Looking to get an A169 for first car and saying hi :)

гелик

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Just popping in to say hi, signed up to another forum but it seemed a bit dead and this place looks far more active.

Will soon be buying an A169 A-Class as my first car. Signed up to the forum to gain info and get an idea about what to expect with regards to servicing and general running costs.

Hope to enjoy this place!
 

LostKiwi

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Hi and welcome.
@GLK is probably your man here....

The only thing I would say is to avoid the automatics.
 
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гелик

гелик

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My plan is to get a manual, cheers for the welcome!
 

ZZZZ

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Hi and welcome!

I bought my A200 nearly three years ago, and might be able to answer some questions ;)
Whilst I know very little about mechanical and oily stuff - the car is on a Service Care Plan, I've done a few mods, mostly electrical and interior ...
 
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гелик

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What's it been like to run? Any major problems? Are services pricey? Are repairs difficult?

Those are my main questions, other than that you enjoy it as a driver?

What mods have you done?
 

ZZZZ

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I wanted a coupé (C169), so the choice was limited, particularly in 2035cc CVT bracket - ideally I would've chosen an A200 Turbo in grey, but ended up with A200 in black.

It had however, a full MB service history, and only 29k on the clock, factory subwoofer, full nappa leather interior, Avantgarde trim, sports suspension and 18" AMG III wheels - so no complaints here :)

Problems: immediately after purchase, I had the a/c condenser replaced under warranty, a year ago the OSF seal deteriorated on the ball bearing, so that was done (sensor and bearings, etc), and I had the starter motor replaced last summer.

One major problem - door seal rust, that should be addressed by the end of this summer, hopefully.

Oh, and I have just replaced one parking sensor, but that was a simple DIY job.

Other than that, nothing needs doing, and it always comes up with clean bill of health, from Mercedes quarterly check-up.

I don't do any mechanical repairs myself, so can't comment on the difficulty level, but given the compact engine bay, almost everything is labour intensive.

Service: the car is on Mercedes Service Care Plan, so it only cost me £30 a month. That includes all basic plus all additional recommended items, such as sparks, brake fluid, ATF, etc. It also gives me free MB Roadside Assistance. Overall this might not be the cheapest option, but it suits me.

I do enjoy the car, my wife loves it - wide doors, elevated sitting position, space inside...
I drive almost exclusively in S mode, and have 10mm wider tyres fitted (225 instead of 215) - it's pretty agile, as long as you're not expecting a V8 performance ;)

Full mods list would take too much space, but briefly: DRLs; Rear spoiler (OEM); painted calipers; drilled & grooved brake disks; EdOne centre caps; OE bumper loading strip; wheels refurbed and powder-coated in anthracite; W245 chrome boot inserts; all interior lights are LED; puddle lights; carbon fibre hydrographics interior parts, including instrument cluster face; custom steering wheel, custom gearshift knob with perforated leather; armrest re-trimmed in perforated leather; reversing camera; left mirror camera; front and rear dashcams; GPS tracker; stand-alone Garmin satnav and OBD reader (all hard-wired); 9" android head unit; ambient lights - footwells and power socket tray; electrochromic rear view mirror (OEM); chrome door pins (OEM); black bonnet badge (OEM); metal/rubber pedals and footrest, etc, etc ... :shock:

Forgot my own adaptive brake lights unit, ha ha.

I also had 'UK mode' deleted on STAR by comandonline.co.uk, so the cluster shows outside temp instead of compulsory km/h, which is still selectable in the menu, if required.
 

ZZZZ

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Welcome A what.....did you say man
I did wonder about that - either a derivative from the ancient Greek for sun, or a tribute to the DNA structure, or one of the noble gases ... or perhaps a keyboard accident o_O

Where's that "What is the meaning of your forum name?" thread? ;)
 

A.J.

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гелик

гелик

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Cheers for the detailed post @GLK sounds like you're done quite a bit to your ride! You happen to have pics anywhere? Would like to see it.

Would you say that the £30 a month service plan is cheaper than paying out of pocket for the services from an independent garage or do you just find it more convenient?

As for the username it's Russian for G-Wagon which is my dream Merc hence the avatar. In a few years time the hope is I'll be riding around in one of those.

If you're wondering why the f**k my username is in Russian it's a homage to this song, sadly this bloke died at 21:

 

ZZZZ

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You happen to have pics anywhere?

Plenty around different threads, but here's a couple ... or more :):

34559757583_971635bd93_o.jpg


35202962892_5245c81d81_o.jpg


steering wheel:
26190637029_c568ec213b_o.jpg


interior:
26316863899_4c2e529309_o.jpg


wheels:
38388126501_0f6fd17a7d_o.jpg

35116274273_714bc11ab0_o.jpg


door puddle lights and OE illuminated sills:
35874519993_5b7f81071f_o.jpg


36684084195_269c183fec_o.jpg


rear spoiler (old tailgate handle, now replaced with a facelift one - see next pic):
35116275493_6d90096367_o.jpg


reversing cam:
38489657052_760fa639e1_o.jpg



Would you say that the £30 a month service plan is cheaper than paying out of pocket for the services from an independent garage or do you just find it more convenient?

I wouldn't say it's cheaper, in fact, probably the opposite - but it's convenient for me, as it removes any uncertainty from the car service budget, and potential surprise bills for any additional items. Not having to worry about AA or RAC, et al renewals is a plus too.

As for the username it's Russian for G-Wagon
Ha, didn't see that coming, and I thought my Russian is pretty good ... evidently it's about 30 years out of date - I have no clue as to their modern slang and terminology.
 
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гелик

гелик

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Really nice! The wheels and interior mods especially are beautiful.

Bit of a random question but when you do interior mods is that something you have to tell the insurance company about? I know they will find any excuse to avoid paying out if they can.

About the service plan I was considering it in comparison to the RAC or the AA as well. Those both cost a tenner a month for the basic package if I recall. So for an extra twenty you get all your basic servicing covered. It's something I'll look into and work out if it's worth it.

The Russian is a slang term yes I think the literal translation is "Gangster Wagon" :p
 

ZZZZ

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Thanks :) A few more mods are in the pipeline - folding mirrors, quad exhaust, separate parking cameras, different DRLs, etc - but these are rather expensive (apart from cams), so might take me some time ...

Insurance companies and mods - this been discussed on here, and the general consensus is - it's up to you and your insurers really: about seven years ago, when I replaced the head unit in my old car, I phoned Aviva to tell them, and their reply was, basically, 'don't be a boy scout', so I didn't bother again.

Mercedes Roadside Assistance is run in partnership with RAC - I had a callout last year for a flat battery (since replaced). Apparently, it's an MB-trained and equipped (Merc-branded van) RAC unit, which I feel, is a step up from a generic road rescue service.

As to the cost, you can get AA, or RAC, or others for less, than a tenner a month - on introductory offers, etc. However, after a year of two, full price renewals starts, and you'd have to switch, etc. Having a Service Care Plan, it's one less thing to worry about.

Oh, and it's not just the basic servicing you get - it's everything: all additional items, no matter how pricey (like auto transmission fluid or spark plugs, etc), are included in the plan. Again for me - it's the convenience of it, and its predictability that matters significantly.
 

David Richardson

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Hi ya & welcome, I would agree GLK (Dave) is the man that has most experience with A169's listen to him & you won't go wrong
& the guy has carried out some awesome mods to his motor.
 
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гелик

гелик

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Cheers for all that info GLK! Very helpful.

I'll pop back in when I have my car which should hopefully be not too far off :)
 

ZZZZ

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Cool, post some pics when you have it :)
 


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