I was originally looking at getting an 01 AUDI A4 QUATTRO, but my buddy - also a car freak - gave me the info on an 01 C230 Kompressor for sale locally.

I plan on getting it checked out by a very reliable and independant Mercedes repair shop here in town.

I'm just concerned if this is the right car. I drove one just like it at a dealership, but I'm still weary of Mercedes. I've heard some pretty bad horror stories and rumors of how bad they are mechanically & reliability-wise.

I understand what I'm getting myself into here, I love German cars and I can stand more than normal maintenance costs just to drive such a lovely car.

But is the C230K for me? I'm going on 20, and don't have a huge budget obviously, but enough to pay for the car and whatever small costs that may arise.

I would really like to modify it- and that's my second question...

I haven't really found much tuning available for the C230K in 2000. Unlike the A4 1.8T, which has gobs of tuning stuff for it, I haven't really found anything for the Merc. Is there anything, besides a pulley mod? I've heard those are bad on the engine?

Thanks guys, this is my first post. I'm new here!

 

 

If you get a c230, I just put in Eibach front/rear sway bars, Koni Shocks/Springs with the thickest shims, plus a K-Mac rear camber adjustment bushings (they also make a front camber adjustment set as well). I changed the tie rod and ball joint assembly at 120K. Changed the battery once. Replaced the Kompressor clutch at around 90K and the drive shaft coupler once.

Speedtuning USA makes a ECU upgrade as well as the Kompressor Pulley upgrade to get around 240 HP. I haven't done this, yet..

Just make sure you go through the car and that all of the fluids have been changed regularly, Transmission, differential, etc. should be changed every 30K miles. Oil should be changed every 6K miles.

Hope this helps.

Any questions? Let me know. Happy to help.

I did test drive the Audi A4 quattro with 2.5 liter engine and didn't like it much. I like the 4 wheel drive, but I am not a big fan of Audi's implementation as it is a front wheen drive adaptation rather than a rear wheel drive adaptation. Plus the build quality of a Mercedes is better than Audi.

 

Just to let you know, the Audi A4 Quattro is pretty much the exact same thing as the VW Jetta 4 Motion, only more expensive and slightly different body parts.

 

or maybe it is the Passat.. Either way, it is a VW, only more expensive due to the badges. :-)

 

coming from another young college student with a limited budget I would say you have good reason to be weary. I've had my 2003 c230 coupe for a year now and I have had a couple problems with it. Any type of maintence has been very expensive for me, luckily most of the big stuff has been covered under and extended warranty I purchased. It's a blast to drive though, as it seems you have already discovered. Good luck

 

whoah, no. no. I was in Germany, and toured both VW and Audi ( as well as mercedes.. point aside) anyways at the VW plant the cars were literally moving down the line as the dudes scrambled to install the parts. At Audi they were stopped. Only once or twice while I was there did the assembly line make a move. They really fine tuned everything on that car. Also when it was done they do a special laser scan of the entire car to make sure it is all completely accurate within 1/1000's of a centimeter, or something like that. It was awesome. It literally picked the car up with a robotic arm like it was a toy and tossed it around during scan. They spare no expense. Mercedes wasn't much faster, but I do have to say, from a production standpoint Audi was better than either of the other two.

 

weelllll... first of it is the 4motion passat that dr. was talking about up there.

[&:]Now this could get difficult because it depends on what you are looking for...are you looking for a car to tune just so it looks hot or you can say i got this this and that. or are you looking for a car that you can be cool in without having to put anything on it or in it.
Yes you are correct there's a lot out there for the Audi... Now dont get me wrong I'd choose an Audi over a Benz anytime.. only because I love Audis and I am so used to them. I had an A4 quattro I also had an S4, and the 100s and all that so i definately know my Audis. OK, basically the difference between an audi and a benz...is that Honestly Audis req. a lot more work, they have a lot of technical difficulties the check engine light turns on for the dumbest thing, the A4's and S4's are known to have problems with that, especially the sensors. And what you will have to do a lot of times is get your alignment done...because those just seem to get really bad...and of course it wears off your tires and all that good stuff. Fuel pumps need to be changed at least every 60-75thousand miles... i dont know how it is with benz's though luckily did not have that problem with mine yet. Another big thing would be the oil change...now you can change your own oil on the benz but its very difficult and the worst part is resetting everything...and they do recommend you take it to a MB dealership to do it for you...now i dont know if you are aware of this but every 10K miles you get a service done either A or B. Service A is about $150 and service B is about $350...which is just your oil change with some filter changes here and there..on audis you can basically take it anywhere and pay 20 bucks and be good for 3 thousand miles. Another thing i found is if one part goes bad on an audi as soon as u fix it ..it wont take too long until u go in and have to fix some else again. Simply because they are more sports cars than luxury cars... though you got the benzs that are much faster and better...I dont know its a tough choice I really like Audis better although i just named all the bad things about it...but im just more used to them, Maybe you should think about getting a VW...i dont think Audis and Benzs i donno...i dont want to say anything wrong..but if u want something to tune and play around with get an R32 or GTI VW... they are very inexpensive they are german and theres a lot out there for them... if u didnt like german cars id say get the usual lol the HONDA and u knw do your thing.... OOOOHHH of course i have to mention a very good thing about AUdi it is the Quattro part you know...they have benzs 4-matic and all that and they are much smoother at a higher speed than the rear wheel drive when you go 90mph...but let me tell you you step on that pedal in an audi go 120mph.... and u still have very good control over your car...especially in the snow..( WELL NOT GOING 120 of course but im just saying control in general ). mannn i miss those. dont even think about rear wheel drive in the snow...not a good idea. And Audis look really nice...and they do have some hot body kits out there for them...but i dont know theres one guy that was talkin about ghetto rims on the benz ..yeah really not cool to hook the benz up...it just doesnt look right. unless you get some custom made sh*& then you could get away with it. I hope i didnt confuse u...because i think i just confused myself... i just had to add my comment here. I'd recommend VW GTI,,,R32...one of those if you want to do all that and still have a german car...2nd choice would be Audi and last Benz. I hope nobody gets offended its just my opinion...and if someone disagrees...let me know...because after all benzs arent my specialty although i have one..

 

i just got in a 3-way race with an Audi A4 and Scion tC. While they scion was left behind, i beat the A4 by a full car length. Therefore the c230 is quicker!!!! Understandable that the Audi has 4 wheel drive, but the c230k has a feature to put your car into winter driving mode which makes the car run better in icy conditions.

Winner : C230K

 

PolishPat..you're right about that..its called ESP...but thats pointless..because all it does is warn you when the roads are slippery ..it flashes to tell you its slippery ...and yeah it uses the brakes differently...noo i dont trust that.. well a blind person would knw that its slippery..u still dont have control over your car u r still gonna fly off of the road.. not with the audi u dont need to b told that its slippery out there..Audis are one of the safest cars in snow. .in fact... well wait first of all lol the scion had no business racing wit u guys lol... he-she shouldn even bother racing an audi and a benz lol...thats like a ferrari racinga honda....that must have been som big idiot right there. I raced a BMW M3..and I beat HIM! with my Stock Audi A4.... see you cant always just look at HP... for instance... if you give a grandma a ferrari...and you drive a Oh i donno... c230? who do you think is gonna win? I mean if the driver sucks he-she can have 500HP and they are not gonna beat you. And that was just luck,,, it really depends... especially if the Audi was automatic... thats just a waste of money gettin an Automatic or tiptronic audi... or any car you just have so much more control when you drive stick. But i guess my point was with my previous comment..it sounds like he wants some german cheap and som he can play around with... audis are not cheap unless its the 98...or less than 2000 model.. neither are benzs... nor are they cheap to be fixed....his best bet would be a VW... small fast cheap tunable ( lol i dont even knw if tunable is a word but thats ok ) Dont you think he'd be better of with a VW or an Audi? last choice should be benz..dont get me wrong i love my c240 but u knw. thats more for relaxed drivers lol.. u knw... when u get a nice fast car and u get all into tuning it and racing and all that good stuff...at some point u get over that and u just get a benz... and i think the one guy was sayin that theres so many benzs out there wit diff engines and diff HP and all that.. better not to mess with it. Again just my opinion...but congrats on beating those cars lol