C32 handling

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Alan, I have read your original post a few times now and the rest of the thread but still not sure if you were in a C32 or not??
If you were testing a C32 and the back end came out while moving back in from overtaking I would say there was something wrong with it, most likely causes are worn rear bushes that make them very twitchy or mixed tyres on the car, these do not like having different tyres on them front to back, sometimes it is fine but most of the time they become a really twitchy mess, as do many powerful RWD cars.

If you were in your ST220 then maybe it is time for a change?? ;)
 
Alan, I have read your original post a few times now and the rest of the thread but still not sure if you were in a C32 or not??
If you were testing a C32 and the back end came out while moving back in from overtaking I would say there was something wrong with it, most likely causes are worn rear bushes that make them very twitchy or mixed tyres on the car, these do not like having different tyres on them front to back, sometimes it is fine but most of the time they become a really twitchy mess, as do many powerful RWD cars.

If you were in your ST220 then maybe it is time for a change?? ;)

Hi - yeah, I guess I wasn't too clear there! I drive an ST220 at the moment and want something more lively and luxurious. I came down to a C32 or S4 originally, but really liked the C32 overall. The negatives were around whether I could live with an auto and how the wife would deal with a powerful RWD.

As for the heart-attack moment on the motorway, that was in my own car and was a combination of slightly worn rears with probably black ice (it was at 5am 2 days before Christmas with all the snow still at the borders of the outside lane!). I was pushed out there by a dumb move by a van suddenly changing lane at low speed to pass a truck, thus forcing me out or into emergency braking (I chose the former as it looked ok). Just one of those things .. backed WAY the hell off after that when it came to going anywhere near the outside lane! The road looked black and dry, but on reflection, unlikely as grippy as I hoped ..

I think after a C32 test drive that I'm happy enough - just a question of finding the right one for the right price. Hoping for a lower mileage '04 model, but not many of them around it would seem. A nice '02 with 69k just came up with a dealership that I'm considering ... a little older and a little higher mileage, but hey! :D
 
This one seems reasonably priced :

LINK

Not much to go on, but looks ok at first glance. AutoTrader reckons 165 miles away though, so that's a fair old trip! ;) Looks like the clear bi-xenons in the (rather poor) pics, which would be a bonus.

I am rather fond of the blue colour, but it's even more rare! Anyone got a blue, '04 plate, ~40k miles for ~£10k?? Not much to ask!! :bannana:
 
There's a blue 02 plate gone on this week in Cambridge .. according to the dealer it's from an MB Club member! He actually used that as a selling point ;)

A bit older than I wanted, but at least with 12 month MB cover and it looks like it's in good nick (too far to travel yet).
 
A little late in ...but,

I have also recently purchased an '02 C32 estate LHD (Italy) and can say in the dry with long fast sweepers it is wonderful to drive. Even in cold external temperature of around 5-15degC and dry. With tighter L-R combinations (i.e. constant weight transfer) pushing it hard, you will need to have the ESP on. There is not much feedback on the front and see yourself wash away (and into the bushes), so it is best to progressively apply the throttle when exiting a corner, especially tight ones. It does understeer when pushed, meaning pushed hard.

The rear will easily break away in the above conditions into a controllable drift, so will again require a progressive or constant throttle. In the wet, just keep the ESP on - period!

However, it depend on the driver's ability and responsibility, how he/she wants to drive the car. The C32 is a good driver's car, but it is down to what you want out of it. A Boxster is a good weekend fun car purely for driving utopia (feedback/handling). Anything more than that, the C32 wins hands-down.
 
A little late in ...but,

However, it depend on the driver's ability and responsibility, how he/she wants to drive the car. The C32 is a good driver's car, but it is down to what you want out of it. A Boxster is a good weekend fun car purely for driving utopia (feedback/handling). Anything more than that, the C32 wins hands-down.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm reasonably sure it'll be a good match for me. While once upon a time, a rock hard track day car might have been my cup of it (well .. it still is .. on a track!), family and occasional long drives tend to make you more practical!

It's not something you could ever quite explain to a police officer, but just sometimes, you do find some public road where you really do only pose a danger to yourself and your wallet and turning off the electric nanny is perfectly acceptable to me. On those occasions, it's nice to be able to play! That aside, I just want something fast that won't fall off the road during "spirited" driving through the countryside/hills, etc. - it's not all about keeping tyre manufacturers in business! :D
 
Autocar Road Test report from back in the day:

New Page 1
 
Autocar Road Test report from back in the day:

New Page 1

Thanks - went through all them and some pretty good info. Was really hoping for a Top Gear/5th Gear video review, but alas it would appear not :(
 
Thanks - went through all them and some pretty good info. Was really hoping for a Top Gear/5th Gear video review, but alas it would appear not :(

you dont need to know what some mouth breather thinks... its a mercedes with a bullet proof M112 V6 which is one of the finest engines ever put into a car..hand built and tuned by the greatest go fast car tuners there is.. with a set of coil-overs and H&R springs it will handle better than most cars out there..

its a real car and a proper mans car.
 
you dont need to know what some mouth breather thinks... its a mercedes with a bullet proof M112 V6 which is one of the finest engines ever put into a car..hand built and tuned by the greatest go fast car tuners there is.. with a set of coil-overs and H&R springs it will handle better than most cars out there..

its a real car and a proper mans car.

Haha .. that made me chuckle! While I do admit to the guilty sin of enjoying Top Gear, the reason I was hoping for such a review was less for his opinion and more to see the car in action. The few clips on the interweb (yes, a sort of semi-ironic pun!) I can find tend to be quite poor at showing the car off - I really don't care much for countless 0-60mph or 0-180mph romps down an airstrip! :wallbash:
 
Haha .. that made me chuckle! While I do admit to the guilty sin of enjoying Top Gear, the reason I was hoping for such a review was less for his opinion and more to see the car in action. The few clips on the interweb (yes, a sort of semi-ironic pun!) I can find tend to be quite poor at showing the car off - I really don't care much for countless 0-60mph or 0-180mph romps down an airstrip! :wallbash:

c32 vs ferrari 360... on youtube....
top gear is for ladies. :eek::ban:
 
Yeah, saw that one - impressive, but not quite the same as 5-10 mins of watching someone live with the car in various circumstances! Call me picky ;)
 
Yeah, saw that one - impressive, but not quite the same as 5-10 mins of watching someone live with the car in various circumstances! Call me picky ;)

well if thats what you want just look for any w203 video... apart from engine its the same car inside...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom