Offered a C280 for £1000

[Savo]

Hi this is my first post here. I drive a 1992 BMW 525i Sport which I really like but fancy a change. While picking my car up from the garage today I was offered a 1996 c280 for £1000, I said I wasn't interested. Now I'm back at the house I decided to look on Google for any info. Is the C280 a big thirsty lump or is it a quality Mercedes capable of over 20mpg urban. My 525 sport is 192 BHP and averages about 22 mpg. Would the Mercedes be a similar car? Are they a nice car to drive? Is rust an issue? If I receive positive answers I will contact the garage and view the car. I have been considering getting a newer e39 bmw but a total change would be nice. I have found BMWs to be cheap to keep on the road and have stuck to them because of this.

Thanks

Andrew

 

[reflexboy]

I have a 1996 C280 Elegance auto. I love it. I easily get mid 20's mpg plus around town and much better on a run. Go for it.

 

[Ron Palfrey]

Hi Savo, I've owned a 94 C280 Auto Elegance for over a year now and covered about 13000 miles in that time. It had a full M-B service history which gave me confidence. I bought mine privately off a good friend who'd owned it for 10 years. I had reservations too as it is my first Merc but it is not too thirsty, 25 around town, and 29 on a run. Comfortable, and quick when you want it to be. Electric windows stuck on passenger side doors but fixed them easily and cheaply myself. Had a problem with the Scorpion alarm/immobiliser and had to call the RAC out for that but he fixed it within an hour. Don't trust the alarm/immobilisor anymore now though, although it does work, so I use the key in the doors (central locking works fine) instead of the remote. No rust to speak of. The 96 will be the same straight 6 as mine so if it has a full service history, you do the usual checks and it drives OK I'd go for it at a grand. Mine cost me £2.5k and I've never regretted buying it. Lovely car. Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[flagstaff]

the 280 24V motor of this generation is prone to a couple of weaknesses - both very serious - which you should check have been rectified before you buy. first is the cylinder head gasket, which *will* fail; how expensively depends upon how long it has been left unattended to in a failing state. second is the wiring loom to the engine; this will probably fail, as it was manufactured with a biodegradable sheath which biodegrades too early.