Personal Car Reviews: 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 Sport

 OLD originally written in 2016

 Hello everyone this was an old draft that I am showing for the first time! Enjoy- Diana.

Trying hard to look like BMW, the 190E Electric Boogaloo? 

This was my first car. I enjoyed driving it as a daily and fun car. It did both well. Daimler wants you to call it a “Compact Executive Car” and it was Mercedes Benz’s smallest car until they made the A-Class in 1997. I owned it for over  4 years. However, there are some flaws like the rust. I underestimated the rust. Apparently, Mercedes skimped on the rust proofing, perhaps as cost cutting measures due some struggles with sales, especially because MB’s deadliest rival, BMW spanked them in sales, oh and BMW spanked Mercedes like they were a mommy domme punishing a bratty little girl and the nouveau riche Lexus upstart also became a sales rival, and got into Mercedes’ BUSINESS by undercutting, going right for the taint. The late nineties were so bad for Daimler that they had to spoon with Chrysler, which also had some tough times, because good times for them is the exception, not the norm, they are seemingly on the brink of going defunct, whom also had some troubles and woes, just so they can taste the loving warmth of a “merger of equals”. It was a relationship they left in shame, like two businessmen using a gloryhole at a Pilot truck stop restroom. Even some Chryslers, like the Crossfire roadster got sloppy seconds parts-bin stuff that I’ll easily recognize. So, some MB fans see cars like the W202 (that’s what the cool kids call Mercedes) as the slump, especially when the merger happened in 1998. Even subsequent models like the W203 are also perceived as comparatively cheap from a quality perspective. Engine? What’s under the hood. It’s a V6, not any V6 but the first ever V6 Mercedes made, it is the M112 2.8 liter V6 which replaced the M104 2.8 liter I6 in 1997, and with the engine change came a new transmission. A 5 speed 5Gtronic automatic replaced the aging 4 speed 4Gtronic automatic. The 5 speed auto is still made and used, such as the Jeep Wrangler, again DaimlerChrysler made that happen. Chrysler still got alimony checks from Mercedes after the marriage of equals.

The engine and transmission are good, they ended up being durable, except for misfires, but again that’s due to age and not quality, and a clogged catalytic converter. Mercedes knows how to make a good transmission and engine. The Auto is a bit interesting at highway speeds, the engine is turning at about 2500 rpm to 3000 rpm. Maybe they tried to gear it towards spirited driving rather than cruising. The W202 is a small car, at least by today’s standards in luxury, in the early 90s it would be midsize, but 2010s midsize and similar cars to the W202 are bigger. The W205 is slightly bigger, but that’s due to design and safety regulations. 

Ownership: I ran this on 93 octane fuel, nothing less, it needed premium fuel and in PA, premium is always 93, except sunoco which has both 91 and 93 octane grade fuels, and Wawa just has 92. (I prefer filling up my at sheetz, and then I fill myself up with mac and cheese bites, mmmm gooey yum yum food SLRRRPP). Older Mercedes Benz cars have a reputation of being cheap to buy and expensive to run, but that’s an exaggeration, especially for the little W202, it’s small, so there’s less to go wrong, and it has been sufficiently reliable enough, rust notwithstanding, but when it goes wrong, it makes you want cut your losses, jump ship, right into the craigslist ads and even those free car selling magazines at a Wawa. Some young woman in a Honda Civic asked me if I could get a more reliable car, and it was enough for me. A Mercedes can last as long as possible, but you need either money or time to wrench it on your own. It’s like trying to teach me a neoliberal life lesson on work ethic. Although, it was worth it. The rust, though, is a big problem for a lot of 1990s Mercedes, in particular the W210, which is the E-class, and the W202. If you want one, maybe drive to a state like Florida that doesn’t have salty gravel to melt snow and ice. 

Experience: Is it fast? Yes, but could it be faster? Is it comfortable? Yes, but could be more comfortable. Is it practical? Yes, but could be more practical . Cars like the W202 and any midsize, entry level luxury car are like this, a jack of all trades but a master of none, except doing everything well enough for you, if you expect a little bit of everything.

In closing, a Mercedes is as good as you make it, it is as good as you believe it to be. A Mercedes requires a responsible driver who ought to be accountable, alert, and always there. An older car that is on the verge of being a bona ide classic with more age, rarity, demand and care, is a true character builder. People say evil builds character, but that’s not quite true, life builds it, as obviously smartass it sounds, you will forge yourself from your experiences. They say you will remember your first, and I do and will remember.