[wpv2000]

Hi All. I am new to this board.

i am in a market for luxury and sporty sedan/coupe. on a recent trip the auto show i could not help but notice the similarity between the clk 320 and the c-coupes. i am aware that the clk320 and c320 coupe share the same engine. but how far does it go? on glance it appeared as if the new clk is a c-coupe without the pillar but with a trunk. i could not compare the inside as they only had the amg clk which was locked.

which leads me to another point. the c-coupe is my front runner. i am going for a test drive this weekend. i do have a concern with its longevity. it has been on the market for only 2 years and the c230 is selling at $2K under invoice which i was told is unheard of in mb land. the c320 coupe was just unveiled and its already selling below the invoice, again, unheard of. so what do you guys think? is this just a great deal or a sign of bad things to come? obviously having the model discounted or pulled from US would be a huge blow to the resale value (not to mention self-esteem).

has anyone here ever traded in a mb to a mb dealer for a new mb? is it true that you get a very nice deal?

for all of you c-coupe owners, what are the must have options? sunroof or no sunroof? i have limited experience with a manual (friend's beater), would you rate the c-coupe manual as only for experienced drivers or is it ok for those with limited manual transmission experience? (obviously i am going to make sure i am competent before buying).

btw. the sport sedan looks much better than their stock counterparts. anyone here had a chance to check out the c230/c320 sport sedans?

-Frank

 

[johnn]

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

I wouldn’t worry so much about longevity. Even in rust prone environments you’ll still see old mb190’s kicking around. Even the “cheapest” benz is still a benz. You DO get what you pay for in the benz… the quality and longevity of components are designed well beyond “normal” standards.

I know this because I am an Engineer for a major company that supplies components to the automotive industry. Without getting too specific, Chrysler and Daimler may have common ownership, but the difference in quality and integrity is worlds apart.

You should expect a C car (coupe, sedan) to last a good ten years and a quarter million miles. Yes, there is always the concern about a newish engine (1.8) and a four cylinder lasting all that time/miles. But with my knowledge, I am very optimistic about passing my 2003 coupe off to my son when he turns 16 in 8 years.

The popularity of the C class has been phenomenal. In Canada (just for example), something like a quarter of all MB sales were C class last year…. which is why mb has greatly expanded the C class product line, including a V6 coupe and the 1.8 komp sedan. I bet a dollar to a donut that they’ll some day bring out the AMG coupe here too. The odds of the coupe getting pulled are very remote. It would be bad business for MB.

Given the high popularity and sales of the C class, resale value is a concern. It boils down to supply and demand. Over the next two to three years MB will sell a ton more C class cars. Added to the already stellar deliveries that have happened in 2001-2002-2003 that means in three to five years there will be a lot of them coming on to the resale market… creating a glut. Plus, by that time a whole new C class will have arrived, still aggressively priced, further devaluing the “old” designs.

But that’s the cycle of automotive marketing. Obsolescence is a design feature.

The best plan to extract the best value from any car is to buy it and keep it for a good eight to ten years. But who of us isn’t going to yearn for a 2006 C, CLK, E or SLK (if you get divorced)?

All I can tell you is that I’ve owned 10 cars and been deeply involved in the design of dozens of automotive builds and by me, the little C coupe I’ve got is the best all-round car I’ve ever owned, and certainly one of the best quality wise I’ve ever seen in this price bracket.

 

[sjcallas]

C coupe is crap

please, the C230 Coupe is the German Honda Civic

 

[hlea34]

Re: C coupe is crap

please, the C230 Coupe is the German Honda Civic

That's not very nice, but it is your opinion so okay. WEll, my parents were either gonna get me a honda civic or the mercedes coupe. what i had really wanted was the bmw any of the 3 series. I wanted a car with 4 doors and a regular trunk...........But now that i have the coupe, it isn't that bad, it is rather enjoyable to drive and i would rather say that i drive a mercedes than a honda. and trust me, they are totally not the same thing, so no, the C coupe is not crap.

 

[komptuc]

I agree with your comment, the C-Coupe is not junk. In fact in many ways there is no difference in feel from an E class and a C-Class. I drove an 2002 E 320 for a week. Nice car, but no difference from that to mine. I paid ~ $33,000 for mine, and I got more than what I paid for. Stop drinking the Hatorade, we all know what we have, and I know I don't have a Civic. I'm very thankfull to GOD that I was able to buy a C-Class, and yes, I'm in the plans of ordering a new E500 with NO PLANS TO SELL BY C-COUPE, but people let's not hate on others' cars.

C-Class is a much better car than a Bavarian, although I bleed BMW, but when comparing apples and apples, no way!

All those with C-Class Coupes = props!
I'm also an Engineer (Mechanical), look under the hood, drive it, look at it, enjoy it, and most of all "THANK GOD THAT YOU HAVE THE OPPORUNITY TO OWN SUCH A NICE AND LUXIRIOUS CAR." If you don't believe me, drive a honda, jijijijiji. :wink:
Soon I will post pictures of my car which is the only one in town with original MB sport rims.