I took delivery of my new C240 last Wednesay which I placed an order for it since March 25. Mine was the first one on the road in Vancouver, BC. So far, my experience with the car is very positive. The car is remarkably quiet; in particular, wind noise is almost absent. In addition, the engine is very smooth and quiet. The power of the engine is adequate if not very powerful. The ride is good too. When the car went through rough tarmac and potholes, noise from the suspension can be heard, but I barely felt the jolt and thump.

The only concern I have is the driver side door. This morning when I closed the door, I heard a rattle came somewhere from the door as it shut. Hmm? It sounded like the rattle came from the side view mirror. Also, I think the quality of the handles on the door panels could be better. Other than that, there is nothing to complain about the car.

I think I have made the right decision in buying the new C-Class as my first Mercedes. After driving my Mercedes, I don't think I can revert myself back to any other brands but Mercedes.

Johf
2001 C240 Classic
Desert Silver exterior
Java interior

Johf,

Congrat on your new car. I am sure you will enjoy it for years to come. Anyways, it would be great if you list out the detail equipments/options on your car??

I found that recent MB inside door handles are very badly constructed compare to earlier models, even W220 uses hard plastic door handles.....

P.S. When I see ya on the road, I will just wave.... Since yours is one of the first, it shouldn't be too hard to see a Desert Silver C coming...

Andy Kuo

------------------
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Pearl Grey/Black Leather
</UL>
ICQ#26950002
Mercedes Owners ICQ ActiveList ID#61730549
Mercedes S-Class Page
http://akry.web.com

johf,

is your C240 a stick shift? If yes, could you comment on the shift quality and clutch takeup?

Thanks,

The options that I placed included:
1.Glass sunroof,
2.Twin leather,
3.Mettalic paint and
4.CD changer

The funny thing is that the factory made a mistake by putting a rain sensor in as well. So, I ended up getting one free option.

My car came with an automatic transmission. I have not driven one with manual transmission. The shift quality of the automatic transmission is ok. Maybe the car is still new, I notice that the transmission sometimes doesn't shift smoothly when it is still cold. Before it is warmed up, I have to accelerate all the way to 2500 rpm to get it shift to a higher gear. But once the tranny is fully oiled up, the shifting is quite smooth like you would expect from a car like Mercedes.

I have not driven other Mercedes, but I think the new C-Class is still every bit like a Mercedes. It feels very solid when I drove it down the highway. But because the engine has yet to be broken in, the highest speed I ever went was only 90km/h or 55mph.

Also, with the three valves technology, I notice that the engine warms up pretty quickly from a cold start.

I would award the car as follows:

Engineering and design: 5 stars
Performance and brakes: 4 stars (excellent brake feel, but the engine lacks low end torque)
Ride and handling: 4 stars
Safety and equipment: 5 stars
Value for money: 4 stars

However, I wish Mercedes would use other tires than the Continental brand. The tires appears to emit a lot of road noise. But it the car is still remarkably quiet.

Johf
2001 C240 Classic
Desert Silver exterior
Java interior

THE HIGH RPM'S BEFORE SHIFTING IS NORMAL WHEN COLD THEY ENGINE WILL SHIFT AT HIGHER RPM'S WHEN COLD TO WARM THE ENGINE UP QUICKER. IT WILL ALSO TEND TO SHIFT HARDER WHEN COLD ALL IS STANDARD OPS. FOR AN AUTOMATIC MERCEDES.

The other thing I notice since yesterday is that as I shift from R (Reverse) to P (Park), I have to shift it quite hard and it emit this "clunk" noise from the rear. Would anyone know if this is normal? It has never happened before.

Thanks,
Johf

2001 C240 Classic

Assume you ALWAYS put on E-Brake, have the dealer check and/or re-tighten the e-brake. My car does that also whenever I didn't press e-brake in enough to lock the car in place, and the car moved a bit, and put stress on tranny.

As SLK320 has 6-speed, share some parts with C-Class, I assume it's the same one used in new C?? Anyways, SLK 6-speed is very smooth, and clutch is light and effortless. Shifter travel is short, and sweet, but not as crisp as on some of the Japanese cars(Integra Type-R for one). Overall, it's one manual tranny what won't tire you out in a traffic jam....at least not in a short traffic jam....

Enjoy your car!!!
Andy Kuo

------------------
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE
<LI>Pearl Grey/Black Leather
</UL>
ICQ#26950002
Mercedes Owners ICQ ActiveList ID#61730549
Mercedes S-Class Page
http://akry.web.com

Mine is a six speed, and in the Star some time back, they indicated that it was the same transmission for both cars. I drove and considered and SLK and the transmission/clutch package felt the same to me.

There have been some naysayers posting here that they read in car magazines that the Benz six speed is no good. I think the people who posted that either; have not driven one yet themselves, or the information is coming from someone with limited manual transmission experience. Also a quick run around the block will probably not get you fully accustomed to it. Because of the three gates, there are a few things you have to learn to manipulate it properly. Some stop and go traffic and a 145 mile drive home, and I think that I now have it down cold.

I think the reason you got the rain sensor is that it is part of the sunroof package, I know it's part of one of the stupid packages I had to buy. I needed a car now, and did not have time to order one. I ended up with $5,000 worth of accessories that I would not have ordered. Personally if I could order one, and the comand system were ready, which is another reason I did not wait, I would order the COMAND system and premium leather, that's all. Now that I've learned more about the Sport package, and driven my car some, I would not order the Sport package either.

For me, the terminal manual transmission maniac, the six speed is what makes this a sport sedan.

My daughter, who is 16 and drives a 300D, really thought of it as a sports car. She said it must be as fast as my Vette. I had to tell her that it's nowhere near as fast, but I'm sure it will not break EVERY time I drive it, which makes it totally unrelated to my Vette.

Have a great day,

------------------
Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, 523K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

johf,

I stand corrected about the comment in the previous post. The rain sensor is part of one of the other silly packages, You evidently got it as a free bonus. Maybe on the manifest somewhere it said "Automatik Drizzl Flipen"&lt;g&gt;.

Enjoy,

------------------
Larry Bible
'01 C Class, Six Speed
'84 Euro 240D, 523K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles