2005 Mercedes C230 Kompressor vs. 2003/2004 BMW 330i?

Question

Before people start saying the Bmw is faster than the mercedes, I will tell you why I am deciding between these.

Right now I can get and 05 c230 6-speed manual with a little less than 50k miles on it for $13,995. I can also get a 2003 330i for $14,995 with similar mileage. I imaging the bmw would come down or I could find one of that year, or 2004, for the $13,995 price of the mercedes.

I am not a drag racer and do not go to the track, I am 19 and just want a fun car that has good performance that isnt a car I will get bored with. Please do not tell me about insurance on these cars, I already have it worked out!

I want a car with decent performance as stated above, good gas mileage (why I thought the 4-cylinder supercharged benz would be a good choice), and a car that is reliable and does not cost a lot of money for maintenance or repairs. I know that both these cars can cost a lost for service at the dealer, but I know of some German car service places, plus regular placed like Meineke that should be fine. I just do not want a lot of problems. I have seen on edmunds that 2005 was about the best year for mercedes and the C-class.

So basically, do you think the c230 has enough performance with the Kompressor engine? I know it is no 330i, but it is newer and comes with more features than the bimmer, or so i have been told. Which do you think looks better also?

Answer 1

Not completely relevant, but I have a 2002 C230 Kompressor hatchback, with the 2.3L engine, and let me tell you that it never gets boring.

As far as handling goes, both are GREAT, but I'd like to share my own experiences with the Benz's handling: I was once incredibly reckless and was going 110mph down a 55mph road (with nobody in front of me). But all of a sudden a car (Bimmer tbh) comes out of nowhere and pulls onto the road, at a distance that took about half a second to cover while going 110. I swerved hard, missing him by no more than a few inches, and managed to stay on the road throughout my 100+ mph slalom.

I'm not sure how the hatchback coupé compares with the newer sedan, but they'll surely be worth it.

Not to mention that it gets around 31mph on the highway and around 24 in the city, whereas BMWs traditionally get lower gas mileage.

Answer 2

You need to do your research on the SPECIFIC car. I just sold my 2004 Mercedes SLK230 (the two door hard top convertible). The problem with my car (the C230 is about the same car mechanically) was the electrical system. I had the car in the shop (there was an infamous tail light problem, that they recalled the cars for), and I thought that was the problem, and that it was fixed. One day, when pulling out (luckily not into traffic) my car just died, shut off - dead on the road. In the last two weeks, the turn signals stopped working and the interior lights would act up. All of these problems had been intermittent. The day I traded in the car, everything - thankfully - worked great, and although I got a really bad trade in price, I got the highest end of the bad trade value. Apparently, all the dealers either know about the problems, or they just understand the trade in value was low. Either way, make sure that you look for problems and complaints on the Mercedes models! I would never buy another Mercedes again based on my experiences and those reported by others (people I know, not just blind complaints). But you have to understand the bad with the good, it's not just jumping in, starting up, and driving off. If you don;t want to get stuck with a bad model - do your homework up front, so you don't end up paying heavily later.

Answer 3

I am going to have to go with the bmw they are hot and I know for a fact because I have 2 of them. Both are black and both are 325i. The one I drive the most is a 1989 e30 and the other one is a 1992 e30,they are manual trans, both handle great and my top speed on the '89 is 110mph. Today I took a 90 degree turn going 25-30mph. I am in love with the looks and performance of BMW's. And maintenance is not that bad i fix both of them when needed. Mercedes are more of a bigger car that are luxury cars.