W202 - C240 Auto Elegance - Buy or Not ?

[Hudson]

Hello,

As my post will testify i am new to all this Mercedes Benz business and am looking for some very quick and accurate advice.

I have just sold my VW Passat 1.8T Tip, and am looking at buying the above car which is close to where i live and going for the sum of £6600, it has beige leather and has covered 60,000 miles, it is an S reg 1998, and has FMBSH.

I have read a number of threads on the site and seem to get the impression that the 'old' C Class (ie this one) is better built than the current one with less issues regarding rust, mechanical and electrical problems etc, have i got this right ? Also do you think the price is correct for the car, the dealer says it is like new with not rust, scratches etc.

Any help in buying this would be much appreciated, i do however have a darker side... i am also considering a BMW 528iSe Auto, again a 1998, but i have not yet seen anything suitable. I will only be travelling approx 20 miles per day in the car which will be in heavy traffic in and out of town.

Does this particular model have any issues and does it have a decent turn of speed both in acceleration and mid range torque. A good pal of mine had (actually still has) a 1995 C180, and i have always appreciated it's build quality, but i have never owned one and i would like to hear it ... warts and all. Thank you all in advance.

 

[pascal]

Old Model C240 V6 (W202)

About 170 HP and about the same 170 lb/ft at 3,000rpm

V6 engine, similar to 3.2 (both M112 series) Pretty modern

It won't set your pants on fire, but you should reach 60 in 10 secs, going on to a top speed of 130mph.

Dad had 95 & 99 C180s with no main issues.

Pascal

PS Seems on the money (for an A1 car)

 

[Hudson]

Thanks for that, i have just been reading all the many posts on the rust issues with the E class, and i note a rather large amount of type on the C class, with comments like '' i would never buy another merc'' and '' i have bought a £10K rust bucket'', i have to say this does not fill me with confidence especially when my alternative choice of BMW seems to get good comments on it's ability to resist the dreaded creeping death !

Given i have just sold a 6 year old VW with not one jot of rust anywhere to be seen, i am stunned that an E class that could have cost well in excess of £30k when new would rust so badly so soon, i really feel for all the owners of these cars and the situation they are in. If this issue came out on top gear or another media forum then i would say the value of their cars and the ability to sell them would take a very bad turn. My faith and admiration for the Mercedes brand has taken a bit of a turn in the last 30 mins after reading all the posts, i must say my opinion on what car to go for over the next few weeks it slowly shifting towards BMW.

 

[blassberg]

Fair to say there have been some issues in my opinion over 2000-2003ish timeframe... you are right to do your homework. Others can discuss other periods but I've had good reliability on my 100,000 mile Y reg ML270 (Austrian build). No rust.

P reg E230 before that was also good, and no rust, but auto box failed at 80,000, and some idiot.... got it stuck in some flood which was expensive...

 

[pascal]

Hudsen,

I would say that you were reading all the posts from the same member (no names mentioned).
Sure MBs are not of the same quality as say 20/30 years ago, but they were so expensive back then, compared to ordinary cars, like VWs, they were exclusive.

Now the gap has narrowed, regarding price, the quality issue has also.

My brother bought a BM 2.5 coupe a few years ago that had big quality issues.

But if you are going to base your whole decision on what car you think you should buy next, on 1-2 (Lexus loving) people, I suggest you buy a scoda.

 

[orbitalegg]

i would go with the 98 c class(very smooth v6 and transmission) over the equivelent bm any day

 

[Myros]

nothing wrong with Skodas

they are just sensibly priced Audis. Go for the C240 by all means, but have another shufti for C280s.I have one, do the same kind of commute as you describe, and get 27mpg. 30 or more on a decent run, and as Pascal keeps telling me, it will set my pants on fire. No issues with mine save an OVP (everyone will have one of those) and a duo valve, and now the damper on the polybelt tensioner. One tiny rust spot lower back door sill, in 11 years and nearly 100k.

 

[jberks]

Got a 96 C - quality second to none if looked after. The 240 engine is lovely, I have it in my E. A thoroughbred it's not, and an eco car it isn't either, especially if stuck in traffic, but one blip of the throttle and the whirr of the v6, you'll wonder how you ever put up with the crude VW5 pot! To be fair, I had one of them too, (in an Audi A3 1.8T beastie!).The v6 is a far more sedate beast but have a drive and if you like it, I can't see why not.

Do check that the plugs have been changed as this is a £250+ job and needs doing around 60k. I've just done mine myself today, its not a fun DIY job and it cost me £117 in bits and a lot of scraped knuckles! Remember an FMBSH only means its been to the dealer, not that extra work was ever authorised so it may be worth checking what was don with the dealer who serviced it.

 

[robbo]

My honest opinion as a mercedes owner is that until Mercedes sorts out the quality issues, I would look elsewhere. The build quality is not up to the levels expected considering the price premium. Rust, electrical and mechanical problems are just too common I am afraid. Go for a BMW or a lexus.

IMO the W202 is worse for rust than the W203, having personally seen quite a few rusty W202s.

 

[Hudson]

Thanks for that advice, i will keep an open mind until i have seen the C240, and i know you can not just base a car buying decision on the opinion of just one person. But reading the posts on the E class rust issue and seeing that a large number of Merc dealers acknowledge the problem as tangible still concerns me. I can imagine that the BMW's suffer just as many mechanical issues as Merc or any other manufacturer, they are after all just cars, and as such will fail just in the same way as all moving items. What highlights the rust issue beyond the mere mechanical though is the underlying image that Mercedes gives, that is one of absolute top build quality. A car breaking down is not generally seen by the public, it is fixed quickly and then the vehicle is back on the road, rust however is there for all to see. A prestige marque with the pedigree of Mercedes should never loose sight of why it's loyal customers buy their cars, i think with this particular E class problem it did just that. I will keep you informed after my drive.

 

[JimMac]

W202

Hello, bought a C240 sport a few weeks ago. No suprises so far, this one has done 80,000 miles with the last three services being done by specialists and I have since had it done by the local MB agent.

Rust wise, yes, poorly repaired accident damage and minor rust in known areas (look under the door seals at the top rear corner of each door, well designed water trap)

Reliability wise, my dad has a C240 elegance with 170,000 and the dearest repair has been a fan motor which requires the heater unit to be replaced (depending on who you ask) at over £300.

Check the the fan and all ancillaries work and also if you do buy the motor, get the transmission fluid and filter changed as it is advisable as the item is sealed for life. Even MB are now recommending 100k fluid changes. elsewhere on this forum 60 to 70k is a good time to get this done. It does not cost the earth to have done (£100 to £200 depending on who does it) and as an added bonus to the life extension for the transmission, driving the car is noticeably smoother, faster and probably a bit more economical.

On the economy side, I do mainly motorway journeys of between 70 and 200 miles each way. whilst doing these trips I am at 70 ish with the cruise control on and achieve a comfortable 35 mpg. If I do a lot of local shopping trips or bitting and bobbing, I get around 30 mpg. pretty respectable when I was only getting 42 out of a tdci mondeo previously.

The beemer route is fine if you can get a good one but there are some bargin W202's to be had if you don't mind a bit of travelling. Plus the three pointed star shining back at you does give you a warm feeling inside.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Jim

 

[Guy Greenwell]

Hi,
As a new member to this group I have not had as much experience as some, however i bought a W202 C250 Turbodiesel, S 98 Reg. in January with just over 100,000 miles and have been most pleased with it.
The paint is original apart from the bonnet which I asked the garage to respray before I bought it because of a few stone chips, the upholstery is as new (cloth) and the car drives as a taught new car, I am very satisfied.
My only other Mercedes was a 280 CE which I owned about 15 years ago and that was reliable too, but there was the odd spot of rust on it.
I am now semi retired from teaching engineering and motor vehicle engineering, so expect to carry out all mantenance myself as I have always done and find the Merc. no threat apart from getting into the diagnostic system if I have to.
Regards Guy.

 

[jberks]

There are a lot of people confusing the W202 with the W203 and the W210. They are totally different animals with different problems. Yes the 210 can suffer from rust, though this varies dramatically between cars, from the odd speck on the top edge of the doors, to entire bodyshells.
I was never that convinced with the build of the W203 - down to the design of the interior and general feel, I always felt it was a severe drop down from the W202, but then it is cheaper too.
If you want to know about the quality of the W202, just look at how many are running about - many 10 years old and the condition they are in. I don't think we'll see their like again.

 

[benzo]

Have had a 2000 MY 202 -for 2+ years now. No problems, no rust, no issues, no stops at repairers outside of routine service/recommended maintenance, relatively cheap to run. Drives good.
It's a C180 though, so a bit underpowered -but I'm not racing anyone. It's a good car and feels well put togeteher.

 

[littlebrooklyn]

This is the first time I've actually read any posts about rust. I have no idea if mine is one of the ones that are apparently prone to it, but it's a bit worrying I think.

Lyn

 

[robbo]

Lyn,

The W210 and W202 (the old E and C class) are most prone to rust. The newer W203 is less prone, but still there is a chance of rust around the doors (there is a recall to deal with this). To deal with this issue once and for all, MB have started to galvanise their cars to counter any more damage to its reputation. They started doing this i believe around 3Q 2004 so if yours is after that then to wont have any rust issues.

The W203 has other issues though, mainly with reliability of electric systems and suspension problems. The facelift may have sorted these, who knows.

 

[willoughbybrown]

W202 C240

I have owned my '97 131k C200 esprit for several months and have it parked on the road (as did the previous owner). It gets washed monthly and waxed. NO RUST at all. My wifes aunt has a 2002 CLK320 convertible and has had new boot, front wings both doors and a rear quarter panel. That car is valeted weekly and is garaged. No comparison. You takes your chances.

I would highly recommend the W202 series but think that you are paying too much for the car.

Most modern cars are built with obsolescence in mind so quality takes a back seat. The W202 feels less substantial than my old W124, (but then again nothing has fallen off yet!)

The W202 is very well supported in the specialist system (even more so after Mercedes "sacked" 100's of dealers a couple of years ago) and I am seriously considering a W202 C32 / C43 until I can afford a CLS350 or SL350.

 

[GregE240]

I've had a '98 E240 (W210) since October 2001. I bought it from MB Shrewsbury with 41K on the clock.

Now it has 147K on the clock, and has been as reliable as a Swiss watch.

Fit and build quality are second to none. It has had rust problems that were rectified by MB - rust around the boot button (common) and rust on the front wing (bubbling from under the paint, not stonechips). The repair was first class. They even resprayed the front end for me.

Other than regular maintenance, the following has needed replacing:

MAS sensor at 98K (around £250 but you can buy them from e-Bay for about £100. Fitting is a 5 minute job);

Air con condensor at 119K - my fault really. Should have run the aircon during winter.

New headlight unit due to failed PCB at 132K - Internal PCB failed, non replaceable part so new unit.

The engine uses around a litre of oil between services (ASSYST so anything from 10,000 to 18,000 miles depending on how you drive it), starts first time and pulls like a train. Yes, its a heavy car so the performance won't set the world alight, but once its at speed its fine. Motorway cruising is a joy - it will sit at 80-90 all day long. Economy wise I average 26-30mpg - good for a large saloon IMO.

As stated by colleagues in this thread, plug changes are expensive as it has 2 plugs per cylinder, and getting the tranny oil changed will transform the gearbox, as well as extending its life significantly.

Check thoroughly for rust, and check the service history. Other than that the only other thing I can think of that sometimes fails on the W202 is the steering damper which makes the steering feel a bit loose - the part is £26 and pay around £100 all in at a dealer for supply and fit.

Good luck. Great car, great engine.

All the best,
Greg

 

[The Fat Baron]

Have to agree with the majority of people on here.

On my second pre '00 C class and have never had a moment of trouble.

No rust whatsoever and while it's not the quickest car in the world it's a fantastic drive and very comfortable.

Having had both a manual and an auto, I would recommend the auto big time but then that's just a personal preference.

The elegence spec with the leather is the icing on the cake.

I'd say go for it.

 

[merc300e]

Still looking?

If so have a look at; www.jgoodman.co.uk - 1998 C240 with 55k & FmbSH for £5500 - Regards.