Faults:

Too soon to tell.

General Comments:

This little car is an interesting one. The engine fills the engine bay quite well, yet it appears easy to get to the things that may need replacing.

It seems to be able to isolate you from the outside world well enough to forget the speeds you are traveling at. Especially the higher speeds. It's not a super cushy ride, but it also doesn't have that sound of riding in a tin can as so many other similarly sized cars of the same era. When closing the doors, it just feels like a well built machine.

Cars with struts tend to transmit more noise inside the cabin. This one has some of that, but nothing too obnoxious, and it's far better than so many others.

Give it some throttle, and while it won't pin you to your seat, it will move.

There's a difference between quick and fast. This one isn't a rocket when accelerating to the higher speeds it's capable of, but I'm convinced that once you get just into the triple digit speeds, it will gladly hold its own... all day. It is after all built in a country that has the autobahn.

Fast would describe it, but not quick.

The brakes are really good. I tried standing on them from about 60MPH. It WILL give you a head-rush as it slows and stops so quickly.

The interior has held up great for a 21 year old car, and it also feels solid like the rest of the car.

The bottom line is that these are first impressions, and this far, it feels like a well engineered, understated automobile that isn't meant to be flashy or impress anyone with gimmicks.

Faults:

The car has required 2 oil changes and 1 windshield wiper blade.

I have to add 1 or 2 cans or r134 to the A/C system every spring. It hasn't needed any other maintenance in the 2+ years I've owned it.

This is my 9th Mercedes, and this, by far, is the most reliable one yet.

General Comments:

Besides being maintenance free, it gets great gas mileage. A bit underpowered and no frills, but still fun to drive. I think it would be their best seller if they would release this stripped down model to the US market. Manual windows and manual seats are problem free. The cloth interior held up very well for a 20+ year old car.

All three of my children drive it and they are rough on cars. I bought it as an extra car while the children are in town, but now I drive it and let my E320 sit.

Faults:

The shocks wore out.

The radio does not play all compact discs.

The engine is noisy over 105mph.

General Comments:

This is a very good car, but a little uncomfortable on long trips (over 2 hours or so).

It has a very spacious trunk (boot).

It is very reliable.

Faults:

Wires from the rear seats back going to reverse lights had to be replace. $600.

New key tumbler had to be installed. $650.

New mass air meter installed. $450.

General Comments:

The only real problem with this car was the mass air meter. The wires going to the reverse lights melted because of a lousy CD changer installation by the previous owner. The key tumbler broke because the previous owner carried massive amounts of keys on her key ring.

The car is very comfortable to drive. It has the exact medium of luxury and sportiness. It has plenty of power. (almost 200 hp) The C280 doesn't float while driving yet it is still smooth and comfortable over bumpy roads.

Reliability has been about as good as it gets. I will never worry about being stranded in this car.