Owners' Stories

I own a C230 Kompressor with 95000 miles on it. It has been a great car. The most recent issue was the check engine light was on, and the car had about half the power as it normally does. I took it to the dealer, they told me it was the Cam sensor leaking oil. This can leak into the wiring harness and cause you to have to replace the computer on the car. This is an "open campaign", (fancy word for recall) on these cars. The dealer didnt tell me about it and tried to charge me to repair it. Long story short, I contacted MBUSA and eventually got it repaired. The computer did have to be replaced along with the wiring harness.

I've dreamed of having a Mercedes like this since riding in them used as Taxi's in Germany when I was in the military. I bought this car for my wife to drive three years ago with about 110k on it and she liked it until she drove a BMW my son owns. Well, she got her BMW and I have used this car as my in town car ever since. I love this car. It turns on a dime, gets great gas mileage,and has had only three issues in three years (the idler pulley , the radio and the key fob failed). I work on my own cars and so this car has been a vacation. Idler pulley-$110, Radio replacement-$120, aftermarket key fobs wired in-$100. Better than new. I think I'll keep this one for a while longer.......

I bought my 1999 C 230 Kompressor in 2002 and it had ~ 23,000 miles. It has been very reliable but it just recently had first mechanical breakage. Had to replace the wiper motor and linkage at 130,000 miles. Bought aftermarket parts and had them installed by a very qualified mechanic. Dealer wanted $1100 and I ended up spending $ 380. Works great now. The car gets around 25 mpg in town and ~ 30 on the road !!! Still drives and handles like it did when I bought it. Like the Benz so well, we traded the wife's BMW 325i for a 2009 C 300 about a year ago. Beemer was a DOG !! Talking about problems, I'll never own one of those again. Don't believe you can beat the C 230 for quality and price !!

Bought this car for my better half new in 2005 instaed of another toyota. What a difference. The 1999 Solara with all the bells and whistles was a bit cheaper, but a 2005 Toyota was about $3k lower than the Benz . She loves this little Benz which is about the same size as the Solara. It is a far better car in every way, and will outlast her last car by maybe three times and much safer and comfortable in the process. You can take this to Fort Knox

I am new to Mercedez and the 1997 C230 I now own was inherited. It has 100k miles on it. It has been garage kept for most of its life and as such looks almost brand new. So my review is based on driving a 13 year old car for the first time and admiring it as it is rather than complaining about how expensive the dealership repairs are (obviously people, should that be a surprise to you?). First off, I was amazed at the smoothness of the ride. Road noise is like nothing at all and going 20mph is the same as 75mph (easy to speed!). Gas mileage is very good. I am sitting at 3/4 of a tank right now and have already put 125 miles or so on the odometer. That means I can put 400+ miles in a tank easy (with the A/C on). A/C is great and starts to work in about 3 seconds which is very fast. There is a big problem with idling in this car. If you sit at a light the engine does funny things and the air screws up. However, I read in the manual to put the car in park if you are stopped for more than the span of a single light. The speakers are really great, but the radio/casette digital display is totally useless. It has blacked out and I have to rub it really hard with my finger to get it to show anything and then it just goes back to black. As for the drive/drive train, the car does not like to be in 2nd and 3rd gear. This problem sort of combos with the pedal which is hard to depress and if you depress it too hard the car bucks really hard and a flashing light appears for a second on the dash. This means going through stoplights repeatedly is really difficult but overall, the performance is quick, responsive and too be honest, smart. I think the car is programmed to know not to respond to the driver smashing on the pedals. With just a quick increase in pressure on either the gas or brake pedal the car exponentially begins to do its thing (w/o you having to slam on anything). The transmission is manual with the fake 4-speed thing at the bottom. Have had no problems with that at all. The leather seats in the car, switch controlled headrests, the sunroof, have all been nice luxurious compliments to a car that already seems very well made and well cared for. Two last things: I was in the market to buy a 2-year old car probably a VW Jetta. I test drove two of them. This Mercedes drives similarly well and especially regarding the great acceleration and the wonderful handling and sleek interior. Lastly, my wife's parents have a 2006 BMW 350 or something like that. This car is very similar on the inside and they both handle well. So when all is said and done the fact that this car, when cared for well, can hold up to a new Jetta or a new BMW is amazing!! BIG TIP: find a local mechanic who can get Mercedez parts; don't go to the dealership and complain if you can't afford it (I can't!!)

Bought this classic two weeks ago. Everything works great! Good body, good interior, with 166k miles. Two full service agreements (oil change etc), and 6 month warranty. Looking forward to this ride for several years. Where can I get an owner's manual. Wanting to learn how to operate everything!

Body, exterior is very poor because of major rust on the doors and throughout the exterior.

Just purchase 1999 Mercedes-Benz c230 Kompresser. Love it. Handles great!!! Engine quite and runs smooth.. With the 2.3 L engine + Kompresser with the 185 horse power and super charger-it has plenty of zip. Great gas mileage for commuting to and from office or appointments. Still has that great shine and nice wheels. Comfortable interior. First time I ever bought a 10 year old car. And I was pleasantly surprise on its relaibility, handling and comfort in the leather seats.

I have the C230 with the sport package 7 speed automatic transmission with a v6 24 valve. I previously owned a 1994 Corvette. What a contrast. I find the C230 a sweet running car with sports car handling. Brakes stop on a dime and the mileage is 26 to 30 mpg. Talk about quiet, the stereo is fantastic and at low volume, I could hear any note. Very smooth ride with some road feel. All the other amenities work like a top luxury car. Although I do not have the brute power of the Vette, the power is very satisfactory for all driving situations. Great cost for a smaller luxury car. bill reno, nv

This is a fun and zippy little care that's given a bit of extra scoot from its supercharger. Nothing special about the interior. It's austere and good enough...just not special. Decent mileage averaging 25-26 and seeing an occasional 27+, but any thought of engaging the supercharger kills the mileage. The car has performed very well year-after-year, and I just passed through 162K miles and it's going strong! No major repairs...just the usual soft goods wearing out. It's been a good and trusty ride!

I purchased my 2005 C230 new in sept.04 I've never had any problems with the car ever...only recently I have had the check engine light on, but car runs beatiful. Called dealer and they told me if its not flashing not to worry, it may go out on its own, or they will check it on my next service. the only other problem also recently was transmission fluid leak, dealer replcaed a conductor plug, and added fluid.