I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place! - Buying a

[Anonymous]

Hello there!

Must say, this forum is fab, and you all seem like a nice bunch, so here goes.

Our elderly Volvo is in need of replacing, and we quite fancy a used C-class.

I've heard that the 180/200 are a bit lethargic? Is that right, or just down to a leadfooted motoring hack?

What we're hoping for is upwards of a 200 Elegance. It would have to be automatic (how many pedals do we need for goodness' sake!!) and air-con would be nice.

I've seen some Mercs with sunroofs, but they were all metal. Was a  glass roof available, or not? It would certainly make the interior a bit lighter!

What are your thoughts on lighter upholstery? Is it a good idea? We don't have young children or animals... :cheesy:

What are the diesels like? I've heard that although it's more economical, the 220CDi is much less refined than the 250Td. Which is better?

Now, before I get kicked off, what are the kerbweights for the saloon and estate? If they are sufficient, I'm hoping that we could use it to tow our caravan. No, come back! You see, if the 'van weighs less than 85% of the kerbweight of the car, fairly swift progress is almost garanteed.

Our local dealer couldn't say off hand, and all the data I've found so far seems to relate to the new one (which, quite frankly, I can't afford!!!).

Along a similar vein, can the detatchable towbar be fitted to all C's or just the ones post-98?

Does anyone tow with a C'class? How does the auto transmission hold up when towing?

Please, help!

Many thanx

Gareth

(Edited by Gareth at 3:54 pm on Mar. 20, 2002)

 

[Andy]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hi Gareth,

Nice to have you on here. (Not so sure you should of confessed to being one of them caravaners on your first posting. Till we got to know you at least).

If your towing with a C class, you will need something a little more powerfull than a C200, If diesel it will need to be turbo'd or you just block up every road or motorway you travel on.

The transmission will hold up ok. But by the sounds of things I suggest you road test a couple of cars to help with making your judgement.

Detachable towbars are expensive from MB.They can be retrofitted. Some times you will find one on a used vehicle. But they are quite rare due to the price.

Try the parkers guide and magazines like that they will probably have the info you require.

Hope I been some help.

Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

PS. Any more mention of the dreaded C\van, you will start em all off again.

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hi Gareth,
                I believe the 220cdi to be more refined than the 250td , having driven both,admittedly for limited periods.
Most motoring magazine testers consider the the common rail to be significantly more sophisticated than its predecessor.
Lighter shade of pale upholstery? I dont like leather but from examination of older models its up to standard.
The ***tex will exhibit wear after a few years-mainly drivers seat but in my opinion its still above average.
If you go for a C class(Especially post 96) anticipate some problems! I suggest you trawl back through older threads on this forum to gain the necessary experience.

regards
Ernest

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

The thing is, if we wanted it to tow the caravan exclusively, we'd go out and buy an old Landrover. We don't take the van out that much (is this easing the situation...?) but when we do, we borrow another car - a 2ltr Diesel Toyota. It won't set the tarmac on fire, but it pulls our relatively light van nicely.

The main reason for buying a Merc is so that we can use it as a car, rather than degrade it as a caravan-dragger. If it will do both, then it's a bonus.

As for the weights, and things, I tried parkers, and got myself all confused, I'm afraid!

All feedback gratefully received! :|

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Okay, so we have:

Dodgy batteries,
Leaking head gaskets on 280's,
Noisy tyres - fixed by using expensive ones,
Indifferent service centres,
Rattles, Creaks etc.,
Left-handed heater matrix,
Dodgy alarms / key fobs.

Hmm...

No. No good. Still want one.

Anything else I should know?

Calling all old-shape C-Class Owners:
Are you happy with your choice?

Gareth

 

[Stewart Smith]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Just been through all of this for my C200 96.
C-class Kerb Weight 1350-1380 kg Petrol and 1390 to 1480 kg Deisel. -

I'm gonna disagree with Andy and hope he doesn't remember when I get my car serviced, but he probably won't service my C200 anyhow when he finds out I've been a caravanner. ( Only for a short time and I'm cure now )

I havent towed with this one yet, but I reckon it wouldn't notice a big van on the back - not huge power ( But so what - Will cruise at 100 all day, apparrently. ) but plenty of torque between 40 and 60 mph, and thats what makes cars tow well.

It also makes the lake district hills flat, particulalry with the 5 speed auto.

See www.Towsafe.co.uk to make sure - but it'll cost ya a few quid.

I've a light coloured interior , as I thought the dark one was a bit morbid - and I've a a west highland terrier -It cleans up really nice after its been terriorised.

Couldn't find any detatchable towbars, but
Standard towbars from towsure :-
415 C Class Series Saloon 1993 upto Aug 1998 £53.95
Witter:-
C Class Saloon (W202) 1993 - 2000   MR15    £126.50

I've used Towsure before and find them at least as good as witter, and were better with the last bar I bought for a fiat - I compared them on a shop counter before buying the towsure and saving a wad.

I take no responsibility for this advice and remember - I'm a simple metallurgist so you should probably listen to the experts instead of my ramblings....!

And don't you dare put this one in the mag like my Bosch wiper-blade over-expenditure Andy ! Cos she read last months techie help the wife now knows I coulda saved some money and bought a rubber instead of the whole blade and I'm getting grief.

 

[steveperry]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hi Gareth,

I currently drive a '98 C240 sport, I traded up from an '86 190E back in Jan this year. Out of interest my old 190E had a MB detachable tow bar and self-levelling rear suspension and had been used extensively for caravan towing. That had a 2.0 ltr injection engine.

Anyways, back to ur original question, I'm very happy with my current car, plenty of go in it, very well built  and a smooth drive. I have black leather interior, I had looked at a number of 2nd hand E and C classes and those with a lighter coloured interior looked somewhat more "lived in" than the darker colours, Beige seems to be the worst offender for looking tatty imho.

Sorry I can't answer ur questions about towing as I don't own a caravan etc.

S.

p.s Stuart I've used both replacement rubbers and the Bosch complete wiper, at first I begrudged the 20 quid asking price for a single blade but after actually using the Bosch wiper it really is that much better than a 3rd party replacement rubber element.

(Edited by steveperry at 1:39 am on Mar. 21, 2002)

 

[fuzzer]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

I got a lovely C240 Elegance in azurite blue ( dark, purple) with mushroom leather ( light ) . I like the light interior with the walnut , but then again , i don't have kids.


Its splendid , its quite striking and gets a lot of looks because of the contrast. (or is that the naked woman in the back seat?)


I have driven C180 manual and auto , c200a ,c200 Kompressor a, C220 CDI a , C230 a , C240 a, c250 Turbo diesel a .

I have chosen the C240 because its smooth , its quite swift and you need to move up to the big beasts to get any options. And i don't go far enough in it to worry about the 19mpg.

If you are the kind of person that keeps hold of a car for a while , I would recommend buying a diesel estate and if the budget can stretch for it a C220 CDI estate.

Options are another matter , yes you have picked up on the A/C ( £1995 on older cars but V6's had this as standard ) . The air is great . I got a glass sunroof which is a £1200 option . I also got heated front seats( £306) and a rain sensor( £105) .and leather ( £1750).

I?m sure the car finished up at £34,500 or something like that , its only money....

My car is almost perfect as i spend hours on it and the leather is almost brand new after about 4 years and 32,000 miles.


Leather is smashing and worth looking for but, if you get leather, you need heated seats because the leather is freezing in winter. The rain sensor is sometimes good but streaks the window when its drizzle. The electric glass sunroof has been opened about 5 times , but it makes the car light inside and is supposed to help the resale.


Since 1993 I have been 250, 000 in 4 examples  of the w202 c class and would recommend it to anyone...


In the end its up to you . I would personally buy a diesel estate .

What to avoid ....

Anything non metallic (unless cheap)

Weird colors ( bright yellow , purple , Bright red because of the oxidization )

Manuals are the leper cars and should be avoided.

Avoid the Alarm with the LED's below the mirror as it is nonsense.

Anything without a stamped up service book

Imports ( unless cheap )

Mb lex ( unless cheap )

--------

Basically you are looking for a '99 or '00 C220 CDI estate auto . Brilliant silver with black leather , a tow bar and heated seats.


Hope this helps.

 

[fuzzer]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

What do you mean £20 for a wiper blade. ????

Why not just change the rubber ?


I get mine for £4 .

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

19mpg?!

Yipes! It would have to be a little more frugal than that, then!

[Mentally crosses off all V6's]

What's the fuel consumption like for the rest of the range?

Our Volvo normally drags itseful up to around the 30mpg mark, and my toy (a Moggy thou') has been known to touch 40...

Thanks to everyone who replied - much appreciated!

Gareth

 

[fuzzer]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

I only get low MPG because my car only gets through traffic to take me to work in the city.

normal driving will get you about 30 ish.

On the other hand , the c220 CDi i was recomending does about 44 ish.

Diesel is the way to go .

There is nothing more financialy sound this side of a mercedes Convertable than a Diesel estate.

let us know what you end up with

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Phew! Scared me for a minute.

As for getting the car, we're just looking at the mo.

I'm hopeful a Benz will be the outcome, but we're looking around, and trying to get as much use out of the old beast as we can. Just had to spend somewhere in the region of "far too much money" getting it through the MoT, so it might be a few months yet!

An estate would be lovely, and it sounds like diesel might be the answer. That said, I don't think we're planning on changing it afterwards. This, you might say, will be our last car, so we want to spend the time making sure it's a good 'un.

Thanks to all!

Gareth

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hello again!

Just a thought - what sort of money ought we be looking at spending for a C-class estate?

Is it worth buying from the Merc dealer under the Signature banner? The warranty sounds like it is worth it, but then again... how inflated are their prices?

Should a private sale be avoided?

Many thanks!

Gareth

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Gareth,

I can thoroughly recommend the C250TD.   Although the engine is a little rough under hard acceleration it's far more refined than many other diesels out there and, if you're fairly kind to it, you "may" see 40mpg(?).  

I've driven 3 C-Class estates - 2x250TDs and 1x200 petrol.  I didn't think much of the C200 as it felt underpowered and was quite thirsty.   The TDs make an ideal motorway cruiser and the CDi is said to be far more refined.  IMHO the estate is better looking than the saloon (sorry guys) and is by far more versatile - handy if you're in to caravaning.

On the interior side, the grey cloth trim really brightens up the cockpit but I recall it tends to mark very easily.  Also the material didn't feel quite as hard-wearing as the black.  Be warned though, if you go for black trim make sure you get AC, as things get mighty hot inside when the sun comes out !  If like me you don't like the wood finish, take a look at the Esprit and Sport as alternatives to the Elegance/Classic.

Things to note.....
1. single wiper blade (although ingenious and quite trendy) is useless in heavy rain 2. foot parking brake takes some getting used to - consider this if you buy a manual box
3. make darn sure you get a full MB service history (for peace of mind)
4. if you buy from a dealer you'll get a 12month Signature warranty
5. dealer service/maintenance costs are high so  consider using a specialist (like Andy's lot) - although this would probably invalidate #4.

If you need more info on the C-Class 250TD I'm sure I still have a copy of the "Diesel Car" test on it, and maybe the CDi too.  Both tests used the estate model.  I can always mail you the text if you wish.

Happy hunting.

 

[Matt Crooke]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Wheres Dave E when you want him?

Ive only had one experience with a C180, and it wasnt to pleasing. Admittidly it was in terrible condition and it had been thrashed from the day it left the factory, so it wasnt the best example to drive. But coupling a 1.8 litre engine to an automatic gearbox is never good in practise anyway, so needless to say the C180 auto would be a no no for towing. If you are going for auto, its got to be an injected 2.0 litre as a minimum without doubt. Here endeth my tuppence worth!

cheers

 

[Stewart Smith]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

http://www.caravan-sitefinder.co.uk/features/towcars/index.html#mercedes

Likely to be referring to a new model C180 I reckon...

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hello there!

Why didn't I think to look there, Stewart?!

Incidentally - I had a look at the weight plate on a C180 the other day - you know, the one on the driver's door aperture? That had a load of unlabelled numbers on it. I think 1340-ish was on there somewhere, but there were a few that were much lower...

Is a "Towing Limit" printed anywhere?

Thanks for the advice re the upholstery. Black is out of the question - it really is far too dark. It would be too much of a change to go from the resplendent beige velour (lovely...) in our Volvo! Grey or cream will, I think, be the order of the day, but that does bring about the possibility of it beinlg less resistant to marks. Well, we're a tidy lot!

I've seen some examples of the wood trim, and it's quite inoffensive. It looked a little plasticky (that was rather a shock) but I reckon I could live with it.

The Signature warranty seems like a very good deal. We had a similar thing with our Volvo, although peace of mind only lasts as long as the warranty. Then it runs out unused, and you think: "was that a waste of money?"

I agree that the 180's out. Most motoring hacks have decried it, and the C is a heavy car! Couple that "small" engine to an auto box and I can imagine that progress wouldn't be sparkling.

Dave - the thing is: the new c-class has just come out. The main similarity between the old and the new, is the profile of the estate. They are very alike. And yes, I reckon it does look better than the rather staid (don't hit me!) three-box saloon. For reasons of practicality, however, we've always (since the 70's) owned hatchbacks, and while the load area may be no different to a saloon, the access is much better. I'd be grateful if you could mail me the roadtests you talked about. My addy is at the top of this post.

The plan would be  (the money tree is coming along nicely, incidentally...!) to buy used from a Merc dealer, keep in with said dealer until the warranty runs out, and then use the Mercedes specialist about ten minutes up the road from us!

Right, I think that's about it from me, for the moment. If you think of anything that might be useful, please post it here. Every little helps!

Thanks, all! ;-)

Gareth

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Gareth,

Hope you got the DC test pages OK.  Sorry the images weren't in colour - the test car was an azurite blue model, just like my own.  I noticed the kerb weight for the estate was listed as 1520kg.

Please let us know what you finally go for.

 

[Anonymous]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Thanks, Dave.

That was really useful! I had to give the printer a lie down and a mars bar (31Mb!!) but the reprint of the article came out very well.

The fuel consumption was a little higher than I expected of a diesel, but I suppose it depends on how they drive them! Doesn't it always?!

If you happen to find the one for the 220, I'd be grateful. Many thanks!

Gareth

 

[cfleck]

I want a Merc, so I guess I'm in the right place!

Hi Gareth,

Ive had a C250 TD elegance for just under three years now.

Overall its been good. From a 60 litre tank, I can regularly get 500 miles (mainly motorway driving in the rush hour on the M4, so circa 60mph as an average), its comfortable, and big enough for 4.

Things have gone wrong, most notably 3 glowplugs failing at just under 50K miles and the aircon seems to be throwing a wobbly at the moment. The paint on the cars (green / black metallic) is very poor and chips easily (especially at motorway speeds).

It's quick enough, but under hard acceleration sounds a bit like the space shuttle's engines firing away under the bonnet.

Im thinking about a c220 cdi as the next one, but probably wouldnt want a 'new' style C class as they look odd.

good luck.

cheers