people's reactions to my c-230

Does anybody have any suggestions for this situation which is new to me: what do you do or say when someone you know finds out you drive a C-230 or worse yet, see you driving it and then makes some kind of comment or the lack of comment speaks even louder??

I guess my question is - does it matter what anyone thinks or says about your car ?

Seriously...

I'm not sure why you would need to feel ashamed about something you bought ?

Your money - your car - your preference/taste

Enjoy the car - you earned it !

Yeah, just shine them on. Some of my coworkers were obnoxious when I bought my C230 last month --- "How much did you pay for *that*?", for example. I just asked them what difference did it make.

what's wrong with the car?!?!?!
what's wrong with the price?!?!?

I paid $48k for mine, the price of 2 of my friends civics added together. (not that I have anything against civics, but I don't see anyone penalizing people for driving civics at half the cost).

so next time someone says something like that to you again, it's simple how you should reply: 'Are you freaking "JEALOUS"!???!!??!'

As c-coupe owners we all have a lot to be pleased and proud about. These cars are 100% mercedes. OK, the coupe may not cost as much as the top prestige models in the merc lineup, however, its not meant to. Thats the point in having a "range" of models. You have to consider the cars against which the c-coupe is competing for buyers. All of them are considerably cheaper and of a lower spec.

We haven't bought a cheap mercedes. I reckon we have bought an expensive, luxury, high performance alternative to the more ordinary models which we might otherwise have chosen.

People are entitled to their own opinions, however, you can pretty much guarantee that anyone being negative about your c-coupe is just jealous and mean-spirited. Forget about them and enjoy your new pride and joy.

I paid $48k for mine,

48? What did u get? With like every option your looking at 40-41...

Erik

I paid $48k for mine,

48? What did u get? With like every option your looking at 40-41...

Erik

$48K - Canadian :)

I paid $48k for mine,

48? What did u get? With like every option your looking at 40-41...

Erik

$48K - Canadian :)

Wow, that makes so much sense now.

Erik

thanks everyone for your replies. Nobody has dared tell me I got the small benz. I mostly got the "how much did you pay for THAT" kind of comment. I really don't care what they think because I do love driving the car. I know it must just be jealousy.

Back in 1989 my mom got a '90 300E.
Her friend called her to say congrats and sorta rubbed in that it was the "Baby Benz", well my mom replied..."you must be mistaking it for the 190E, I have the 300." Long story short 2 months later her friend wanted a MB and her husband said "no". My mom got the last laugh.

Having the "baby" of a luxury car line is nothing to be ashamed about. Your still a step above most Jap. Cars, all VW's, and almost every American car I can think of. As far as quality of materials and such goes, MB beats Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura hands down and should never be compared. From a long history of experience, there is nothing in the world like driving a MB.

Erik

agreed!
I have received comments from co-workers like "someone's making too much money" but based on keeping my car for 11 years (that's my plan) and it keeping its value similar to the rest of the Merc line by the end I should be saying "cheapest car I've ever owned"

It's nice to have not joined the Acura and Bimmer club too (they're at every traffic light).

One of my friends at work told me that some of my coworkers were actually online trying to figure out what I paid for the car. I mean, get a life already. LOL!

Luckily most of the people at work have just remarked at how beautiful the car is -- a sentiment I totally agree with. I haven't had anyone comment on it being the "baby" benz though.

.....

After reading all your comments I'm glad to see that there are other people out there who are just as enthusiastic and proud of their Benz. I am tickled pink with my car and I enjoy driving it now as much or more as the first time two weeks ago. With seven years of university (which are finally starting to pay off) my C230 didn't fall from the sky (like some people seem to think) so to all the people who are jealous,... I just don't care :twisted:

When your young and you buy a new car, people always look at you and think what? How can this guy afford it? I always say the bank owns it, sometimes I say I work hard and earned it, that usually shuts them up.

Canadians have this stigma of showing off wealth, it is almost a sin. You wonder why the best selling cars in Canada are Caravans, Civics, and Cavaliers/Sunfires. Because the majority of Canucks can't afford anything due to our high taxes and low salaries.

Enjoy your MB go to work in style!

"Enjoy your MB go to work in style!" -Gambit


He's absolutely right!

Life's too short to worry about crap like that.


Live a little!

Don't feel bad--my family wanted to disown me! We've had some serious words about it---and I told them to shove it, unless they're going to start making my car payments for me, I have every right to choose whatever I want--and I want the best! I dreamt about this car! I saw it before it came out in an auto show, and I said": I WILL HAVE THIS CAR SOMEDAY and after getting my master's degree, I gave it as a graduation present to myself! So enjoy and smile on! :D

Well people I know have finally stopped giving me a hard time now. Now it's the jokes about me giving them the car keys (like that would ever happen 8O ) In fact I so don't care what people think now that I even got personnalized plates :twisted:

I wanted a smallcar that wasn't an econo-box. The C230 coupe fit the bill. If you have one, you know it's nicer than anything else out there. We all have our reasons, but the bottom line is our money, our choice.

That's the key right there, "our money" it's not like it fell from the sky. After 21 years of school, two undergraduate degrees and one graduate degree I think I can safely say that I don't drive this kind of car because I am "lucky" :?

just smile :) thats all i have to do.

I got a bunch of comments like "We're paying you too much money". But, those comments were quickly followed by "I was looking at your car today, and I noticed..." :) I think that more than a few of my coworkers are quite taken with the car.

I have to be honest. I feel more comfortable driving up in a Benz and asking some of my architectural clients to trust me with the fate of their 5 million dollar projects than I did 3 months ago when I drove a Civic.

Being in the design profession, I've found that clients trust your opinion much more when you own well designed "things". In my opion, there isn't a better designed automobile in this price point.

And, no they still don't pay me enough. Now I just reply to their comments with something like, "No, I need more money to help support companies that promote great design - it is our profession you know..."

Great Car! I think everyone is jeolous (They all drive sloppy handling SUV's).

I've only had my C230 K for 3 day's and have had a few people take a good look. One couple behind me at a stop-light were waiving their hands
as if they wanted me to move forward a little. Turns out they were using these hand motions to kind of discus the rear end of my coupe (I think).
I see a half dozen S500's every day -- big deal. These little MBZ's are so
much cooler! 8)

I like the double takes and the people who are walking by and then turn and then walk backwards and stare,... 8)

Hm, my car doesn't really get stares or appreciation. I kinda feel like they all have the same or smiliar cars around me. I don't go around thinking...."oh i am still in the second year at college and should be lucky i have a mercedes," I can't think that way becuase of the pple's attitudes and environment i live in......i look around and see that the student next to me has the same car in a different color or the guy across from me with his friend is blasting music off from their convertible porshe. I love my car and all, but sometime they are like, "oh you got the cheapest car from mercedes." and i am like "so, it's still a mercedes." I live in an area and cities around my area.... where all is see is like their $100,000- $150,000 dollar car mercedes driving around or thier lambourguini's or ferraris, beamers, audis or their maseratis, bentley, viper or whatever. Whatever car is out there , i've probably seen it driving around in my area one time or another. I know like at least 10 people including my apartmant neighbor..... on campus who park in the same area that i do that have the same car. I get put down for having such a car and frankly, i am tired of it. ....maybe in time...after like graduate school and like a bazillion years of working will i move up in class of the MB. yay for that.

sheesh, what part of the world do you live in cause I'm just finishing graduate school and I still don't see those kind of people all around me, nore am I ready to be one of them....

I live in southern california near the newport beach area. yeah, i feel poor here. I'm not ready to become one of them either.

Do you enjoy your car as much as I do? Why car about what they think, remember it is only a car and to be judged by that is nonsense. Here on Long Island, we have some very exclusive areas and I know people making "big" money that drive Civics, because they don't care what people think. Good luck in School, and worry more about having a happy, and HEALTHY life. Pat

Don't get me wrong i love my car but , i don't enjoy my car as much as i should. It seems to have many problems.....and yeah, i want to live a healthy life, but with school and everything it is really stressful and i wish i were healthy, but i do admit that i have some medical problems that i really wish i didn't have ........... and ......with material things like a car, i am just fortunate i actually have some kind of tranportation to get me to other places. i would have been lucky with a bicycle.

Well, I'm not sure of the age demographic of this forum but I'm in my final year of university and my parents paid for my c240 classic.

Stares, only when it first came out (literally.. when we picked it up on Jan 2 2001)... but maybe cuz it was still showroom clean) and I was driving around my hometown.

but in downtown Toronto, W203s quickly became dime a dozen...

I've taken a 15 minute trip across the city and counted 5 silver c240 classics :?

I'm 22 and I spend to much time enjoying the road to notice what people think about my car. Yes I like to keep it clean, I'll race some punks now and again and I love to blast the stereo at gawking teenagers. I appreciate the car for what it is.

I bought my 230K months ago and I have seen 6 of them on the road since then! That is what I enjoy the most.

For the most part other Benz owners (higher models) are enthusiastic about the car too. While I've encountered a few snobs - My uncle said he likes driving his daughters C230K more than his E420 (430?).

Some people like driving nice cars like some enjoy expensive wine or fancy clothes, it's all a matter of taste.

Fatboy

I'm the proud owner of 2 Baby Benzes and I couldn't be happier. I have the original baby (1984 190D) and the 2002 C230K. I really haven't heard anything negative said about either one of them. I've only had one person ask if my "mommy and daddy" bought it for me (which they did not). I've driven all kinds of Benzes and the baby benzes get just as much attention as any other. In my opinion, you get more for your money with the smaller ones than you do with the "higher end" mercedes. They all have basically the same options and I like the look of the c class the best.

And if I thought I was getting stares before, you should see now. I got personalized plates "MONYMONY" because of the Billy Idol song and it is also my nickname (my real name is Mona). Anyway, I've had the question more than once, people think my plate says money money... and on a benz 8) tee hee hadn't thought of that before, oh well.....

I used to own a '99 SLK230, which was constantly noticed by everyone. The only downside to the car was that everyone thought it was called a "Kompressor" not an SLK and it wasn't very comfortable (though you couldn't tell by the $hi+ eating grin I had on my mug while driving it). Now that I own the C230K Coupe... no one notices, which is fine by me. I do miss the interesting conversations I used to get into with convertible admirers, and I do miss the handling and fun to drive aspects of the SLK, and while the C coupe is (to me) not much to look at from it's profiile, compared to the SLK, it is much nicer to be seated in. The part that blew me away, was when a 6'2" friend of mine (and his wife) got in the back seat and found it very comfy! No crouching... just comfy! I guess that's why it has to look so round.

Well I picked up my c230 coupe yesterday..
And I have had 4 people already tell me today that it is very sexy looking car...And they were all guys....eewwwwwwwww I think...lol
But I must agree, I think is a great looking car and the Star on the front hurts a few necks while driving by downtown....


Peace and Happy Safe Driving

I've gotten that comment as well, "You're getting paid way to much money" To which I always reply, "F*ck you I went to school, am paying off my own student loans and bought my first C-Class by the age of 26, all based on my hard work, if you didn't do the same, it's not my problem". I agree with the sentiment that many people, especially older can't handle the fact that some young punk is driving a Mercedes and their driving a Caravan or Echo :D. This consequently is the one thing that impressed me most about my Mercedes salesman. Me and my brother went in the evening during the week, dressed in our jeans and t-shirts, and my salesman came up right off the bat and greeted us and took us seriously and bent over backwards for me. I compared this with experiences at other less prestigious car makers where I ended up standing around forever, and then got passed over for some old couple that came waltzing into the showroom. Volvo (not that I was that interested in buying one) was the worst for this.

I've got a ton of looks in mine as I drive around, catch people looking at it all the time while stopped at lights and the like. Their not super common here in Calgary where I live...well becoming more so, but for the first year I didn't see very many with the Evolution package, hell I didn't see very many at all.

The seating room in the backseat is a good point too. Everyone has been very impressed with how comfortable and spacious the backseat in the coupe is. I have 2 buddies that have an Audi S4 and a VW Jetta GTX(I think?) both 4-door sedans (small sedans though) and people comment that my coupe has more room in the back than both of them.

For people that bug you about how much you paid all you have to say is "Well you're not driving it, so what the hell do you care?". I looked around a lot, and for the money, there is no other car that even comes close to being the best value between performance and luxury than the coupe.

I picked up my c230 coupe the end of Nov 02. When I drove it in to work for the first day ,my boss said that he did like my mercedes. He said that it really was a nice car .He said it made his buick Park avenue look like a old mans car, he is only three years older than me. Comments both postive and negative are a fact of life. I really love driving the c230 and that make writing the car payment check easy for me each month.