06 C220CDI Estate.. Whats good Whats Bad.

[JeepGuy]

Evening guys,

I need another Auto Diesel Estate to cover a minimum of 20k per year.. Could be double but no less than 20K.
Needs to be an Estate to lug various Jeep parts about.
Ideally it will carry me to 200k with minimal fuss although I know stuff wears out etc etc...


I've spied an 06 C220Cdi Avantgarde locally with 111k one owner and FSH.

What are the main issues to look out for a W203 of this ERA?

I'm aware of the Black death..

Do all the W203s have the phone button on the dash even if they dont have the hardware for Handsfree?

Would be self self serviced with OE or equivalent parts and filters.

I'm sure there will be more questions but TIA

 

[219]

Just be aware the boot is a lot smaller than the E Class , and unlike the E Class , SLS is not standard with very few cars having the option . If you are going to be carrying a lot of weight around this may be a consideration . They are by no means the load carriers their bigger brothers are .

A post facelift car is likely to be better than the 2003 C270CDI estate I had . The 270 is reckoned to be the best engine with almost the performance of the 320 but no fuel penalty over the 220 - mine returned 47mpg all day long and could be coaxed into mid 50's if driving light footedly .

Watch for bouncing door locks ( £100 lock assembly ) , rear wiper motor ( water from screenwash leaks internally and causes it to seize ( £200 part ) and missing/faulty electronic keys ( £240 to replace ) . Worn suspension joints can also be an issue with replacement control arms being expensive items .

My car came with a space saver wheel , even though there is room in the well for a proper full size spare ( purchased straight after I got the car ) .

I had the Black Death problem with all five injectors failing over my two years ownership , faulty thermostat and block heater , leaking high pressure fuel lines ( expensive items ) turbo feed pipe leak , the turbo itself failed after I sold the car .

My C270CDI was comfortable and nice to drive , but I was always waiting for the next thing to go wrong and lost all confidence in it , so went back to a 190E ; had I wanted another estate it'd have been another S124 .

 

[Deleted member 37751]

A facelift S203 is almost a completely different beast to the facelift though ^^.

A five speed auto 2.2 CDi in a facelift S203 should be a good buy for the OP's budget and by the sounds of it it looks to be a cherished one.

The only issue is say is the boot space isn't big like the S211 which is cavernous and with the seats down puts most vans to shame.

 

[whitenemesis]

Yes, they all have the phone button even though it may not have the pre wire option

 

[RSTurbo50]

I had a C220 CDI Sport for only a few weeks...performance wasn't great. Try stretch to a C320 CDI if funds allow..

 

[Mactech]

I had a 2005 E220 auto Estate some time ago, and the engine was great if a little 'taxi' sounding.
Two years ago a I bought a 07 C180K estate with 100K miles on it. It cost peanuts to own and run, was much quieter than it's diesel brother and did well over 40 mpg.
It does not have the lowdown grunt of the wood burner, but due to much lower used prices you have to do intergalactic miles to make an overall cost saving.
I'm back in a much more refined Audi A6 Ultra now, but the petrol version of the facelift C class is a very well rounded estate car. Just a thought

 

[JeepGuy]

Thanks for the replies.. £200 for a wiper motor? Or is that
the linkage? Quick scout round kicked a Valeo one up sub
£50.

Not bothered about performance.. this addition is for work/business. it needs to cover miles in half decent comfort and have life left in it.
I've had a quick look at petrol versions but sat at motorway speeds I can't see the petrol being near the diesel..
And don't really have a budget..

 

[219]

When I looked , ECP wanted something like £197 for the unit - its all one item with motor/gearbox and the spindle through the middle carrying the water for the washer jet - this seems to leak and corrodes the bearing - common problem

 

[Rory]

Lower front suspension arms going seems to be an issue - had them done twice on my car and it's only done 85K "motorway" miles. Maybe they go with age, rather than mileage.

The only other thing that springs to mind is rear brake pipes seem to cause concern - can happen on any car, of course, and always tough to judge, but they're awkward to replace and need the drive shafts / diff dropping.

Phone was quite an expensive option - if it's got it then there will be a connector (UHI) in the top part of the centre console box. Sometimes the connector is there but still has its triangular cover on. These days pretty well the only thing you can do with UHI is buy a Viseoo adapter which bluetooths to your phone.