Looking at W203 estates

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My first ever MB was a 2001 S203 c270cdi - the engine recommended by the magazine road testers when the 203 first came out. Super engine, but 2001 = rust problems (bottom edge of offside doors and rear wheel arches), MAF and thermostat. I escaped the valeo radiator problem. Biggest problem I had was freezing of the screenwash fluid en route to the tailgate - you have to make sure the fluid is protected down to low level before the cold comes, 'cos when the pipework connections do pop it's a PITA!

Fabulous car (C270 Elegance) - 45mpg and enough grunt to embarras many a chav. I would have bought another - but post 1st Q 2004 to get galvanised, nano paint and no Valeo problem - but I saw a 2008 S204 that was too good to refuse, so now have that.
 
Thanks for all the good info gents .

I will be sure to cast a careful eye over the bodywork for signs of remedial work ( although if it has been done properly it should be OK for a while ) . I had been under the impression that 2005 was beyond the period for the rusty ones - perhaps not .

I will also have a careful listen to the engine , both before and after a run .

I'm not hugely fussed about which engine ; it is more a matter of what turns up and seems to be in decent order . If I do end up with a 180 , which would be fine for my daily commute along A roads and motorway with most traffic doing around 50 to 60 , then it would be no great hardship to change the chain & tensioner for peace of mind , unless there is evidence of it having been done already .

Insurance for the 180 is cheap as chips , I would need to get some quotes for the larger engines as well .
 
55 plate means that you are looking at the facelift, which Ollie at PCS (whose judgement I trust implicitly) says is a very good thing.
2005/2006 is about the time that companies were moving towards diesels, but so were some of the very sensible private buyers - with this in mind I am sure that you will continue to look at diesels as well as petrol and buy on history/condition.

My own W203 C240 saloon started having electrical problems when it was about 10 years old - SAM unit, Yaw sensor, Alternator and EIS, hopefully the electrics are more robust in the facelift.
Also, Rust is beginning to be a problem that will need sorting out in the spring.
A point to bear in mind if you intend keeping the car - Will the facelift cars start showing similar problems when they get to 10+ years old?

Despite the problems I thoroughly enjoy the car - but when I replace it, I hope to get a facelift C270cdi estate - If nothing else it will be cheaper to get up to Scotland for what I hope has become an annual drive for me.

*** (Steve) seems to think that his C220 diesel estate is an acceptable car
;)

Before going ahead with any purchase I would check quotes with your insurance company - for some reason the C class 203 facelift and the 204 models tend to rate quite high (even higher than a similar E Class) with some insurers
 
Thanks again for the comments .

I had worked out from looking at so many adverts that the facelift came in late 2004 , and feel that the interiors are nicer on the later cars . I am looking to try to get as late / low mileage a car as I can within budget , with exact model secondary . I'd also like something with a decent spec and preferably not a grey car with black interior !

I'm open minded about engines , although most of the cars I've seen have been either C180K petrol or C220CDI with few others about ( bearing in mind I am looking for an estate and not a saloon ) .

I started out looking for something up to around £2K , but quickly discovered that everything in that price range seems very tatty and/or high mileage .

Now considering spending double that amount , there are some nicer cars to pick from - diesel estates tend to be pre facelift / high mileage but there are a few C180K facelift cars with sub 100K mileages and this is what Im leaning towards .

I wasn't aware of engine issues with the C180 until tonight , so will tread carefully there , but a well cared for car with FSH might still be OK ....

I did see a C320 estate (petrol) somewhere , but running costs are likely to be that bit higher , and Im hoping to get 3 or 4 years if not longer out of whatever I buy .

Aviva quoted me £203 fully comp with business use on the C180 which was a pleasant surprise for an 'everyday' policy .

Time for another trawl through the classifieds before bed .
 
I did see a C320 estate (petrol) somewhere , but running costs are likely to be that bit higher , and Im hoping to get 3 or 4 years if not longer out of whatever I buy .

I don't think it will be much higher than the C180k, the 180k will probably edge it round town, but sat at 80mph the 320 will probably have the advantage.
 
Have you considered an S210 E Class estate?

I loved mine, absolutely loved it, certainly a better car than the C for doing the commute, just gobbles the miles in complete comfort, and lots of nice ones at £4k now.
 
I did look at E classes as well , there are even a few 211's available at that price , but insurance is higher and I was more looking for a smaller car for daily use since I still have the S Class for family outings .
 
I don't think it will be much higher than the C180k, the 180k will probably edge it round town, but sat at 80mph the 320 will probably have the advantage.

Most of my miles will be my daily commute which is about 15 miles of A road in traffic that tends to run about 50 , then motorway the rest of the way in traffic still doing much the same speed .

I tend to keep to 70 these days as I'm done with collecting points on my licence :)
 
...But how did you get on with your Saab experience Will? :devil: :eek:

Ouch :)

Mine was a 150k V6 diesel - I fell flat on my face with that experience. I still like Saabs though and feel a lower mileage petrol should be quite a bit better.

But point taken :)
 

I liked my SAABs back in the day when I had a 99 ; Setright described them as 'thoughtful cars for thoughtful people' .

I kind of went off them when they became badge engineered Vauxhalls .

I'm really looking for a Merc - otherwise it would be a Golf or Passat estate .
 
I'd definitely give a facelift 210 estate a look.

Better car and better built then a 203, especially early ones IMHO. If your driving sensibly on your sort of commute the difference in mpg wouldn't be huge, and I would say possibly outweighed by a lower purchase price and running costs.

Buy one that isn't too bad cosmetically and they really are a hell of a lot of car for next to no money.

I paid £1420 for this a year a half back:

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2-owner 100k car, seven seats, air con, electric memory seats/wheel/mirrors stc etc. 2 keys and all LCD displays ok etc.

Total expenditure in that time has been around £200, including a new water pump £60), CPS (£20) and one set of front pads (£25). Other than that, it's just been two MOT tests (£40 each) and an oil/filter change as far as I can remember. Pre 2001 so slightly cheaper to tax as well.

Just look for a good one at sensible money. Everyone wants a diesel these days it seems, I like them but they do cost a fair bit and aren't as reliable as some of the petrol engines out there. M112 is pretty much bulletproof. Would definitely rather this than an M271 or a CDI engine - both of which can be expensive when they go wrong.

I reckon an E320 CDI in similar condition would have cost me double, and probably cost more in repairs in this time.

Worth a look IMHO, one of the better cheap used MBs out there and well within your budget :)
 
I'd certainly have had another S124 , but have been put off the 210's by some of the very rusty ones I see running around .

When exactly did the facelift come in the 210 range ?

I will take a look locally , and I would certainly be happier spending less !
 
They all rust. Was an issue when these were £10k+ cars but at this price point I wouldn't expect cosmetic perfection.

124s are old and most of them are getting rusty now. At least the 210 is still a newish car and generally more reliable these days overall.

Facelift came in around 1999 I think, mine must be one of the earlier faeclift models on a 'V' I would think. FWIW, it had a complete repaint with new panels (wings etc) a few years ago at an MB main dealer.

I have never polished it. It gets washed up the road for £6 a time and I can load it full of rubbish to take to the tip. I like it how it is, with a few warts and battle scars :D

It doesn't look tatty or embarrassing to drive in the slightest. Best all round car I own :)

MB make some good cars, but the E-class estate has always been the class leader IMHO.
 
You might have to be patient with the search to find a good one at sensible money - I was, took a few months IIRC.

This is almost a twin of mine - perhaps marginally better bodywork but slightly higher mileage. I'd consider it for about a grand less than they are asking:

MERCEDES BENZ E320 AVANTGARDE A 7 SEATER 2002 | eBay

Not many up near you though - so you might have to wait a while or travel - I've done 500+ miles round trips to buy cars on occasion - sometimes it's worth it!

This looks ok, diesel though - most would prefer it

02 Mercedes E320 3.2 CDI Avantgarde Estate Auto | eBay
 
Just for info, when I PX'd my 2001 S203 C270 Elegance in March, 2 owner full MB service history 70k miles - MB Ashford gave me £2650 for it.
 

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