RE: You Know You Want To: Mercedes C32 AMG
Discussion
Otter's pocket said:
Fantastic car.
Ran one for a couple of years that had pages and pages of history and fastidious amounts of receipts had been featured in a Mercedes buyers guide.
Rust on the rear arches was an issue, as was the boot.
HOWEVER... as it had a full Merc service history they took care of this free of charge. I had all 4 arches treated (twice), an entire new boot, two new door skins and a front wing out of them on their non corrosion warranty. And they lentme a new c-class whilst doing the work. Car was becoming something of a "Trigger's broom".
As other's have said astonishingly quick, but only really in a straight line. Overly assisted steering detraced from an otherwise phenomenal car.
Spark plugs, when they need doing come to c. £500 so factor that in if they've not been done.
And look out for simple fixes to battery drain issues. Some of the electric seat switches go haywire but there are cheap and simple alternatives out there to the £800 Mercedes wanted for a new unit.
Also wiring looms for the headlights can be an issue but a good Merc Indy will know the upgrades. Nice if you find one thats had them done, c.£200 to get it sorted if you need to.
Never tired of the way it would pull fomr 50 to .... well clearly just 50-70. (cough cough)
Buy one. I still regret selling mine.
So, in short, these cars are unreliable, riddled with shoddy components, are very pricey to maintain, don't handle or steer well - and rust like a '70s Fiat.Ran one for a couple of years that had pages and pages of history and fastidious amounts of receipts had been featured in a Mercedes buyers guide.
Rust on the rear arches was an issue, as was the boot.
HOWEVER... as it had a full Merc service history they took care of this free of charge. I had all 4 arches treated (twice), an entire new boot, two new door skins and a front wing out of them on their non corrosion warranty. And they lentme a new c-class whilst doing the work. Car was becoming something of a "Trigger's broom".
As other's have said astonishingly quick, but only really in a straight line. Overly assisted steering detraced from an otherwise phenomenal car.
Spark plugs, when they need doing come to c. £500 so factor that in if they've not been done.
And look out for simple fixes to battery drain issues. Some of the electric seat switches go haywire but there are cheap and simple alternatives out there to the £800 Mercedes wanted for a new unit.
Also wiring looms for the headlights can be an issue but a good Merc Indy will know the upgrades. Nice if you find one thats had them done, c.£200 to get it sorted if you need to.
Never tired of the way it would pull fomr 50 to .... well clearly just 50-70. (cough cough)
Buy one. I still regret selling mine.
But you say it's a "fantastic car" - you are being sarcastic, right?
I actually own one of these at the moment.
For me it was simple, i had acquired a screaming infant daughter who came with an enormous pile of crap that needed to be moved from place to place, i owned an track focused PY e46 m3 which needed to go due to boot space pram incompatibility issues.
I considered Audi's to be for bumbders and BMW dont make an m3 touring (more is the pity) I didn't want to tie up 25k in a fast depreciating m5 touring and i didn't want to look like a chav in some jap turbo box, ergo i got a c32.
My experience has been pretty much fault free, the occupancy sensor failed in the passenger seat though this was easily remedied by soldering in a bypass unit from some dodgy factor on ebay. As with all things forums blow all issues out of all sensible proportion.
Straight line performance is ballistic, even better if you manually override the slush box.
The engine is refined and has a seemingly unburstable power output, it really feels like a much bigger unit under the bonnet, it is if i am honest a really fantastic unit, if a little old tech (being a 3 valver sohc). The gentleman who mentioned that plugs were £500 was totally seen coming, there are 12 of them, they cost £75 and take about two hours to change ( i know this as i did it last weekend).
The gearbox is a bit odd and is overly enthusiastic at changing down, breathing near the accelerator results in a two gear downshift and being fired down the road. It can be a bit clumsy changing down but is fine other wise.
Steering lacks feel but is accurate if over assisted and the rack is long, the wheel is a bit on the large side also.
Body on mine seems fine though i would think it has had some paint, there is the odd rusty stonechip but nothing out of the ordinary for a 11 year old car.
Interior is a bit uninspiring, but has worn very well, leather is considerably better than my e46 which was lower miles and newer. The command system is a bit of a farce, and the dashboard menu's are just crap. however the equipment level is good and the Bose stereo is actually very good even by modern standards (think similar or a little better to the Hk in the e46)
Fuel economy is poor, but then how much of an issue that is depends on the mileage you do, im my case its no real concern.
It is possible to hustle the car, but its rather like that German shot putter who did some celebratory hurdling in that while it can be done, its not its natural discipline.
Over all if you need/want something fast to move stuff, don't want to look like a dick, and don't want to use up much of your savings, its a great option.
For me it was simple, i had acquired a screaming infant daughter who came with an enormous pile of crap that needed to be moved from place to place, i owned an track focused PY e46 m3 which needed to go due to boot space pram incompatibility issues.
I considered Audi's to be for bumbders and BMW dont make an m3 touring (more is the pity) I didn't want to tie up 25k in a fast depreciating m5 touring and i didn't want to look like a chav in some jap turbo box, ergo i got a c32.
My experience has been pretty much fault free, the occupancy sensor failed in the passenger seat though this was easily remedied by soldering in a bypass unit from some dodgy factor on ebay. As with all things forums blow all issues out of all sensible proportion.
Straight line performance is ballistic, even better if you manually override the slush box.
The engine is refined and has a seemingly unburstable power output, it really feels like a much bigger unit under the bonnet, it is if i am honest a really fantastic unit, if a little old tech (being a 3 valver sohc). The gentleman who mentioned that plugs were £500 was totally seen coming, there are 12 of them, they cost £75 and take about two hours to change ( i know this as i did it last weekend).
The gearbox is a bit odd and is overly enthusiastic at changing down, breathing near the accelerator results in a two gear downshift and being fired down the road. It can be a bit clumsy changing down but is fine other wise.
Steering lacks feel but is accurate if over assisted and the rack is long, the wheel is a bit on the large side also.
Body on mine seems fine though i would think it has had some paint, there is the odd rusty stonechip but nothing out of the ordinary for a 11 year old car.
Interior is a bit uninspiring, but has worn very well, leather is considerably better than my e46 which was lower miles and newer. The command system is a bit of a farce, and the dashboard menu's are just crap. however the equipment level is good and the Bose stereo is actually very good even by modern standards (think similar or a little better to the Hk in the e46)
Fuel economy is poor, but then how much of an issue that is depends on the mileage you do, im my case its no real concern.
It is possible to hustle the car, but its rather like that German shot putter who did some celebratory hurdling in that while it can be done, its not its natural discipline.
Over all if you need/want something fast to move stuff, don't want to look like a dick, and don't want to use up much of your savings, its a great option.
Luke. said:
anniesdad said:
I much prefer the Mercedes C32 AMG Brabus Saloon. 
I think that's an E55K. Back to the story, sad to hear that the C32 was unfortunately so thirsty/unreliable and not as sure footed as you'd hope. 354hp (ref M112 engine specs) in a practical German estate that's only 10 years old AND for only £6k is a great combo...
B7 S4?
Edited by Benjaminbopper on Thursday 20th September 13:22
Iainwhy said:
Over all if you need/want something fast to move stuff, don't want to look like a dick, and don't want to use up much of your savings, its a great option.
Well put. And exactly why I'm now in the market for something like the C32. I'd actually prefer a W124 E36, but they're pretty thin on the ground.HAB said:
Well put. And exactly why I'm now in the market for something like the C32. I'd actually prefer a W124 E36, but they're pretty thin on the ground.
The c36 is likely to prove expensive and feel quite dated (its also light years slower than the c32).The 36 was heavily customised by AMG so many of the consumables are amg specific, i must confess i do understand the appeal though.
IainWhy said:
HAB said:
Well put. And exactly why I'm now in the market for something like the C32. I'd actually prefer a W124 E36, but they're pretty thin on the ground.
The c36 is likely to prove expensive and feel quite dated (its also light years slower than the c32).The 36 was heavily customised by AMG so many of the consumables are amg specific, i must confess i do understand the appeal though.
I owned a 2001 c class from new back in the day - shocking build quality and reliability. Most were assembled in South Africa (not sure about the AMG models though). Put me off Merc for life. I'm still on nodding terms with the service manager 10 years later (I've never set foot in a merc garage since then, however I see him out and about) Next time you look at a Merc from the period check out the rust..........and don't put them in the same league as Fiat/Alfa's of the same period - they are in a different class
I'd rather haggle a deal on this one from the PH Classifieds...
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3245901.htm
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3245901.htm
Six Fiend said:
I'd rather haggle a deal on this one from the PH Classifieds...
http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3245901.htm
That C43 a bit special - great colour and spec and it's an estate.http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3245901.htm
I'd still go for a C32 at the same price as (a) I've had 2 x C43's already and (b) the C32 is a lot faster with somewhat sharper steering.
rob.e said:
Yes, but 23mpg claimed! eek!
I would take it with a pinch of salt as its so dependant on the type of driving, make no mistake economy is not good, but then what 350 bhp car is that frugal? The m3 is probably the best of the bunch and you wont be seeing that much more (you also won't get to dick a boxter S over the mountain mile with a charge duster mountain bike in the back).The c63 number touted is a joke, and comes from pony EU emissions testing, real world you will be looking at more like 17mpg based on owner numbers.
I am not trying to slavishly defend it, it has lots of flaws, but mine has been utterly reliable and was a cheap car, I tailor my expectations to what i think is reasonable to expect from a 11 year old, cheap, speed wagon. Its not the most involving drive in the universe, but its very fast and has a 5 star ncap rating, which when your hurling infants into the back of it is a nice tick in the box.
Incidentally for anyone who is considering one I have never heard of problems with the charger clutch, the charge cooler pump is about £100 for a bosch one (if it fails, the charger clutch will disengage as the charge temperature increases), the supercharger can be easily serviced with mobil jet oil II. In short if you know which end of a spanner should not go in ones nose, they are not an expensive car to service
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