Faults:

The airbag light went on and never went away. But really the worst part was at 58,000, my engine block cracked. Ruined the WHOLE freakin car. Not worth it with this reliability.

General Comments:

Good torque, and I loved it when it ran.

Faults:

My C240 is great. Changed the oil and the serpentine belt.

Replaced the under car plastic skirting - I suspect the dealer failed to put it back on - after Service A or Service B. The Service A and Service B is a rip-off - learn to do it yourself.

General Comments:

Great handling for a sedan.

Will cruise effortlessly @ 80 MPH all day.

Average 25 - 27 MPG --- best tank was 30 MPH - light traffic @ 70 MPH.

Could use a little more HP - there's a hill that the C240 needs to kick down the transmission one gear on - if you are not moving fast enough.

Carries 4 people easily - plus luggage. 5 is alright going to lunch - but not much further.

Faults:

Constant software problems. i.e. false defect warnings on brakes, lights, etc.

Air conditioning failed on three occasions, twice under warranty.

Factory fitted Nokia phone kit failed twice, once under warranty.

General Comments:

The car offered reasonable comfort and excellent performance. Unfortunately it lacks many features found on the earlier 250 TD estates, such as self levelling suspension and headlight wash and wipe.

The post 2000 C class is certainly not designed for the DIY mechanic; for instance there is no such thing as a dip stick, and the engine oil is required to be extracted rather than drained.

Faults:

I just purchased this car 9.2.2006. I wanted to provide my 'just bought' thoughts on this used vehicle.

General Comments:

Looks - The C320 is 20% sport, 80% class sedan. With the right rims/tires it could definitely be a sexy and sporty looking car.

Amenities - Loaded; the 'stock' C320 has dual power seats, etc., etc.

Unique Extras - 1) power head rests, 2) power rear-window shade/screen, 3) auto-adjust rear-view mirror (when night comes, mirror will tint in response to bright lights. 4) rear air (excellent) in center console, with speed adjustment (and it is cold!). 5) power tilt/telescoping steering wheel (though actually a little annoying because it does not auto-contract to get out of the way when you shut off the car). 6) Rear-seat headlamp 7) Power seat adjusts vertically and tilts forward/back. 8) Press and hold the 'unlock' remote button and the windows/moon roof will all open. Press the lock button and they all close.

Ride/Performance

-- Seating is firm leather; seat adjusts to suit your height/length, and only slightly more toward the sportish feel.

-- Stepping into the car and starting off is a feeling of strength and solidness. Steering is tight and responsive; again a confident feeling is produced.

-- Engine performance is outstanding! I mean this car is fast. Redline is 6k.

-- Transmission is smooth yet gripping, no slips here. The coolest feature is the practically automatic 'manual' shift feature. Once in drive 'D', you can move the single shifter to the left (-) or right (+). Why? Well, like shifting a standard car up or down through 3rd, 2nd or 1st, the feature allows (with a flick of the wrist) you can downshift to 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st. Like-wise, you can start out in 1st gear, rev up and right-click (so to speak) into 2nd. Man, I have had some fun with it! From Mr. Business to Mr. Andretti...

Did I mention it is rear-wheel driven! Yea!

-- Ride is again slightly more toward firm/sporty, but also quite smooth. Technically it is my wife’s car and she feels quite comfortable. You may not realize how much a difference tires can make; in this case the tires are apparently more performance than touring, so I can't really comment, but upon what I am riding. There is always slight road noise, but it is relatively quite inside (note I have high expectations, somewhat perfectionist). The C320 takes corners well, and powers out with ease. At slower speeds, it absorbs driveways and other bumps with a cushy feel. Rear seats are snug; a 6' guy like me could squeeze in for a short ride. Rear AC is excellent.

-- Pricing - As of 9.2.06 I paid $22k, $24k out the door, with 59,000 miles. Afterward I found three others with similar or less mileage for about the same price (with dealers). I also noted the cool tires with some unique sport cut to them, are Chinese Chin Kooks or something. What a joke; the old 'dealer puts budget tires on car and lots of Armor All' program. The bottom line again is that the wife heard me say 'walk away' so we could price them out. But she bought the car at NIGHT, on emotion and primarily on trust that the dealer was giving us a good price. Even I bought in as he showed us his 'price' on the computer. When I priced them out later that night, I found their ad with the same car, at $20,995! When we take the car in today, I am going to see if we can get the Internet price, and express my frustration at this deception.

-- Reliability - Good question.. Last night we were able to get a really good look at the cr. The outside temperature sensor appears broken, it's always 97 degrees. The left-front turn signal light just failed, primping a malfunction message. It sues Mobile 1 synthetic oil, so at least the engine is well lubricated. I am very concerned about reliability, which is why I suggested the Avalon to my spouse. Well this was officially her deal, so any ridiculous parts pricing and pain is hers (at least for the blame part!).