Prospective Buyer
 

Hey everyone, I am thinking about buying a used C Class.I need to get rid of my current truck because it is a gas hawg and it has been unreliable. Iknow that evenaused Mercedes with 60,000-70,000 miles isnt a problemsinceMerc's are made so well, butI have a few questions about it before I buy it.
1. Is traction control standard on all cars from 1996 up or only on the newest body style?
2. The engine in the 99 and up C 230 is the supercharged one right? If it is, how is its performance (also whats the performance of the non-supercharged 2.3 liter engine)?
3. Overall, would people recommend the C-280 or the C-230?</P>


Thanks in advance for any replies, and if you feel like something might help me in my decision, dont hesitate to tell me!</P>

Prospective Buyer
 

some forms of traction control are standard on 96 and up.
i cannot remember if it is supercharged or not.
if it is not. then it is not very peppy.
the supercharged one is.
the c-class pre 2001 is a pretty easy to maintain car.
check under the oil fill cap for oil sludge before you buy it. some people take too much advantage over the 10,000 mile oil change.

Prospective Buyer
 

Thanks Natedawg. If I do find sludge under the the oil cap, should I just walk away from the car no matter how good the car may seem? And also, does everyone recommend actually going 10,000 miles to change the oil or should I do it a little sooner just to be on the safe side? Im used to my domestic truck that needs it every 3,000 miles so this is all new to me.</P>

Prospective Buyer
 

i go for 8-10,000 miles on mobil 1 here in the UK...my advice is a little biased on the 230 v 280 question..</P>


The performance figures for the 230kompressorand 280 are similar...but the whole feel of the 280 is totally different, it is a touch faster/torque is stronger and with beeing a straight 6 (v6 post 1997) it feels much more like a merc should..And when you work it hard it sounds turbine smooth...MB in line fours sound crap...and really bad under a heavy foot. When cruising its just more luxurious...go for a 6 if you can find the rest of the package to go with it...dont forget though the V6 is a twin spark..hence 12 spark plugs and costs a lot more than a 4 cyr at major service time...</P>


nay help???</P>


c280</P>