Should i buy

[emc17]

Hi i am looking at a 2023 c220d car. Have been driving for 37 years. My husband and my mechanic have said avoid becauses it swings to much at back, being a rwd.

Is this just a winter problem and sorted by winter tyres.

I like the car but am confused. Never owned merc before

 

[EmilysDad]

Don't be put off by RWD. It's not that long back since almost all cars drove the proper wheels and we still survived. Your chosen car will have traction control so will usually correct any oversteer .... just don't plant your foot to the carpet mid bend when it's ice or snowy.

 

[AndySlade]

Do you really need a diesel? Modern diesels are far from reliable with ad-blu issues, only really economic if doing large mileages. It depends where you live if winter tyres are of any great benefit, given milder winters, unless a steep slope on or off driveway and not well gritted and cleared roads in your area. Rear wheel drive cars and front wheel cars do behave somewhat differently when driven, but I would not call a c220D Merc twitchy or ’swings from the back’ unless you have a very heavy right foot. You could have best of both worlds and fit cross-climate tyres, but make sure they are available in the sizes for your intended car as Mercedes sometimes fit wider tyres at the back than the front and these wider sizes are not available in cross-climate.

 

[Chrishazle]

First, as already mentioned, a C class diesel of that age (and much older ones back to about 2015 I believe) have adblue - a seperate tank of what I believe is basically pigs urine!! - that gets injected into the exhaust to meet emission regs (Euro 6). These systems are known trouble and expense, ranging from the Nox sensors to the adblue tank and pump (serious cost). I would not touch one with a barge pole - my 2008 C220Cdi does not have this system but is only Eur0 4 so not ULEZ compliant (my 2008 SLK280 is!!).

As also mentioned, there is little or no cost benefit of a diesel for low annual mileage - I believe the figure of 9k miles pa is where a diesel starts to make sense over a petrol. Diesels are more expensive to service, and diesel is more expensive than E10 petrol.

As for the swinging back end - the traction control on the C class is excellent, mine was on ordinary tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1assymetrics) initially, my 17" wheels are staggered so 225/45 R17 front - which I changed to Michelin Crossclimate all seasons a while ago - and originally 245/40 R17 rears. Could not find that size in all season tyres so instead I fitted 235/45 R17 all season, which have been fine and have not adversly affected the speedo, feel and handling is fine.

 

[00slk]

I have one fwd car, and 12 rwd cars. Still alive, never crashed either.
Welcome by the way.

 

[DSK]

I think your mechanic is an idiot.

Modern cars and stability control systems are quite advanced turning idiots into super hero’s. I’ve driven plenty of RWD cars for the past 20 years and still do now, in snow on summer tyres alone. Leave the traction control on, have decent tread at least if not winter tyres and they are just like any other car, provided you are sensible. It will be as stable as as your mortgage. Obviously if you must drive in deep snow, that lasts days and weeks, then winter tyres are a must to avoid getting stuck.

There have been threads about the 220 engines needing frequent/old school oil changes to help reduce some engine issues (camshaft/cam chain?). Some have been know to have cracked pistons albeit abroad.

Either way if you go for it, this will be the place for advice and help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SL63 Mark]

There is no way you will lose the back in a C220d. I never even came close with ours.

Even the SL63 takes some unsticking, with all the driver aids, and that has 4 times the power.

 

[SmartAmg]

 

[old man Logan]

Welcome ,best forum for advice and technical support

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

Good morning and welcome, buy yourself and nice Mercedes and enjoy it..

if you do lots of mileage then buy a diesel otherwise I would find a nice petrol engined one…

you can always ask about a car on here, you will get good honest advice and help, as you may have already noticed.