* Server response code: 500 We've had a minor breakdown.






We've had a minor breakdown.
The page you were looking for didn't load. Try refreshing the page, or check out our Site Map.







Mercedes-Benz C230 vs. Saab 9-3 - READ ONLY

19 messages,  Last post on Apr 14, 2003 at 6:35 AM

You are in the Hatchbacks - Archived Discussions Forum.

This discussion is ARCHIVED. To reactivate the discussion, post a request in the Lost? Ask the Hatchbacks Host for directions! discussion.

What is this discussion about? Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Saab 9-3, Hatchback

Messages Page 2 of 2

#10 of 19 Saab reliabilty by vigorous

Apr 16, 2002 (5:08 pm)

I disagree with the poster who says the
900 and the 9-3 are the same car and
unreliable.

I have a 9-3. Best car I ever owned. And the
UK Consumers Association ranked the two-year
old 9-3 (1999) most reliable tied with three others, none of which was a Mercedes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1470000/1470045.stm

The people who have compared the two in the
Saabnet board consider the Merc dull. A very nice car and all but dull and not as utilitarian as the Saab.

Sure, the 9-3 is going to be a totally new car in 2002 but the 1998-2001's are still great cars; a real bargain when the real price is known.

#11 of 19 Beg to differ by huntzinger

Apr 17, 2002 (6:44 am)

I disagree with the poster who says the 900 and the 9-3 are the same car and unreliable.
 
Half of my 900's problems were in the manual transmission. If this gearbox was changed between the 900 and 9-3, please state what production year this happened and what the specifics were.
 
And FWIW, attitude in the dealership's service department is model independent.
 
I have a 9-3. Best car I ever owned.
  
I was happy for the first 3-4 years, too. Then my opinion changed. How old is your 9-3?
 
And the UK Consumers Association ranked the two-year old 9-3 (1999) most reliable tied with three others...
 
Be very, very careful when quoting statistics.
 
For example, in the URL you provided, CR received nearly 34,000 surveys that canvassed 81 vehicles. If each vehicle was equally represented, that's only 419 surveys per automobile. Given the price range, the odds are very high that the more expensive than average 9-3 would have had fewer respondents. Nevertheless, zero failures out of sample of 419 yields a Reliability of ~99.4% at a 90% Confidence (MTBF = ~181). This is not really all that far removed from the next few groups on the upper end of the list... not enough for a well-informed person to get strongly worked up about.
 
And given that the need or severity of the repair is not provided in this report, we proverbially don't know if the repair was for a broken sun visor or a blown engine, so a bit more information is needed before we draw any really definitive conclusions as to the value of this data source.
 
The people who have compared the two in the Saabnet board consider the Merc dull.
 
Who? I did several keyword searches on the Saabnet board in every single group and didn't find many references to the C230 at all, let alone ones that called the car "dull". Can you please post your citations (or at least clarify that this is your personal opinion only)?
 
In any event, please explain why I should be particularly concerned about some "popularity contest" on vehicle looks... after all, if I was that shallow, I would have never bought my Saab!
 
A very nice car and all but dull and not as utilitarian as the Saab.
 
Yes, I already miss the size of my Saab's hatch/trunk. But I don't miss how the Saab's large slabby sides would push me around in crosswinds, particularly when crossing bridges. I've also found that the C230 with the optional 17" wheels has a higher amount of road feel than my Saab did, even with my summer 16" high performance SP9000's on the Saab. I've found the HVAC of the MB to be superior, and I dislike some elements of the electronics dashboards on both of them. Having now owned & driven both, each has its strengths ... and weaknesses. There is no such thing as a free lunch, ever.
 
Sure, the 9-3 is going to be a totally new car in 2002 but the 1998-2001's are still great cars; a real bargain when the real price is known.
 
I'm sorry, but most people's idea of "price" is extremely short-sighted: they look at initial purchase price and MAYBE insurance costs.
 
A vehicle's real price is the sum of all costs across its entire lifecycle. This means all fuel, all oil changes, all repairs and what the car's eventual trade-in price is, in addition to original purchase cost.
 
In my circumstance, the current Saab $5K incentive wouldn't even have paid for the repair bills I had on my Saab before it hit 50K miles.
 
And the current GALVES price guide listings for Saab are downright miserable. Saabs simply do not hold their value well at all: they are consistently inferior to MB, Audi and BMW (and probably several others that I didn't actually plot data on).
 
-hh

#12 of 19 Different cars, different drivers. by stupideagles

Apr 25, 2002 (8:27 pm)

huntzinger:
 
"Curious: how do you "demographically profile" a former Saab owner who buys something else the next time out?"
 
I was talking about typical Mercedes/BMW/Saab drivers. When Saab drivers switche to BMW, they probably be more aggressive....

#13 of 19 C230 vs 9-3 by rockribbed

Jul 22, 2002 (6:54 pm)

I am the happy owner of a C230 and just inherited' my daughters 2002 9-3 (she's in nyc for school - not a good place for a car) and have driven them back-to-back.
 
The 9-3 is definitely a SEDAN and the mb is a SPORT coupe. Not to say one is better than the other, just different (in the SAAB's case quirky springs to mind). The turbo four with similar HP to the mb feels sedate at similar speeds. My coupe feels like a go kart with good ac and radio, the saab feels like a sedan. The saab definitely has the edge in the trunk space, my coupe won't hold a set of golf clubs w/o folding down the seat. MPG is simular for both.
 
Despite SAAB's claim to the sports sedan moniker, there is just no comparison. The SAAB is a sedate sedan, the MB is a sporty coupe.
 
BTW, you should hear me cuss when I change from one to the other: the controls couldn't be more different!

#14 of 19 Controls... by huntzinger

Jul 23, 2002 (7:42 am)

BTW, you should hear me cuss when I change from one to the other: the controls couldn't be more different!
 
At least both require you to hold the ignition key in your right hand. Try going from either to a Porsche 911 (ignition's on the left side of the steering wheel).
 
And I can also recall some rental cars with right hand drive - - not only are you on the wrong side of the car and have to learn to shift with your left hand. At least the H pattern isn't flipped.
 
And the windshield wiper & turn signal stalks are often on the opposite sides. You come up to an intersection to turn left, and turn on your wipers instead! Been there, done that.
 
-hh

#15 of 19 reply to kennygogo by danncas

Apr 05, 2003 (2:45 pm)

I have a a Mercedes and I like it just fine. Its a Sedan. I would not even consider the entry level Coupe. I have however drove the Saab 9 3 Vector and this will be my next car.

#16 of 19 Thinkin by cjs2002

Apr 11, 2003 (6:57 pm)

I'm thinking about getting the newly introduced c 230 komprssor sedan "thing" , but I'm not shirr... I like it cause its a benz and its relativly in my price range... also looking at the CTS... but its a bit more (more standard feats though)... but I like the looks of the C 230 so I wanted to know.... if any one has the sedan or coupe version of this car and what their likes and dislikes are.... thankx

#17 of 19 2002 C230K Likes and Dislikes by scscars

Apr 12, 2003 (8:47 pm)

cjs2002: We've had our C230 Coupe for 10 months and it is a blast to drive. Clearly the most fun car that my wife and I have ever owned. It has had some first year glitches which include factory and dealer reprogramming of ESP (Stability Control) and Brake Assist software, some brake shoe replacement, and a defective glove box, but otherwise the car has been great.
 
Likes: Outstanding acceleration and torque, excellent stereo (the Bose unit is a must), Comfortable interior, reputation for durability and Mercedes-Benz standing behind its product, and the fantastic panorama sunroof.
Dislikes: Rear visibility (this is not a problem with the sedan), first-year glitches on US models, information center readouts take some getting used to, small tachometer, cassette standard instead of a CD player ($400 option).
 
We considered the Saab, but we did not think that it would have the long-term durability or resale value that Mercedes is known for.
 
Good luck with your decision and let us know how it comes out.

#18 of 19 2002 C230K Likes and Dislikes by huntzinger

Apr 14, 2003 (5:26 am)

cjs2002: I've had my C230K for ~13 months and it has been performing as expected.
 
Likes: tight handling with very good distance cruising comfort (had another 500 mile R/T last week). Enough power, good fuel economy, no squeaks. Excellent dealer service department.
 
Dislikes: cassette standard instead of a CD player ($800 option on the '02; less for the '03). Can only carry a limited quantity of 8ft long 2x4's and still close the hatch (max ~4).
 
FWIW, I'm a former Saab owner. When it was but a year old, I would have also said I was satisfied with its mechanicals (its woes came later; click here for more). I suspect that it will be hard for the MB to be as mechanically unreliable as my Saab was...and I doubt that it will depreciate at the same rate: in the end, I was only able to sell the Saab for roughly half of what Blue Book and Edmunds claimed it should have been worth.
 
-hh

#19 of 19 2003 C230K Likes and Dislikes by bobeberhardt

Apr 14, 2003 (6:35 am)

Have had my 2003 C230K for 3 months and 2500 miles. My observations so far.
 
LIKES:
 
Great acceleration and power - even in the mountains
 
Excellent gas mileage - have gotten as much as 39.9 mpg on a 176 mile highway trip traveling at 71 mph, around town with mixed driving consistently get 31- 33 mpg.
 
Fun to drive, and given all the power, very quiet except for the panoramic sunroof (see below, dislikes).
 
DISLIKES:
 
Only one so far
 
When I took delivery of the car 3 months ago there was a rubber gasket squeak from the back edge of the panoramic sunroof that was almost constant as you drove down the road. Mercedes service addressed the problem indicating that they found something obvious and indicated that the repair should be permanent. Last weekend, the squeak reappeared and I will be taking it back in on Wednesday to have them look at it again. Any one else having this problem?

Messages Page 2 of 2

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement