C200K - your opinions

[ScORTED]

I had been meaning to pop on here and query other members opinions, I've recently had a few long drives in a '03 C200k I was expecting a comfortable drive and a bit of pep. Perhaps it’s because my MB experiences mainly encompass E classes with decent engines but I found it pitifully slow. The kick down was rubbish and the driving feel was non existent. I know it’s a cruiser rather than a sports car but by god the wallowing handling and body roll nearly had me off on a tight roundabout. On reflection it was quiet and collected on the motorway cruising at 70-80, but so is any other similar car I can think of. I must add that I’ve driven / owned some lowly underpowered machinery in my time but I was really unimpressed with said car. My mother has recently bought an slk but as it has the same engine I have no interest in having a drive as I know I will find it disappointing.

Any thoughts?

 

[grpar]

You need "thoughts" because .... ? Sounds like your mind is pretty much made up.

 

[ScORTED]

no i was just wondering what other people thought of them, i'm sure some members on here will have driven if not owned them.
There must be things i didn't consider?

 

[dave.robbo]

My mother has recently bought an slk but as it has the same engine I have no interest in having a drive as I know I will find it disappointing. .Any thoughts?

You need "thoughts" because .... ? Sounds like your mind is pretty much made up.

Hmmm... I could think a lot of things, but as mentioned above.. You've already made your mind up...

 

[Boz]

I have an 06 TVR Sagaris, an 06 Vectra VXR and a 96 C180 elegance which I picked up as a runaround a few weeks back.

I can honestly say that although I found the body roll a little odd to start with, she is a grand old lady that exceeds the cruising ability of either of the other two cars as she is so comfortable I simply adjust my driving style to suit therefore ending the problem.
Could I be so rude as to presume your expectations were a tad off key?
Would you expect to jump out of a Renault Magnum lorry and into a smart car expecting the interior to be of the same standard, the same ride quality etc?
Another example would be that I had the VXR serviced recently and they gave me a 1.8SRI as a courtesy car, same chassis, same car just different engine and spec which I thought was rubbish but adjusted my driving style and learned to like it.

 

[jberks]

Body roll depends on the model. I'd guess it was an elegance in which case, yes it rolls. The ag/sport doesn't though.
Power wise, very much depends on what you're used to. The 200k is a fine little motor but it needs to be worked as it's carrying a lot more weight and an auto box over the competition. Ok, it's no rocket - but they made and 3.2 and some amgs for that.

Yes there are equivalent cars that are also fairly quiet cruisers but try once they have a few miles on them the differences start to show. The 200 will still be a solid quiet cruiser, just as the day it was delivered, whilst the 'equivalent' cars resort to being more tired, noisy and sloppy.

I went out in a mondeo a few months back and had thought the same but perfectly acceptable as it was, in terms of comfort, solidity and all round 'quality' feel, a C class was way ahead.

Comfort wise I find the C a bit small in the seat and not as nice as I'd like but I am used to the E so it's only to be expected. I'd still happily own and drive a 200k if that was my price range (as it may be if this damn gov't continue much longer!)..