I had a 97 c230 for a little bit. It's the same motor as the 99 c230, just has a supercharger and more power. A family member had a kompressor for about 4 years and it was a good car. Never anything nasty going on with the superchargers, they're pretty reliable. Ride quality and comfort will definitely be a lot less than your e300 for sure. It's a good 4 cylinder motor and my C230 peaked at 39.5mpg on highway at 70mph. Both cars had to have the timing chain tensioners replaced, they idled like diesels at idle both about 150k. They rust in the same places as a w210, rockers, quarter panel arches and doors and just about everywhere else possible.. Especially the trunk lock cylinder hole

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k