Hello all!! I'm new to the German car scene. Always owned American cars until I bought my Subaru STI last year. Now my wife has been eyeing BMW 3-series and MB C230's. I was surprised to see used C230's are cheaper than 3-series BMW's. Is it just that they are not comparable?? I looked at some with say 30-40k miles and they range from 19-22k. Seems low to me. Is there anything normally wrong with these C230's or is it just my not knowing the brand?

She really likes the MB over the BMW, and I do also. Would it be wise to purchase an extended warranty? Anything to check/watch out for? How reliable are they? Any information anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

 

https://mercedesforum.com/m_55439/tm.htm

And many, many other threads. Because of their low price, cars in the C class are often in the hands of those who can't really afford them. Mercedes cars are expensive to have the dealer repair. Some repairs and maintenance jobs are skipped. They aren't Toyotas, and that applies on many levels. They also aren't Infiniti nor Lexus products, and again, that applies on many levels. Just as your Subaru (U R A Bus, spelt backward) has shown you things you'd never think to want for in a domestic car, Mercedes is another and different experience from what you have known before. Whether it's "better" is a double-edged blade. The "better" parts have their own set of strengths and foibles.

 

Thanks!

I read that thread. It turned into comparing the MB to Japanese cars, which I dont think you can do. I've stopped buying american cars becauseI finally got fed up with the low resale value. Had a $33k Dodge truck that I got 17k for in a trade after 1 year, and that was the last straw for me. I'll never buy another brand new american car.

I understand that these cars need to be maintained at a certain level, I dont have an issue with that. What I want to find out is if there's any common issues or high dollar parts that are prone to failing. I can turn some wrenches, so if it's not something thats a dealer only fix, I can most likely handle it.

 

[sm=welcomesign.gif][sm=wootwoot.gif]