one might be willing to take a chance on the blower. The V-6 might have a slight edge in longevity, but for a $4K difference. The Kompressor’s torque curve peaks lower and stays flat longer, offering perhaps a better subjective feel, especially with an automatic, but the V-6 is smoother and quieter, and seems to want to keep climbing the rpm scale forever. Base price is $35,950 and output is remarkably close to the Kompressor’s: 194 hp and 195 foot-pounds, both figures within the margin for production variances. You don’t have to be one of those dull-normals on Millionaire to guess 6 cylinders, 2.8 liters. Better blastoffs – never a priority for German cars – could be had with a manual transmission, but all C-Class cars come only with a (superb) 5-speed automatic. That’s impressive output for a tidy little engine, capable of propelling the car from 0-60 in a little over 8 seconds, according to the factory, a claim that seems plausible, given the 3,250 pounds of mass. The air pump and premium fuel conspire to produce 185 hp and 200 foot-pounds of torque. The deduced 2.3 liters is distributed among four cylinders – now hold on a sec – which take abnormally large gulps of gas thanks to a supercharger, whence the series derives its formal designation: C230 Kompressor. The base model (starts at $31,750) is the C230. What remain are two series differentiated less by what they do than how they do it. The hotrodded C43 AMG variant, with its fire-breathing 8-cylinder engine, has been dropped from the books. Remarkable advances in engineering and manufacturing have occurred since the last major revision, however, and I’m eager to see how M-B engineers have embraced them. And there’s room for updating the chassis, too, although even in its senescence, it’s better than most. The current crop of Cs, while not so wannabe-looking as the prior generation of “Baby Benzes,” do look a bit like a cheaped-down version of the real thing. following a seven-year run, a revamped version will be out this fall, and I’m betting it will be more than incrementally better – it certainly LOOKS better. It’s a true Mercedes, with all the favorable connotations that implies, but the C-Class is coming to the end of the line. The bottom line on the sticker of the one I tested was $38,195, about 50 percent more than the current average transaction price of all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. This humblest of Benzes, with just a smattering of options, still costs what 10 serviceable clunkers would, or perhaps one and a half very nice new compact cars. But it still must be held to a very high standard, considering not only the historic associations of the three-pointed star it wears, but also the price. It’s not in the same league as the midsize E-Class sedan, and wouldn’t get the time of day from its snooty cousin, the magnificent S-Class. No issues since last update - still running strong.The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the smallest of the esteemed marque’s U.S. Update October 2016: Just turned 68K miles. So far, I have not had need to use the extended warranty. I discovered a small crack in one of the rear wheels which was replaced with one I purchased used online. I serviced front and rear brakes (purchased OEM parts online) - a relatively straightforward job. I performed routine maintenance and inspections since the CEL issues I had shortly after I purchased the car. Update April 2016: Overall I have been pleased with this car. Expensive (over $2K), but warranty covered all but $150. Still running strong although I did use the extended warranty last year. Overall a positive experience.Īn update: Car now has 72,000 miles on it. In the five years I drove it, the only major repairs were what I described previously. The rear end damage was extensive enough for the insurance company to declare it totaled. Update 10/6/19: In the spring of this year the car was hit while parked in a lot. Recently purchased an extended warranty - just in case. Since then, the car has run nicely - although I do get high speed vibration on certain stretches of highway (probably due the the low profile tires). A month later a coolant pipe began leaking at the rear of the cylinder head (I replaced this myself). The 1.8L engine had a cam sensor design flaw which leaked oil into the harness (cam sensor seals were replaced under a MB recall by previous owner, but not the oil saturated harness). Within a month the CEL came on and required a new engine harness and two O2 sensors to repair. I purchased this 2004 C230 Sedan Sport one year ago with about 56K miles on it.
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