kori

I'm gonna sound like such a traitor here, but hear me out...
my 2001 LX is the first car i have owned that's completely mine. Since I only just turned 20 and don't have much of a credit history, when I was going to buy a new car back in August my mom said she'd sign for me but she also capped me at $16,000...she wanted me to have really low payments so I was less likely to screw up and in turn, screw up HER perfect credit history. I love my car, but even since I got it i've been planning what I want next...and by next summer I should have enough of a credit history and enough money saved in the bank to pay off half a new car and then finance the rest in my own name. Every month it changes- what I want... my newest thing is the Mercedes c230 coupe. I want to know if anyone out there knows ANYTHING about these cars... if you've heard of pros or cons, problems, anything. cause the coupes are only like 25 grand...and a Mercedes for 25 grand seems a little fishy to me. I either want that or an audi tt... seen some really nice ones pre-owned for like 28/29 grand. Opinions?

Kion

if you want a mercedes, then go for it, but thats about the only reason i can give for getting that car.. ive heard the transmission takes some getting used to (namely the clutch kinda sucks), the options are also REALLY expensive, so it can be easy to drive the price up to 30k pretty quickly, which for that price.. well, everything that you get just seems extremely overpriced with that car, and the handling leaves a bit to be desired as well

but then again, it all depends on what you're looking for in a car. i personally couldn't see myself driving any mercedes, much less their cheapest, and for 27-30k the new Z blows away the c230 in every area... i'd rather try to get a base 3-series or something, or even i'd probably go for a celica gt-s or an rsx-s, both just as quick as the c230 at a couple thousand less, and a lot more fun to drive not to mention looking helluva lot nicer looking IMO

BAK

A girl in my office just bought the new C230 coupe. It's a really nice car, but I don't like the hatchback looking rear end. The base was $25K but by the time she added the sunroof and a few other options, it came to $28K. It's in the shop already because the hood latch broke.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Check out Edmunds. They have everything you want there.

CoupeStylz

iTrader: (4)

DON'T get a mercedes. They are way overpriced for what they are. even the to of the line benzes are heavy and poor-handling. they are only for ppl who want image and some luxury. They are not drivers' cars. Get a 3-series if you really want european luxury, but you'll also get some performance.

LexBoy

get it be happy and satisfy yourself......go for the mercedez

traitor J/K

WhosYoDadday85

iTrader: (4)

I think that the car is cool because you have an Benz and all, but if you look at the features and junk, you'll notice that it isn't worth the money at all. Goto http://www.vehix.com and check out that site. You can compare cars side by side, feature by feature. I find this site very helpful interms of comparing two cars

CivicVTec

iTrader: (9)

mercedes are good car.....especially the 600...they are awesome !!!

kori

thanks for your opinions, i really appreciate it =)
yeah i did see that after getting a certain package that included leather interior, sunroof, nicer sound system, etc., that i'd be looking at 28k. but even for 28k it would be either a pre-owned bmw/audi/whatever, or a NEW mercedes. but mercedes- i hear they aren't the smoothest of luxury cars- pretty bumpy rides, especially the CLK. it's the classiness i like...yeah i'm kind of a material girl, i can at least admit the truth. my best friend just got a lexus iS, it's awesome. and my good friend/ex-boyfriend just got a porsche boxster which i love and was considering but now, i think not. he used to have a 3-series, and i loved it...up until i started noticing the c230 coupe, i wanted a 3-series convertible. i don't think i want a z3... if i was going to get a roadster, i'd get an audi tt like i said. or even an s2000. but i'm going to go check out those sites a few of you suggested... thanks guys [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG]

Kion

your friends are incredibly spoiled, hehe, and benzes will eternally suck in my opinion, i could care less about bumpiness, i just dont like image cars that have always been, at best, soft and bland bmw copies

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

i have heard that mercedes don't do well in the long run. A BMW would be better. And your friends have too much money for your age!

kori

true...you have a point. and yes i know my friends are spoiled. well my best friend is...she got the lexus for christmas. FOR CHRISTMAS! of all the insanity! ... but my ex-boyfriend, he got into the stockmarket when he was 20, is 25 now, and has a well-paying job so he bought his own cars. nonetheless maybe i AM an image-*****...dammit. truth hurts haha

kori

went to edmunds.com ....as was suggested... they kinda didn't like the idea of a benz under 30k either, and say it's nicer than a VW obviously but at the same time they'd place it in the same class as the GTI VR6 granted the c230 owner gets bragging rights for owning a benz. ahhh big deal.... i think i am back to pining after the 3-series convertible or the TT. once again thanks guys.

scsikid

hey kori all i gotta say is hook me up with your friends!!!!

lol

alright here is my opinion. i have driven a lot of luxry cars and all i can say is HONDA! hehehe.... my STEP DAD has had lexus' for yrs now starting with the LS400, GS400, and now SC430... and he is thinking of getting another.... dunno what model... dont care!

i have driven mercedes... various models, and a bmw....

my opinon!

well. the lexus' handle quite well... but they dont feel like a car at all. its like your floating all the time. u can barely feel the road. the sc430 feels like there is a motor within the wheel turning it for you. nice thing is when you hammer the gas on a windy road.... it feels like the back end sinks in and just grips the ground while launching through the corners. but all and all.... it doesnt feel like a car! the closest one was the bmw.. 328.. i liked it.. but still wouldnt buy one.


now to honda!

my dad owns a 2001 prelude se. That feels like a car! its like you feel everything... hear everything.... and it really feels like your driving... not flying! it really depends what you want... personally... for the money.... honda cars just make sense! they drive really well... never have problems.... and there is soo much info out there for them for support, mods... everything... dont make a mistake by getting into the prestegious cars. i have lived my life with benzs, lexus, etc.... and alll i can say is i love my DAD's prelude... and im sure i will love the civic i will buy SOON!!!! i hope.... my opinion is no... dont get it.... its a waste of money.

now my dad wants to get an s2000 for the look and performance. the prelude is his first honda... and he is just loving ever minute of it!! never seen the guy happier going through his mid-life crisis! LOL

NitehawkVTEC

Well, the benz is a decent choice that I was considering, and I do have the cash to pick up pretty much any car I want, without financing or anything. but that would be a waste no? And the benz, isn't a bad ride. but is no substitute for a BMW 330Ci. So my thinking is that i will buy a SiR hatch in April, because they have much better resale than my Si. Then drive that until i have a high paying job and have finished some university. Then I'll go buy a BMW 330Ci for 40,000US, or even a M3. If i have a good enough job.

Crashoveride

iTrader: (2)

I am not sure if I personally would buy a Mercedes or a BMW, the BMW I would think about cause I have a friend who just got one. But if I had an option I would go for an S-2000, they look very sleek and are still a Honda product, but thats just my opinion. Its your call.

Crashoveride

Voiceofid

iTrader: (3)

why not a sec560 AMG?

kori

yeah i think i did say in one of my replies up there that an s2000 was a possibility. i know i don't want a prelude....my cousin has a 95 that she's had, well, since 94....always loved that car a lot, but i don't like the newer preludes in terms of body style. i grew up in a family of perpetually faithful honda drivers... my dad, my mom, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, etc. my mom is on her 3rd accord. before the third one was bought, she had a mitsubishi galant for not even a year and ended up returning to hondas. you gotta love honda, it's true, but i just..want..something...different. next year that is, the civic is staying around for awhile. i think if i end up opting for another honda it's going to have to be an s2000. but i haven't been in one yet...even so, what do they run- base 30k or so?? well as affordable as hondas are, i'm sure a 30k honda is just as nice as a 40k european luxury car. but AH STILL. i'm young, this is my time to be impractical and irrational right??

why not a sec560 AMG?

voiceofid....you ask why not an SE?? because i'm 20, i have 2 more years of college then law school to pay for...must keep monthly car payment below $1,000, LOL.

Voiceofid

iTrader: (3)

my friend is paying off one right now, he is 17, making 100 dollars a day and taking flight school, and goes to high school

kori

i make about 100 a day waitressing and bartending in the winter, then anywhere from 150-250 a day in the summer. and i go to college full-time...and pay my own credit card bills, cell bill, etc..my parents pay my car insurance and that's it. i'd like to move out and get my own apartment again this summer. add it all up and...i just don't think as a girl who has all that stuff plus is a little bit of a clothes-shopping-addict, i shouldn't go buying a car that's much over 30k.

Voiceofid

iTrader: (3)

it only cost him 26k[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG]

CapYoda

iTrader: (30)

a bmw 3-series, IMO, is a lot better than the C230... I think the C230 is pretty cool... but a beamer is overall a lot better... for many reasons I wont even bother to list.

but er... since everyone has thrown so much opinion in.. I suggest you do more research, becuase after all, you are throwing 25+ grand into this, better make sure its osmething you'll say "I'm glad I bought this car," 5 years down the road.

so yeah, research more.. for 25-30k you options for a vehicle is huge! you have plenty of selection. have fun choosing!

kori

it only cost him 26k

what did, the SEC or the C-class??? i thought SE's were up the in at least the the 60k's.


a bmw 3-series, IMO, is a lot better than the C230... I think the C230 is pretty cool... but a beamer is overall a lot better...

yeah not to mention i am dying to have a convertible. no such thing with the benz i was looking at here, but the 3-series iC is a really goodlooking convertible and was on the top of my list since last summer. plus has more room than a Z3, s2000, TT, etc.

Snowman

The 560SEC was a coupe model based on the big S class Mercedes. Those cars ran from 1986 to 1991 in USA, but there are probably some gray market cars here and there. As far as the AMG model, no doubt those cars look real nice and have the power to back them up. One thing is gas mileage. If you buy a big Benz you'll be visiting the gas pump more often.
IMO newer Mercedes cars don't really interest me. It's not the same. They are all about profit now since they merged with Chrysler. Before (the 70's and 80's and very early 90's) Mercedes was a high priced car, but one of quality and reliability. Again I would probably advise you to go for the BMW because it delivers a lot more than the Mercedes for the same price.
However if you want a used Mercedes, that's a different story. The AMG models are very nice and give a lot of performance. However they are pricey and rare. One of my favorites is the 500E which had a 5 liter v8 with 322 hp. It was based on the E class. Those were made in 1992-1994 and can be found for around $20-25.
If you do decide to go with a used Mercedes, always try to get them in good condition. Because believe me, these cars can be very, very expensive to repair if they were not taken care of.

SoCalChris

<< i have heard that mercedes don't do well in the long run. A BMW would be better. And your friends have too much money for your age! >>



Haha, ever noticed how many old Mercedes are still on the road? At least here in So Cal there are TONS of 1970's and 1980's Mercedes still driving around with several hundred thousand miles on them. I see very few BMW's still around after that long. Personally, I like the older Mercedes. The new ones are nice, but I don't think they have the same quality feel as the older ones. The seem to be making them cheaper now so they can compete in price with the Lexus'. And yes, the Mercedes are VERY heavy, but they are smooth riding, handle better than almost anything else, hold their resale value, last forever, etc...

Snowman

SoCalChris is right. Just look at all the old 240D and 300D on the roads. Those are diesels. Some of these things have hit 300,000 miles. I don't see a BMW doing that.

AEMcivic

hey kori,

why don't you just keep driving your civic until it punks out on you?
that way you can save your money, invest some, and by the time you become a lawyer,(you said something about law school)
you can buy a Bently or something.

On the other hand, I don't know how I could drive a civic when my friends were driving bmw's and benz's. I go w/ the benz if that's what you really want. Personally, I like em. I like em alot.

Kion

<< The seem to be making them cheaper now so they can compete in price with the Lexus'. And yes, the Mercedes are VERY heavy, but they are smooth riding, handle better than almost anything else, hold their resale value, last forever, etc... >>



first of all they dont compete in price with Lexus in almost every category except for their 2-doors are cheaper than the SC, but thats about it, EVERY other lexus gives more value for the money than a comparably equipped benz, GS430 vs. E-class, LS430 vs. S-Class, IS300 vs. C-Class, everything

additionally, who gives a flying rat's a$$ about smooth riding [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] i could care less about a "smooth" ride, maybe cuz im actually a car enthusiast.... *oohh damn* hehe, but besides that, there isnt a SINGLE benz out there that handles better than a comparably equipped BMW, not a single one, there isnt an AMG out that can outhandle an M3 or M5 in either price range

kori

sure, there are lots of old benz's still on the road with 200 or 300k miles, but a lot of car companies aren't making their cars the way they used to. read around this forum at how many people feel honda skimped on our 7th gen. civics...
right now i'm back to the 3-series convertible or TT decision, the c230 was a short-live idea. could come back, but who knows, i have over a year before i really get serious about buying it. whatever "it" ends up being. i think out of every luxury car company the lexus is by far most reliable, has highest customer satisfaction rate, best value, etc..but the only lexus i would ever drive is the is300 and i can't have the same car as my best friend. now the sc430...YEAH, i'll take one, please? thanks.
too bad i won't be able to afford that.
AEMcivic, you have a good point, i know i should save my money and keep driving my civic, but i'm so impatient, when i want something, i want it NOW. every time i see a nice bmw convertible or a TT, porsche, anything, i stare it down and throw a temper tantrum about wanting one for about 7.5 seconds, then go on with life. did i mention i'm a materialistic little *****?? oh, i did? ok, just checking. [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG]
don't worry though, in the meantime my civic is much loved...i baby her. i may be a sellout but i'm not a honda-neglector.