Hi there am looking at buyign a c180

[Scottyc180]

I now the c180 is the bottem of the range c class, however it the most insurance friendly one to my self as a 21 year old.

I havr tracked down two very nice examples both in the met silver, one has the amg 18inch alloys on, the other is a sport and so has alloys already.

Both are around the £2750 mark. am more inclinded towards the lower classic spec as it has the amg wheels.

Both have fmbsh and both have tax and mot.

any help is greatly appreciated, seen as my last car was a vauxhall corsa.

 

[Scottyc180]

any help at all?

 

[Scottyc180]

none? surely soem one must be willing to help me out?

 

[MercAl]

Scotty...I'm pretty sure someone will render you some advice, although if you do a search on the forum you'll find loads of info...the 'C' class in particular...just be patient! I suspect the guys in the know, will be on later on and will post then.
I've got a C220 diesel, and my knowledge is scant to say the least! All I can tell you is...I love mine. It's my first Merc, and with a bit of luck, it won't be my last. They are far from perfect cars, but the comfort and all round performance is streets ahead of anything else you're likely to drive...IMHO!
If you do get yourself a Merc, then you'll find this forum invaluable. I've never seen anyone stumped yet!
Good Luck.

 

[Ron Palfrey]

My C is a 1994 C280 Elegance, without aircon or cruise. Cost me £2500 with full MBSH. Now done 93k miles. I love it! Couple of problems with the n/s electric windows which I fixed myself for next to nothing. You can dismantle the motors, service them, then reassemble. Not like some cars where it is replace with a new unit 'cos you can't take the old one apart. These cars are so well made. Look after it and you can bet your bottom dollar it will last for ages. Change the oil, fluids and filters regularly and you'll keep any wear to a minimum. Look after that big central wiper. There are plenty of threads about keeping that greased (the mechanism, not the blade of course). I get about 27mpg usually, up to 29mpg on a run. You should get rather more mpg from a C180 but it depends how you drive.
You don't tell us much about the cars you are considering. I wouldn't buy one over the other just because of the fancy wheels. Drive both and see which drives best. Try each over a 10 mile mix of town, country and dual carriageway if you can. Tell us more about each of the cars and you might get more response. Age, mileage, how many owners, auto/manual etc. They are lot more complicated than a Corsa and will cost a lot more to fix if they go wrong.

Ron

 

[hawk20]

any help at all?

I had a 2002, automatic, C class 180 Classic Silver with grey cloth. Loved it. Did 25k miles over a couple of years in her and then bought an E class. Here's interesting: - the 180 classic had a 2 litre engine. Sweet as English honey. Press rated it best of the engines available. The others were 1.8 litre but with a Kompressor (or supercharger). Get one of the 2.0 litre non Kompressor ones and you'll love it. Smooth, plenty of poke, quiet and easy to get 30 mpg in mixed motoring. 35 on a run easy. Go for auto. Merc autos are in a class of their own.

 

[jberks]

I had, and my dad still has, a C220 elegance. I accept the comment about the 180 being insurance friendly though do bear in mind that the 180 is a tad underpowered. Is it really that much less than a 200?
Anyway - nothing in my experience would put me off another. We've had ours for 8 years now and its been a honey. Still looks good and runs beautifully.
The C is primarily about luxury and until around '98 the classic was a bit poverty spec so I'd echo the comments above, don't buy a classic just because it has AMG alloys. I partly bought my E class for it's alloys. Great until I was staring at a £600 bill to replace the tyres! Also, the insurance co may have a problem with the wheels and the extra noise, reduced comfort and greater rolling resistance (worse fuel/performance) may make them a problem too.

 

[Scottyc180]

Thanks you guys for those comments.

Bit more info that i have..

the clasic with the amg alloys has had two owners from new, has fmbsh, new mot and tax, and is in really really good condition, its a 97 p i think from what i have found out.

the sport is 97r, has slightly less milage but we are only talking about a 2-3 thousand less so not much in it.

I would really prefer a manual car, i now they are not the norm but its somehting i personally would perefer.

I have considered a c200, but i think the insurance is couple of groups higher so would be right at the edge of my range.

I will tho have a look around and see if i can find a c200 for my budget, but it is very strict this budget.

I also understand the part about them being more complicated then a corsa, however my uncle used to work as a technition at Mercedes Benz Manchester when this model of car was out, so i do have soem one in the family who can assist me with repairs servicing etc etc.

i will cheack insurance on the slighlty higher range models but i think the c200 may be the highest one i can fesaible got insured on.

Cau you all jus comfirm or not that are all mercedes benz cars rwd?

 

[benzo]

I think you should still test drive a few C180 manuals and automatics before you decide. Mercedes manuals are not fantastic.

I had a C180 manual before getting the automatic. The manual gearbox is notchy and the footbrake makes driving off akward at times.

My currect C180 is a 2000 MY and has never given me any trouble -extremely reliable, good to drive and economical to boot. It is definitely underpowered, but you get to used to it (and learn to leave home on time!).

I can't advise on any unusual issues as the car has been faultless so far.
Changed brake pads and lower arm bushes at 65K.

 

[alexspurs61]

Scotty - Gearboxes I was a committed manual gearbox man. Saw autos as just slushboxes, terrible lack of involvement, etc. HOWEVER My E Class is on an N plate and the 5 spd auto is absolutely brilliant. My first auto gear box. If you want to hustle these MB boxes will cling on 'till the redline (petrol engine) and the changes are as smooth as you'd like. And bear in mind mine's quite old. So, auto every time in a Benz. I also gather the manual boxes have only recently got 'up to speed'...the parking brake becomes a bit of an asre to use as well....

I recently had a 53 plate C180 Komp with an auto for a weekend and that box is even better.

Driven wheels:, all MBs are RWD as far as I know...except the 4WDs, of course!

 

[jon_harley]

I think you should still test drive a few C180 manuals and automatics before you decide. Mercedes manuals are not fantastic.

I had a C180 manual before getting the automatic. The manual gearbox is notchy and the footbrake makes driving off akward at times.

The solution to this is to get the sequentronic gearbox, which is a clutchless manual. No clutch pedal to mix up with the brake, no notchiness, but all of the 'change gear just before you need it' fun of a manual. And an automatic mode for heavy traffic.

They never pushed them in the UK, so there aren't many about, but I'd highly recommend it if you happen to see one available.

 

[johnmc]

Scotty,
I ran a C180 Elegance Auto, P-reg for three years. They are all RWD. The only front drive Merc is the A-Class/B-class mini-MPVs and the 4WDs speak for themselves.

The manual shifter is hopeless compared to BMW, take the automatic, five speed box should be possible at your price. If you can get one with traction control or ESP it will help a little for winter driving, but the rear drive can be a handful on snow. Surprisingly it is better on ice with automatic as the natural tendency for the car to "creep" forward makes most take offs on the level a little easier. Hill starts on snow/ice can be a challenge, usually fixed by adding extra B&Q traction support (2 x 4 slab in the boot!).

They are ok cars, nice to drive especially the 5 speed automatic, find a good independent dealer to keep your costs down when it breaks and it should be fine. As always try all the gadgets before you drive away, even basic stuff. It can be costly to fix.

John

 

[paresh21272]

i finally got a c180 after it fell in my hands. its a w202 elegance auto and is sweet as a nut i paid 2500 on a m95 full mbsh and get this 54 on the clock the head went and the previous owner had it repaired at the dealer what a sweet girl.

it came with and elec fault which drove me nuts and after various plug and play i located the relay and just removed it.

bear in mind elecs are a big player in the repairs budget before you go for one but once its yours i think you wont go to any other car.

rest assured there enuf people on here to help you out
"man like p - ohh its me"

 

[bibamus]

Scotty, I would go for the sport, the classic on that year is a bit sparse on spec. I have a 97 C180 Elegance. Yes, it may be a little underpowered compared to the bigger engined models, but it doesnt hang about once it gets going. Mine does 35ish mpg, smooth as silk ( unless you boot it, then it tends to roar a bit, sounds good though) and has all the goodies. Cruise control is excellent too.
The sport model will have firmer suspension than the classic, but will be a more exciting drive, you will probably sell it easier when you come to it.
Biggest problem seems to be the MAF. Mine was faulty, cost me £200 to replace. Ball joints are prone to failure, make sure yours have been done ( a new MOT should show this up).
Gearchanges should be smooth, it will rev a bit more when cold between gears ( meant to, it warms up the cat quicker) the engine should be very quiet, it should be perfect if it has had a full MBSH. I dont think you need to worry too much about rust, mine still looks like a new car underneath although there are a few small stone chips around the front of the bonnet.
If yours has air con, check it works correctly, its designed to be in use all the time, the EC button turns it off till you start the car next time.
The wiper can pack up through lack of lubrication and costs mega bucks ( up to £800 to fix!!!), make sure it works smoothly and sweeps the screen correctly ( the arm moves in and out )
Cant think of anything else at the moment.
Oh yes, why would anybody want a manual car? Youll be asking for a starter handle and manual choke next!!

Allan

 

[hawk20]

I doubt if your insurance will like sport but ask. Personally I dislike the harsh suspension.
Bear in mind Merc have long since ceased letting the names/numbers used to designate their cars make sense.
For example the new 320cdi is not 3.2 litres but 3 litres. The 280 cdi is also 3 litres. And so on.
With the C class when I last looked the 180 the 200 and the 230 were all 1800cc engines. The difference in power was the Kompressor and how much it had been wound up. But in the early years (mine was 02 registered) the 180 was 2 litres - but with no Kompressor. Funny then that the 200 was 1.8 litres (but with a Kompressor). If that doesn't confuse nothing will. The Classic had a perfectly good spec at that time and was a really nice car to drive. Lowered suspension and low profile tyres IMHO ruin what Merc are really good at -a silky ride. And on Britain's roads that's the only ride to have.

Stick to auto. Nothing equals a Merc auto. And it's the only extra on which you always get your money back. Who says so: Glass's guide! And Merc are the only manufacturer I know which gets virtually the same 0-60 times and fuel economy from manual and auto. Well over 90% of Mercs sold in UK are auto so you get more choice and much easier to sell. White manual is worst to sell in UK.

 

[Ron Palfrey]

The 1997 C180 cars that Scotty is considering were 1.8 litre engines. In those days the C200 was a 2 litre engine.

Ron

 

[hawk20]

The 1997 C180 cars that Scotty is considering were 1.8 litre engines. In those days the C200 was a 2 litre engine.

Ron

Thanks. Got it. Then they made the 200 into 1.8 litres and the 180 into 2 litres. Obvious enough. Can't think why I didn't guess that!

 

[hawk20]

BTW I'm not great on series numbers. The one I had was a W203 (from 2001 onwards). Prior to that I believe was the 202 from 95-2000.