Buying a Mercedes (C Class/M CLass)

[Craiglxviii]

Agreed Sam it's been brilliant

Anyway chap have you had any joy yet? Arranged any viewings?

 

[SolvaMan]

Hi buddy,

I did arrange one, then just when I called to say I was enroute the guy said he forgot to tell me the EML was on and he didn't have the V5.

Looking at this one now, it looks like the facelift apart from the steering wheel.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610068505447/usedcars?logcode=visc

 

[SolvaMan]

Is the general rule, that unless it has a new style, steering wheel, Dash, and lights irrespective of its year of production, it's not a facelift and should be avoided? Just because there are quite a few which are 2005+ production that look like the facelift model although with the old steering wheel

 

[Craiglxviii]

Is the general rule, that unless it has a new style, steering wheel, Dash, and lights irrespective of its year of production, it's not a facelift and should be avoided? Just because there are quite a few which are 2005+ production that look like the facelift model although with the old steering wheel

Steering wheel I do not think is indicative, MB are masters of standardization and have something like 7 different steering wheels across their entire fleet at any one time (for about 6 years they fitted identical door mirrors to just about every single car for instance).

It's not something I'm an expert on, Mr JBell is around and he might be able to help you.

CALLING DEVON?!?

 

[JBell]

Steering wheel I do not think is indicative, MB are masters of standardization and have something like 7 different steering wheels across their entire fleet at any one time (for about 6 years they fitted identical door mirrors to just about every single car for instance).

It's not something I'm an expert on, Mr JBell is around and he might be able to help you.

CALLING DEVON?!?

DEVON HERE

That is facelift, the dash gives it away, MB probably had loads of steering wheels so used them on different spec levels, my 2001 had the same wheel as that but my friends facelift had a black 3 spoke one

 

[SolvaMan]

Brilliant thanks JBell and CraigLxviii I will go by the year, dash and lights first.

Have to admit in my frustration of trying to find a facelift model I looked at Audi B6. did some research on the CVT and experienced the judder down shifting and I think that's enough to put off that idea!!

 

[SolvaMan]

What do you think mileage wise, seen a few around 170k 180k is that too much?

 

[Craiglxviii]

Nah, I bought my W211 E320CDi on 211k miles and it's only got one rattle (rear parcel shelf).

Full service history and careful maintenance are the name of the game with these cars. A taxi driver in Dusseldorf once told me that with 6 cylinder Merc taxis, the transmission gets replaced at 650k km and the engine at 1 million km, other than that they just keep going...

 

[SolvaMan]

Haha German taxi drive must know his Benz stuff!! Haha

Had a look at this one.

It's part service history though, but they could knock 10% off price.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606175025256/usedcars?logcode=visc

 

[SolvaMan]

And this one, too http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606175025256/usedcars?logcode=visc

 

[Craiglxviii]

Haha German taxi drive must know his Benz stuff!! Haha

Had a look at this one.

It's part service history though, but they could knock 10% off price.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606175025256/usedcars?logcode=visc

He had been driving Benz taxis for 40-odd years, part of a firm that my then-employers- a large German steel manufacturers shall we say- had a corporate arrangement with, so I got to have quite a few chats with him as he regularly did the hotel-airport run for us.

On that car, half-leather seats I think means Artico? I do not think MB did fabric-leather but only fabric-artico. Not a great problem but knocks the desirability a bit on the head. Also has the smaller 16" wheels but other than that it looks tidy. No COMAND though.

 

[SolvaMan]

So he was coming from a place of knowledge it's safe to say!!

Sorry daft question what is COMMAND and how can you identify its presence?!?!

 

[Craiglxviii]

So he was coming from a place of knowledge it's safe to say!!

Sorry daft question what is COMMAND and how can you identify its presence?!?!

COMAND is the all-singing all-dancing integrated entertainment/ navi/ phone* system that MB pioneered (but not with Pioneer) in 1999. It is identified by the big screen in the dash with lots of buttons and a twiddly knob surrounding it- on later cars the twiddly knob is on the centre console.

In short COMAND is well worth having if you can get it. I have it on all 3 of my cars and it's ace, even given the age of it on the CL500 and E320 it's still spot on.

(*not all COMAND cars have phone prep and phone prep is available without COMAND, but it does tie the two together seamlessly).

 

[SolvaMan]

Is this an example of command ?

I'm struggling to differentiate between what is and isn't command because all these facelift models seem to have the same unit.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...New&onesearchad=New&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&page=2

 

[SolvaMan]

Is this command?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610098591952/usedcars?logcode=visc

 

[Craiglxviii]

Is this an example of command ?

I'm struggling to differentiate between what is and isn't command because all these facelift models seem to have the same unit.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...New&onesearchad=New&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&page=2

Yes

 

[Craiglxviii]

Is this command?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201610098591952/usedcars?logcode=visc

No, this is Audio 20 or 30.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Is this an example of command ?

I'm struggling to differentiate between what is and isn't command because all these facelift models seem to have the same unit.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...New&onesearchad=New&make=MERCEDES-BENZ&page=2

You need to look for a big screen with a button somewhere marked "NAV".

 

[SolvaMan]

Will do. Cheers. A lot of them seemed to have phone buttons but I think they are redundent unless upgraded, Been a bit quiet on the Benz front today off to see a Bm for my sins

 

[Craiglxviii]

Will do. Cheers. A lot of them seemed to have phone buttons but I think they are redundent unless upgraded, Been a bit quiet on the Benz front today off to see a Bm for my sins

Like I said phone prep is separate to COMAND but works through it when fitted.

Remember, BM have series, MBs have Class... why would you want to go and do that for?