospital and remember this was on a residential road where the speed limit was 20mph!!
Happy Times
Looked for a car for a long time before settling in on this one. Very good value for the money. Great mix of performance, engineering features, safety, and style.
Late 2002 model of C 320 Sedan
My C 320 4 dr sedan was manufactured in May of 2002. It took a few weeks to get acquainted with the menues and sub menues of the sophisticated electronic features. After this period I was very satisfied with the ride, comfort, and the many convenience features of the vehicle. It is fun to drive longer distances and great in tight parking situations. My car needed 2 minor electronic repairs and I was furnished a free rental car by the dealership each time.
MB 230 COUPE WITH AUTO
i have experienced no problems with the Vehicle for the first 5000 miles of ownership combines outstanding performance with great milage and plenty of room inside for a 6.5 footer weighing 240
I Love My C230 Kompressor Sport
Traded my gas guzzling Range Rover in on this C-230 Sport sedan. Great driver, affordable MB. Eye catching style...I highly recommend this car!
Power and Looks
A great looking car with power to spare. A little expensive and maybe a little smaller than you'd like but with the Mercedes reputation for quality. I have not had to put a dime into the car for 3 years and the Mercedes dealers are a gems. You get treated like a SL500 owner. Definitely worth upgrading from the 240. I own a BMW 325 also. No comparison. With the 325 you have to upgrade to get close, with the 320 it's all standard. Even then the power comparisons for the BMW fail big time vs the Mercedes.
Best Hatchback I've Ever Owned!
This is my 3rd hatchback and I love it! My first two were a Mazda RX-7 and a Honda Civic, both of which presented consistent problems in the first 6 months and beyond. This Mercedes has been flawless in my first 7 months! The leather/moonroof/bose sound package and the sports package are bargains and well worth it. After test driving both the manual and automatic types, I chose the automatic because the power is more than I'll ever need. I'm actually getting 30 mpg on the highway! The smooth ride is a dream! The interior accommodates large & tall people well. It's also the only Mercedes small enough to fit into my tiny Victorian garage!
Just want to keep on driving
I'm not a big fan of long drives. Driving is a chore. Not any more. I just want to keep on driving. I pretty much hate arriving at my destination. I've driven lots of cars and I just can't believe how much better this car is over the Japanese competition. I can't imagine having more power. What is the use? The engine sound is wonderful. The fit and finish is fantastic everywhere. (look under the car!) I've recently been in a top-of-the-line VW Passat and it just does not compare. This is such a fun car to drive and drive and drive.
first MB
worth the money for an entry level MB. Driven 8,500 mi. w/ no problems. classic MB style. exhibits the attention to detail you expect from MB. very good performance if you understand you're buying small 4d sedan for status. this is not a sports car, so don't expect that kind of performance.
Fun to drive but problematic
Bought the 2003 C240 in August 2002 currently 5000 miles. It's now been in service 5 times but does not qualify as a Lemon. On the first day at home it leaked oil all over our driveway due to a defective seal. That was replaced. Then the rear screen lost a screw and it had to be dismantled. The power moonroof failed and a new motor was replaced. But the wrong motor was installed and it had to be replaced again. Now the break fluid is leaking due to another defective part. I love driving it but these problems are annoying. Will a major malfunction occur on the freeway with the whole family in the vehicle?
Problem in snow
The Car doesnt move in drive mode during Snow. I chekced the dealer they want to me Place 50 lbs of weight on my back side of the car If your place if full snow avoid buying the car. The emergency road side assitance wont cover this issue
Fun to drive with some problems
As, I read in one of the reviews on this page, I also came across the leaking fluid in my garage on the first day beacuse of the defective seal, now I think I took another appointment with the dealer to check the problem with some noice on the right side front wheel. I never expected like this from Mercedes, I will never ever buy a Mercedes again.
Here comes the Sweetness!
I have been a MB fan since I was 22 and bought a 1997 E320. I had alot of problems with that vehicle. So I finally got a C230K Sport fully loaded. This thing is a fire-cracker! The Kompressor is really the key to this car and it is SMOOTH! Move out of the way Audi, BMW, and Infinti.
acceptable-?
i have had the car for 9 months and now have 7000 miles. i really like the solid feeling that this mercedes provides but i have had it in the shop 4-5 times already for a vibration in the steering wheel at 36mph.the dealer exchanged the oem continentals for michelins and have rebalanced the wheels 3 times...still have the vibration. i also had a spring in the emergency replaced for being too loose and now 2 of my window sometimes loose their one touch feature.i still like driving this car but i am not sure if i will buy another... great design but i am not sure about the execution.
Wow - MB C230
What a blast, without blasting your bank account.
HOPE THIS WAS A FLUKE
SHE WAS A 323 BMW OWNER THAT SHE JUST LOVED AND DROVE FOR 80K MILES WHICH FOR HER IS A LIFETIME.SO, WE WAITED FOR HER OBSIDIAN BLACK TO COME IN WITH ALL THE XTRAS. SHE PUT 4K MILES ON IT BEFORE THE CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON, SO SHE TOOK IT TO MERCEDES AND 7 WEEKS LATER AND A NEW ENGINE LATER WE FINALLY GOT THE CALL IT WAS DONE. I TOLD MERCEDES TO BUY IT BACK BECAUSE I WAS NOT GOING TO ACCEPT A NEW MERCEDES WITH A REBUILT ENGINE AND SHE WOULD GO BUY SOMETHING ELSE. AFTER SHOPPING AROUND AGAIN SHE DECIDED SHE STILL WANTS A C230 SPORT SEDAN SO WE WILL TRY IT ONE MORE TIME. CROSS OUR FINGERS....
C320C
What a great car!!!!!!!!!
mmm
I love the vehicle.needs a little work on the inside.
Enjoy the drive and ride
The 6-speed manual is a really fun car to drive, great handling. A reasonably powerful car with good fuel economy and environmentally friendly with ultra low emission status. Legroom in the rear is suprisingly ample, but headroom is tight. Fortunately, the double sunroof eases up the claustrophobia.
Head & Shoulders above an M3
Incredible ride and handling. I also just smoked an M3 on the highway driving home.
c32 AMG
OUtstanding performance. Best 4 door performance sedan on the market. Very unique car.
they went from good to bad
i have allot of problems with mine it stalls at all different times.. they are still unable to fix it after 4 months of the problem and 5 trys
Baby Benz is fun to drive!
I've had my C230WZ Sports Sedan for three weeks now, and it's been a really fun car to drive! This is my first Mercedes-Benz, and I do not think my last!! This car beat out Lexus, BMW, Audi, and Honda on my very short wish- list of new cars. One test drive at the dealer sold me on this car. It's frightfully fast for a 1.8 liter engine, and handles extremely well. I'm not getting the advertised gas mileage, but the engine is not yet broken in. The bottom line is; "This car rocks"!
C320 4dr sedan
first mb. always been a car buff, very impressed with car; quality and performance. don't like total maintenance policy as i prefer to maintain cars myself. surprised at performance both agility and speed. more fun to drive than corvette that i traded in. would love to have amd and dust a few vettes. fuel milage was another pleasant surprise. 29-30 mpg on interstate trips. wish i had bought mb sooner. wish i had bought an e model as it has more room for longer trips, but c is best choice for about town. purchasing experience was typical; glad don't have to do that often.
Wow
Love the gas mileage and performance on the highway. We tested about a dozen cars in the same price range before chosing the C230. The car drives like a 35K vehicle!
A Winner For Under $30K!
Caveat: I have only owned my C230 for 6 weeks, but no defects discovered so far. This car, with 6-speed M/T and the C5 and C7 packages including 17-inch performance tires, leather, and Bose stereo, is a blast to drive. Great acceleration in 3rd and 4th gear, comfortable cruising in 6th, superb handling characteristics. Blew an Audi TT off the line the other day - felt good considering the Audi costs at least $6-10K more. Only complaint - ABS not as effective as my previous car (Saab 9-3), and, despite ESP and traction control, doesn't handle real well on snowy or icy roads. Overall rating an 8.75.
First 230K in Mass.
I have 15K on it now and have enjoyed it. However, since my first service at 10K I have now: 1. Used a quart of oil 2. The rear sunshade had to be replaced 3. A switch on the steering wheel went bad 4. developed some creaks. I like drivng the car and the looks, I just hope it holds up.
What a value
ar is extremely fun to drive, and I haven't had one problem with it so far with a little over 3,000 miles so far. You'll definately want to look into the Panorama roof, and leather seats. And the top of the car looks cool, because it looks all glass, which is a nice touch. The leather seats are comfy but not too firm. They're perforated, which adds an extra sporty touch. The steering wheel feels great in your hands, and the buttons on there operate the little info screen in the dash, which has a lot of info to offer at any time. Good head room in the front, but not that great in the back, because it slopes down so much near the rear of the car.
Warning( Lemon) save your money.
Warning this is a bad car(lemon).I dont have enough room to list all the engine problems. My car would stallout when I would try to pass someone.It stalled out when I was accelerating from a complete stop.It stallout in the middle of a intersection. It repeatedly shutoff after I would refuel it.It had to be towed to the dealership(Rahal) after I couldn't (with the help of others)get it to start after refueling.In the first six months of ownership it had 16 problems .So I got a lawer.Just put it this way if you wont to know everything email me.
Sweet C230!
Great deal on a German engineered, rear wheel drive sport sedan. I drove the 325i, A4 3.0 & G35 and none had the complete package of the C230. The sport tuned suspension, 6 spd tranny, wheel/tire combo, & overall bodystyle made this an easy choice. The cornering/handling of this baby is precise and effortless. The car is a real head turner and stands out better than any car I test drove. . .and having that three pointed star on the hood never hurts!
Unreliable
Have it for 2.5 years. I've been at dealership for 5 times (at least). Mostly computer-related problems - but had AC repaired and some othe replacement too. Big disappointment taking into account image that Mercedes- Benz is using. I think Hyunday wouldn't have such a quality. Great driving, wonderfull design - don't have it over the warranty.
My First Benz
Unbelievable!!! If you have never owned a Benz before, what a great place to start. A warning, however-- it is a drug from which you will never recover. Meaning-- you will never be able to go back! I LOVE THIS CAR!!!
Great car for older single woman
I LOVE this car. I was nearly killed in an SUV after it flipped over, and this car gives me all the perks and safety of a Mercedes, as well as the shlepping capacity of a small SUV! The hatchback is phenomenal. It also has a very light security cover that even a 5'2" woman can easily take off and on. The rear seats also fold down individually to create extra capacity! The car handles phenomenally-- makes U- turns with ease-- and has excellent acceleration. It's a smaller car, but not so small that you feel as if you're going to be smushed like a bug. Sunroof is nice to have. Radio has AM/FM/Weather band.