i have been checking out the newer c class with the manual 6 speed manual trans i am on the look out for a 01-04, C320 sedan or C32 AMG with the manual trans, do these cars exist or hard to find ?i really can''t find them around
thanks

C36 AMG ( auto )
190E 16v
190E 16v

for 01-04 the C32 is not available in manual transmission, and the C320 is available ( 2003 ) in manual form.
All this info is available at the www.mbusa web site. They have a section that list models going back some fifteen years.

Mercedes does make their own transmissions, and from what I have read the 2005 model year is the first time in a C-class the lever action of the six speed is good.

The drawback to the C32 engine is high fuel consumption and high center of gravity on the engine both caused by the superchargers. Mercedes is phasing out supercharging for turbocharging.

I know someone who has had a C240 returned under Lemon law, some of these cars are made in Brazil.

My C240 has been flawless, made in Germany. The interior is very airy and relaxing. The best part of the car is it's ability to cruise at high speed for a couple of hours at a time in great comfort

Some people (car magazine articles ) have said that they prefer the engine power delivery on the C240 better than the C320. This seems to be more acceleration performance as opposed to steady state high speed cruising.

In June 2000 I was in Germany and drove one of the very first C Class cars to hit the German dealers in the Stuttgart area. The engines are small in the Euro delivered cars, but it was a blast to drive.

I came home and told my wife that if they were to sell me one of these cars with a manual transmission in the US I would buy one. Soon after I got my Star magazine in which they announced the 6 speed manual would be sold in the US in the C240. I was one of the very first to buy one in the US and took delivery in very early October 2000.

The car was a FABULOUS driving car. Any complaints about the shifter or the clutch are baseless, made by people who have very little experience with a manual transmission. The car felt faster than it really was. I could get in the car and drive 7 hours and be very rested when getting out.

I can offer no negative criticism whatsoever about any of my behind the wheel experiences with the car. The negative criticism all has to do with electrical system failures. It had lots and lots of trips to the dealer. My brother in law and long time friend was my tech at the dealer so I know quite well about the massive amount of labor and parts that went into repairing this car during the 3 1/2 years that I owned it. One of the last trips to the dealer involved two days labor and many parts. Had the car not been under warranty I expect that it would have been at least a $4000 repair bill. Then a rear window riser failed. While on the way to the dealer to get the window riser replaced, the instrument cluster began flashing instrument cluster failure messages and all sorts of errors on the screen.

I had a chance to bail out and I did. It was a real shame because I really loved driving that car, but if I had kept it after warranties end, I was afraid that I would be looking at major unexpected expenses.

The C320's now have the six speed available and there are some around. If you get one, I hope that you have much better luck than I did.

BTW. I know that my car was built in Germany and I think that all the 203 cars that reach the US market are made in Germany.

Best of luck,