It’s easy to write a glowing automobile review during the honeymoon phase… you know, the first four years before the car starts breaking and costing lots of money. This isn’t one of those reviews.

My Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe (named Stella) and I have been together a good while. We’ve had our ups and downs. There’s a lot to cover on this little beast – especially compared to other cars in its class. Prepare yourself.

Introduction
The C230 Kompressor and the C320 were both made in the Sport Coupe body style, which is no longer available. The last C230 Kompressor Coupe rolled off the line in 2005. Fortunately, it isn’t terribly difficult to find a nice used C230K. The Sports Coupe is the car you see in the Epinions photograph above. The same engine is still available in a sedan, but I don’t recommend it as much. It’s a heavier car and has less zip. When I say C230K throughout this review, I’m talking about the C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe unless otherwise noted.

Mercedes Benz introduced the C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe in the US in late 2001. You may recall that immediately following September 11, automakers were offering extraordinary deals to entice people into purchasing vehicles. Surprisingly, Mercedes was part of this group; I recall commercials that marveled about the first ever offering from the German luxury powerhouse for under $25,000.00.

Devout Mercedes enthusiasts have blasted this car for being cheap and beneath the brand, but the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe isn’t aimed at the age 60+ demographic who appreciate petrified wood accessories, shiatsu seats, and voice activated controls. This car is, however, perfect for singletons or couples in their 20’s and 30’s. Mercedes only considers E-Class and higher to be luxury cars, anyway. Compared to a non-Mercedes, there’s nothing cheap about it.

Technically, it's a hatchback and not a coupe. Mercedes deflected criticism for labeling the way they did. Can you blame them, though? Sport Coupe sounds so much more fun.

From 2001 through 2005, a new C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe started around $24,900 but options like the CD player, leather interior, panoramic sunroof, etc. increased the average price to around $26,000 - $28,000. Today, you can find them used for $10,000 and up.

My C230 Kompressor is a 2002 model with about 65,000 miles as of June 2007. I paid about $17,000 for it in early 2005. A few small things differ amongst the 2001-2005 models, but overall the cars are essentially the same. Mercedes offered a plethora of options on the C230K, so if you have your heart set on a specific feature, you can probably find a car that has it.

First, you need the warranty.
European cars are incredibly fun, but they are not the most reliable, nor are they inexpensive to repair.

You can’t buy a brand new C230K Sport Coupe anymore, but don’t worry. With all of its Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, Mercedes provides an excellent warranty. The factory warranty ends at 50,000 miles; after that, the pre-owned warranty kicks in. It is limited, so if you break your cup holder, you’re going to be paying $100 to get it fixed. If anything happens that will interfere with safety or prevent the car from operating properly, though, it’s covered. For the most part, this warranty ends at 100,000 miles or after 12 months. You can extend this for a fee if you wish. The pre-owned warranty has literally saved me thousands of dollars (and cost me zero). It can be used at any authorized Mercedes dealership or service shop, too. I’m not certain your car will be covered by this warranty if you opt to buy from a private or third party, so you may want to double check with MB: 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES.

The markup for certified used vehicles is often significant, so I suggest utilizing KBB and Edmunds (and whatever else you prefer) to prepare yourself to haggle for a decent price.

With the purchase of a Mercedes (new or pre-owned from an authorized MB dealership) comes a lifetime of roadside assistance. I’ve never had to use it, and I hope I never do.

Exterior
Aesthetically, the C230 Kompressor is sporty and attractive. It’s a hatchback with a short bum and a long snout, which is supposed to be reminiscent of vintage roadsters. Yes, yes, this car does have the three-point Mercedes hood ornament. It lies flat - It’s not the stand-up kind like on Mrs. Doubtfire. Good. The less I have to worry about some punk ripping off my hood ornament, the better.

My C230K sports a nifty panoramic sunroof. The roof is optional, but I’ve never seen a Sport Coupe without one. It’s initially very attractive; the front seats and back seats seem to each have their own sunroofs. In my model year, the shade that covers the sunroof is motorized. I’m pretty sure angels sang and sunbeams broke through the clouds when my salesperson demonstrated it for me. The sunroof opens only over the front seats, but the opening is still huge. I could never open it all the way because it would make that “thudthudthudthud” sound – like when you’re going too fast and too many windows are open.

Interior
While the car looks somewhat small on the outside, it feels big on the inside. It can seat four, although only two will be comfortable. The driver and passenger seats are fabulous and huge! I recently rode in a friend’s 2001 VW Jetta, and the seats felt tiny - fit for dolls - compared to the seats in my car. I have manual seat adjusters, but the electronic version was also available in some model years. Seats slide forward/backward, plus the seat height, lumbar angle and knee angle are all adjustable.

For an easy exit from the back seat, simply lift a handle near the head rest on either of the front seats. The entire seat slides forward and comes up off the floor to minimize difficulty. However, I recently transported a middle-aged passenger who complained that getting out of the back seat is difficult because it seems so low (she survived, somehow). Honestly, the back seat will likely be cramped for anyone over 5’. I would never let my elderly grandmother ride back there - she’d encounter heaps of difficulty upon exit. Hauling a baby or booster seat in and out of the back seat would also be a huge pain, especially since this car only has two doors! This isn’t a problem for us; my family consists of myself, my husband, and two dogs.

The C230K is equipped with a telescoping tilt steering wheel. I’m 5ַ”, and oftentimes I have difficulty getting comfortable in automobile seats. I dislike cars with seats like the Camaro/Firebird/TransAm – they make me feel like I’m driving a bathtub. Thanks, but I don’t want to sit lower than the engine. My “Stella” isn’t like that, though. Since I can crank the seats in and up plus pull out the wheel, I can get myself into the perfect driving position – I’m even able to rest my left foot on the brace plate! I never have to feel like I can barely peek over the wheel. My husband is about 6 feet tall, and he is also able to move the seat and wheel into a comfortable driving position. It is suitable for people of any height so long as they are in either the driver or passenger seats and not in the rear seat!

This smallish transporter has a fairly large cargo area. A sturdy cover attaches to and rises with the hatch. It’s convenient in that it hides anything you may have in the trunk. If you need extra space, the cover detaches and the back seats can lay flat. Flattening the seats and removing the cover only takes about 30 seconds! With the seats in place, the “trunk” area has enough space for groceries, a suitcase, big bags of dog food, etc. With the seats down, the entire car is basically yours to do with what you wish. On a recent trip, I hauled two small/medium dog crates (plus two dogs), a few rotors, a suitcase, a few tote bags, a large plastic tub of dog food, my husband’s sea bag, and two car tires. On other occasions I’ve toted a 6’ rug, televisions, golf bags, computers, etc. My husband’s bicycle even fits!

The interior of my car is a shade called Oyster, which was invented by Mercedes scientists as a way to sell more upholstery cleaner. Oyster is basically the color of sugar sand from the Gulf of Mexico (or of an Oyster, if you will). Since my seats are cloth, I protect the ultra-light shade with inexpensive seat covers. If you wish, you can also order custom-fitted seat covers from MB, but they’re rather pricey - about $75 per cover depending on the material vs. the $15 per cover I paid at AutoZone. It does take a bit of effort to get generic seat covers onto the large seats, but it’s possible. Leather seats were also available for this model. If you hate your cloth seats, Mercedes will be happy to replace them with leather seats for a few thousand dollars. At any rate, I suggest avoiding the Oyster cloth interior unless you wear only white clothing and never get dirty.

The cup holder with which this car is outfitted is infamous. It’s very Rube Goldberg-esque. Press a button, and the holder rises, flips over, and opens. Apparently it breaks easily. Once opened, there’s room for one cup in the high side and one cup in the hole the high side rose out of. The high side also has a grippy arm to keep the cup from sliding. It’s sturdier, albeit a bit more boring, on the later models. When you’re no longer in need of a place to hold a beverage, the holder collapses, folds back into its hole, and can be concealed with a little sliding panel. Also under the sliding panel are a few change slots and a lighter/power outlet.

An ashtray/sunglass holder lies under a spring-loaded lid at the bottom of the center console. I’ve also got a cool little cubby right under my radio display screen (because my CD changer is not in-dash) that I use to hold my ipod.

The dash and door interiors seem to be made out of a thick, quality plastic. It isn’t the thin, cheapy-feeling Barbie shoe plastic that is used in many cars these days.

And get this… the glove compartment and armrest compartments are air conditioned! Two buttons are situated on the front of the armrest; one opens a large plain plastic space, and the other opens a small, velvet-lined space. If you’re driving and you need to store your candy bar, no worries! It won’t melt! The car is also designed to stay cool for a few minutes once the engine has been turned off.

Controls
Maybe it’s the cheapest Mercedes on Earth, but it’s still a Mercedes, and it comes with good stuff. Cruise control, Electronic Stability Protection, remote keyless entry, power locks, and anti-lock brakes are standard.

I still cannot believe that air conditioning and power windows are still options on some new cars! Not here. With the C230K, handy things like dual climate control are standard issue, too. The climate control meters range from 64 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The driver and passenger each have their own dials. Select the temperature you want and hit the “Auto” button; the system will roar into action to get the car to your desired temperature as soon as possible. I tend to keep my car on “Auto” with my dial set at 72. The air conditioner is fabulous and it actually makes my face so cold it hurts. The back seat features its own set of vents that can be adjusted. My dogs seem to appreciate that.

My only complaint is that the air conditioner is occasionally LOUD. It used to really bother me when I first bought the car, but I’m used to it by now. I’m asking a 100 degree car to get to 64 degrees in a matter of minutes – what should I expect? It quiets down once it gets to the designated temperature.

The controls and instrument cluster are rimmed in a matte silvery material, which looks sleek without being flashy. The gauges and meters are an orangey amber color after dark. On newer models, they're a silvery color. I prefer the silver, but oh well. Orange doesn't seem to be harming me.

I’ve heard a lot about the stereo knobs and buttons being complicated, but they aren’t. While not exactly arranged intuitively, a quick glance in the manual will tell you all you need to know.

My C230K has an in-dash cassette player that’s hidden until the “cassette” button is pressed. After that, a motorized door will open. I haven’t listened to a cassette since 1995, so I never use this feature. I’ve got a 6-CD changer in the glove compartment, which is super. Some models have no cassette player and only a single in-dash CD slot. I’ve also got a built-in weather radio! Since I live in the Land-o-Hurricanes, it’s a handy feature.

The rearview mirror automatically dims itself when needed. What’s more, it houses several buttons which can be programmed to open your garage door. Side view mirrors adjust electronically via a 4-directional button to the left of the steering wheel.

The headlights come on automatically, but they can be operated manually if you prefer. Windshield wipers are the rain-sensing type, but they must be turned on in order to sense the rain. You can leave them on forever if you really want to. They won’t move unless water comes in contact with the windshield, but I only turn mine on when it rains. They adjust their speed accordingly. Sometimes the wipers move a bit too fast in relation to the rainfall, but it would be worse if they went too slowly.

The window controls are located somewhat low on each door. People complain about this, but I don’t find the location of the buttons to be uncomfortable at all. These are the “one click” type windows, too. Just tap the button once and the window will go all the way up or all the way down. Additionally, the windows won’t go up all the way if an object – like a child’s finger – is in the way. This system seems fairly sensitive; some of my hair was in the track recently, and sensor actually refused to raise the window. I wouldn’t rely on this safeguard 100%, but it’s sort of nice to have.

In the 2002 model, the FM and AM antennas are embedded into the rear window and rear bumper. The later (2004-2005; perhaps 2003 as well) models have a little nub of an antenna attached to the top of the rear window. I like the no antenna look. Nothing ruins a smooth car like a gigantic metal antenna jutting into the air.

Most C230 Kompressor Sport Coupes are Tele-Aid capable. Tele-Aid is somewhat like OnStar: you pay a yearly fee ($240 ) and you can call the company should you need assistance. The Tele-Aid buttons are all present in my car, but I do not subscribe to the service. I don’t really see the need. In case you’re curious, the words “NO PHONE” come up on my screen when I test the buttons.

One of my favorite things about the C230 Kompressor is the “computer” screen! Located under of the speedometer arch, it enables me to change the radio station, CD track, and volume using the steering wheel. It also lets me know what kind of gas mileage I’m getting (I suggest doing the calculations yourself for the most accurate numbers, though), the average speed, number of miles driven in a day, when an oil change is needed, when my brake pads are getting thin, when a light bulb needs to be replaced, how many miles I can go before I’ll need service, what type of service the car wants, and what its malfunctions are. It also checks the engine oil. I adore this feature. I would likely be unaware should one of my headlights or brake lights decided to burn out… until I had a police officer writing me a ticket for it. I feel safe and secure in this car, because I know it’ll alert me when something is wrong so I can get it taken care of as soon as possible.

The Fun Part
The C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe is a dream to drive. I’ve got the 5-speed automatic tiptronic, but you can get a 6-speed manual, too. The engine is a 2.3 litre I-4. The “Kompressor” is a belt-driven supercharger (it’s my favorite). Horsepower of 193 makes the C230 Sport Coupe seriously fun. It weighs in at approximately 3344 lbs and has 200lb-ft of torque. According to Mercedes, my little friend goes from 0-60 MPH in 7.5 seconds. Some say that’s a conservative figure.

I do pass whomever I want, and I often leave people in my dust. I’m no leadfoot, though; I take seriously the fact that the people in other cars are loved by their families, and I wish them no harm. Safety is a top priority of mine. Unfortunately, it seems the majority of drivers in the US don’t share my courtesy! Thankfully, the zoominess of my beloved C230K has saved me from those drivers many, many times.

Anyhow, this car is fast. Fast like a Corvette? Eh, no. Would an M3 smoke it in a race? Yeah. But the C230K is faster and more powerful than the majority of cars on the average road in Middle America. It has enough power to be completely thrilling without the high insurance premiums. I have more than enough fun with 193 horsepower; I don’t need 200 ponies to make me smile. The ride and handling are also much better than that of a strictly “built for speed” car.

My husband’s former supervisor once allowed us to borrow his new Porsche Boxster S in exchange for running an errand. While the Boxster was fun, the steering was not my taste. It was hard and not at all agile. I was reminded of the time I tried to drive my dad’s 1965 Mustang without power steering. I had to double check and make sure the emblems said “Porsche” and not “John Deere.” A fast car will not fill me with glee unless it handles superbly and comfortably. The Porsche didn’t excite me much compared to my own car for that very reason.

Several days ago, my husband commented on how our C230K seems to be comfortable for road trips and everyday driving plus a whole lot of fun when we need to go fast or make “maneuvers.” He’s right.

The construction definitely feels solid. Before buying this car, I test drove a Honda Accord EX and was absolutely horrified at how it got “woggly” and needed to be actively steered at speeds above 70 MPH. European cars are not like that, and that’s important to me. When I go over 70 MPH in my car, I don’t need to steer 1950’s style to keep it from getting weavy. I hold the wheel, and that’s about it. It’s great. Solid. Nothing rattles or jiggles. I feel like the car is firmly planted on the roadway. It’s almost as if it has its own personality.

RPMs hold around 2400 at 65 MPH.

Traveling at highway speeds somehow seems even smoother than driving around town. One could easily be going over 100 MPH and it could feel like 40 or 50.

Handling is amazing. My husband and I frequently joke that if we ever have to buy an SUV, we’re going to be flipped over in a ditch the first time we have to turn. We definitely do things we wouldn’t be able to do in a more sluggish, less nimble vehicle. I frequently need to pull out into heavy traffic and get up to highway speeds quickly. With my C230K, it’s a non-issue.

Swift maneuvers can be made with very little body sway. I have to dodge odd things in the road – building materials, palm branches, people leaving the FloraBama Lounge, etc. - more often than you’d think. Again, it’s never a problem with this car. I can make u-turns anywhere. I’m not kidding; I don’t need extra space or anything. I can practically park anywhere I feel like parking.

The C230K Sport Coupe is rear wheel drive, which facilitates the easy parking and u-turning. All of my previous cars have been front wheel drive, but I like RWD so much better.

The engine is pretty loud. It sounds mean, and I like it. A neighbor once asked me if it was a diesel, but it isn’t. It does sound like a quiet diesel engine, though. I can’t really hear the engine inside of the cabin unless I am roaring along and about to overtake another vehicle or when my husband downshifts to pass people, though.

I don’t use the tiptronic shifter often, but my husband does. I am surprised at how much more potential power comes with the use of the tiptronic. I now see the joy downshifting while passing someone brings. If you get bored of the tiptronic, just stop shifting and the automatic will take over.

The automatic transmission is satisfactory. I never have to floor it, hoping the darn thing will shift and speed up like I have had to in other cars. The only downside is in cold weather, first and second gears seem really grumbly and do not like to actually more for about ten minutes after I start the engine.

There are two driving modes in the 2002 model: S for Standard and W for Winter/Wet. Later model year C230 Kompressor Sport Coupes and Sedans have C for Comfort and S for Sport. Fairly self-explanatory yet confusing, eh? Standard is the mode used for everyday driving. Winter/Wet keeps the car in a lower gear ratio to decrease skidding and loss of traction in wet or icy conditions. Winter/Wet works ok, but I still spin out regularly in wet conditions – mostly when I stop at a red light and then have to go when it turns green. I’ve never driven my car in icy conditions, so I can’t provide any info there. To change modes, simply press a button next to the gear shifter.

As for the later models, Comfort mode replaces Standard mode. Sport mode is made for more aggressive driving, and the ride is supposedly stiffer. I’ve driven many new C230 loaners (in sedan form), and I’ve never been able to tell much of a difference between Comfort and Sport.

The suspension in the 2002 C230K is supposedly tight, but I’ve never noticed a rough or horribly bumpy ride. It’s not too hard, but it’s not too bouncy. For me, it’s ideal.

Safety & Security
More people died on the Titanic than lived in the town where I grew up. I’m completely serious. As a result, I never had any early driving experiences aside from a sparsely-traveled two-lane road. When I moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in my early twenties, I was terrified. They actually had traffic - and scary traffic at that! Obviously, the plethora of safety features in the C230K influenced me. I am happy to report that I am now a confident (and awesome) driver. ;)

The C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe has heaps of airbags: Driver/passenger front airbags, driver/passenger side airbags, driver/passenger curtain airbags, rear seat side airbags, and rear seat curtain airbags. When no one is sitting in the passenger seat, the passenger airbags turn themselves off. Mercedes consistently scores four and five stars on crash test ratings. That’s what I’d expect; this brand was originally designed for the Autobahn, after all.

I got a new instrument cluster about eight months ago. Once it was installed, my seats began bleeping louding when something weighing more than a few pounds was in them and not buckled up. I think everyone should wear seatbelts and if they have to be annoyed into it, so be it. This feature makes me laugh, though. I often have to buckle up things I’m carrying with me (I don’t like to set them on the floor for fear of spillage; then things get lost under the seat and melt) to keep the beeping from making me crazy. I can’t help but chuckle when I see my purse buckled into the seat.

My particular car is equipped with Electronic Brake Assist, which basically helps you stop much faster in urgent braking situations. It works well! Apparently the car can come to a complete stop in just a matter of feet. My salesperson demonstrated this, and it’s really true. It’s sort of painful because the stop is really jarring, but it does work.

I also have Electronic Stability Protection. It seems helpful. It activates itself more when my husband is driving. The little exlamation mark on the dash will flash when I pull out of my office parking lot sometimes; there's a somewhat low spot that gets filled with bits of gravel, and it marrs my traction.

Oh, and the key! It’s actually not a key at all; it is a plastic stick with a laser in it. You insert the plastic key into its designated slot, the car reads the laser “fingerprint”, and off you go! It fascinates me. If anyone were to ever insert the wrong key into the ignition, the car would shut itself down completely and require the assistance of MB techs to become drive-able again. The “key” also has several buttons on it: unlock, open hatch, and panic. The battery in this key does occasionally need to be replaced, and it costs about $15. Wait! If the battery dies, you won’t be able to unlock your car! Well, they thought of that. A metal key that can be used to unlock the door is housed inside of the plastic. Rumor has it a new key costs $500 (I can’t confirm that, though), so don’t lose yours!

Another frequently-complained-about aspect of the C230K are rear blind spots. I don't think they're as bad as people say. A small "glasstic" (is it glass? it is plastic?) window in under the flared part of the hatch helps with visibility. I do admit I'm quite fanatical about positioning my seat and mirrors where I can see everything. I double and triple check when changing lanes and backing up.

Fuel Economy
Fuel Economy hovers right around 28 mpg. When I lived in the city and spent two hours each day in horrendous stop-and-go traffic (go three inches, then stop, etc), the car would get about 4-14 mpg. Ick. That’s uncommon now, though. I get between 26 and 28 mpg zipping around town, and I get between 28 and 32 mpg cruising at a constant speed on the interstate. The C230 Kompressor wants only premium fuel with a minimum octane rating of 91. Most gas stations around here have 87, 89, and 93, so my car gets the 93. Sometimes I pine for regular unleaded.

I notice that I get much better gas mileage when I don’t use my air conditioner. I live in Florida and I can’t really help that, though! Seriously, though, the driver has so much impact on the gas mileage. I get much better mileage than my husband does; he steps on the accelerator too hard. ;)

Maintenance & Repair
The 2002 model will alternate requests for “Service A” and “Service B” roughly every 7,500 – 10,000 miles. These services involve oil changes, tire rotation, fluid refills, etc. They both run close to $300 at a Mercedes-Benz service shop, too! Ouch. The oil changes and tire rotations can be done by anyone who knows what they’re doing, but unless you live in a major metropolis, you may have trouble finding someone who has a computer capable of telling the car’s computer than it did, indeed, receive the service. When the car doesn’t get service when it wants it (or the computer isn’t reset after service), it’ll beep loudly every time you insert or remove the key to remind you there’s a problem. It will also brattily display the world “MALFUNCTION” on the screen.

I’ve tried to save a bit of money here and there by having brakes and whatnot done elsewhere, but I really don’t recommend it if you’re driving a European car. The labor at an MB shop is insane – $95 per hour – but most do guarantee their work for up to 6 months, use factory MB parts, and the customer service is usually wonderful. In order to save a few hundred dollars, I had my brakes done at a well-known chain, and they botched the job. It was a huge hassle having to get my money back from that company and then having my brakes re-done properly. I was wishing I had just paid the extra money at Mercedes! It would have saved me a lot of time and stress. Alas, my car goes to the MB shop for almost all service.

As far as tires go, though, I have my work done at a local shop. I’m not paying $100 for a tire rotation & balance when I can get it done for $30. Also, there is no reason to buy your tires from MB! You’ll just be paying more for the same tire brands you can get anywhere. Truly, I think you can get Pirellis for less money than you’d pay for Michelins at an MB dealership. I suggest V or Z rated tires for this car (check your manual for specifics). My car came with Michelin touring tires, but I replaced them with Hankooks when those wore out. The Hankooks I have are v-rated “performance” tires, and they grip the road much better. I notice that I don’t get the back-end drift I did with the touring tires when I’d make swift turns.

Remember when I mentioned the warranty above? A list of car catastrophes follows:
- 2005: Suspension was squeaky. Mercedes replaced parts. Cost to me: $0.
- 2005: Check Engine light came on. Fixed by Mercedes. Cost to me: $0.
- 2006: Car started making tractor sounds. Catalytic converter? Nope. Mercedes re-sealed cams. Car is all better. Cost: $0.
- 2006: Air conditioner started blowing hot air. Mercedes replaced evaporator and recharged air conditioning system. Cost: $0
- 2006: Glove compartment light wouldn’t go off. MB replaced a sensor. I think I had to pay $40.
- 2006: During a routine service appointment, my Service Advisor noticed some dead pixels in my computer screen. I was aware of them, but I figured it would be thousands of dollars to replace the panel. Not so! My SA informed me that my warranty covered dimmed lights and dead pixels in the instrument cluster. He ordered me a brand new beautiful cluster. Bill: roughly $800. Cost to me? $0. My car was in the shop for over a week, but they provided me with a free loaner and all was well.

- 2006: Lightbulbs began burning out frighteningly quickly. First a brake light would go, then a headlight would go. Replaced bulbs; new bulbs burned out in a day. Yikes. Took the car to Mercedes. They refunded my money for the bulbs ($16), re-wired head and taillights, etc. Car was fine for a few weeks, then my computer kept alerting me that my front left turn signal was burnt out. The signal was working, but it was blinking very rapidly. For some reason, this only happened sporadically. The car was in and out of the shop. They re-did more wiring, but it still kept happening. My booger of a car wouldn’t misbehave when the technicians drove it, either. They even went so far as to keep it for a week and couldn’t get the notification to come up. To this day, the alert will come up and warn me that my turn signal is dying. A few hours later, everything will be fine. My warranty is now up, so I’ve stopped taking it to the shop for this. I don’t know what the deal is.

My Service Advisor informed me that bulbs in Mercedes cars tend to burn out quickly. He said not to be alarmed if I found myself replacing bulbs up to twice per year. I haven’t had to replace bulbs that frequently (aside from the rogue bulbs mentioned above).

- 2006: Sunroof motor died... while sunroof was wide open. Warranty would cover the majority of necessary repairs, but I would have had to pay an additional $2200. Yeeeow. A sunroof is a fun toy, but it is not essential to the operation of the car! Mercedes forced the roof shut and deactivated the sunroof motor for free. I don’t plan on repairing it.

Thank goodness I had that warranty, otherwise I’d be a lot poorer. The only money I’ve spent on repairs in the $40 mentioned above. Routine maintenance runs around $300 per year. I recently replaced all of my rotors and brake pads, and that was $560. For a brief time, I admit I hated this car. It seemed like so many things went wrong at once. It was frustrating, even though I didn’t have to pay for the majority of the repairs. I thought about getting rid of it and buying a sensible Japanese car. These days, though, I genuinely love it. Its health seems to be a lot better now that I no longer subject it to that horrid stop-and-go driving.

Oddly enough, the car has taught me a lot. I used to think mechanized, heated seats and lots of electric gadgets of that sort were just the cat’s pajamas. Now I simply realize they’re just extra things that can break, and I plan to avoid them on future car purchases.

Miscellaneous:
I got a lovely surprise the first time I opened my hood: it has hydraulics and stands up by itself. I was so impressed! Obviously, my last car hood had to be propped up with a stick.

When I bought my car, it came with a maintenance log. I got all of its repair and maintenance history. If the log is in the car, the MB techs will put an entry in it each time the car is in the shop.

I do refill the windshield washer fluid on a frequent basis. All of my previous cars held a few ounces of fluid. This monster holds over a gallon! It’s convenient for me, as I use the washer quite often.

A first aid kit comes with the car. I checked it once and it was filled with new band-aids, gauze, solutions, and whatnot.

The owner’s manual leaves a lot to be desired. The information is great, but the organization is awful. I think it was alphabetized when it was in German, but it wasn’t re-alphabetized when it was translated to English. Things are in funny order, and it’s hard to find what you want.

The tire jack is a little scary. My husband couldn’t figure out how to use it. He claims it isn’t a “normal” jack. Some of the instructions were in German. At any rate, my spare tire is a deflated “donut” tire; apparently you’re supposed to call MB Roadside Assistance and they will inflate your donut and change the tire for you. Nice, but… how long does it take them to get there? It would be super if Mercedes could include a full-size spare like VW does.

Conclusion
If you have your heart set on a new C230 Kompressor, you’ll have to settle for the sedan, which isn’t bad. It isn’t as quick and nimble, but it’s still fun. If it doesn’t say Kompressor on the back, you don’t want it. I don’t recommend the plain C230 to anyone other than my grampa. It’s a heavier car than the coupe, and without the supercharger, the power is inadequate.

If you like the Sport Coupe body style but want more than 193 horsepower, get the C320. I believe it boasts 215 horses, and it’s a lot of fun. I looked at it, but insurance costs were significantly higher.

Yeah, my C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe and I have had some troubles. Still, the problems I’ve experienced don’t prevent me from recommending this car. Do realize that you can only buy this used and repairs can be exorbitantly expensive. For me, the positives outweigh the negatives (until I have to pay a ton to repair something vital; then maybe I’ll change my tune). The car is attractive and fun. The handling is supreme. It’s also a safe car, which has saved me a lot of money on insurance. The C230 Kompressor appeals to both genders, and it truly is perfect for young professionals whether they’re single or part of a couple. This particular automobile is well-suited for my husband and I at this stage of our lives. I doubt I’ll buy another Mercedes, but I certainly hope that this car lasts at least another 6-10 years.




Amount Paid (US$): 17,000 ish
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe - see review