2008 w204 C180K auto with 90k miles - common issues? avoid ?

[retrof]

Hi All,

New to the MB scene but am considering a W204 C180k auto, 2008 year. I have seen one with 90k miles and full MB service history, but am wondering if there are specific issues I should be looking out for, things that typically need replacing/can go wrong at the 90-100k mark etc. ? e.g. any big bills approaching or problems which are common on the w204 petrol kompressor models?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide
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[Pittsey]

Before you buy, I thought I better mention it, as I found out after purchasing. That these cars only do 25mpg around town. That isn't with a heavy foot either.

 

[retrof]

Thanks for that Pittsey. Really that low? that's under the published one from MB (no surprise) but I didn't think it would be that low. I used to get 25 on my 520i e39 2.2l around town!. Is this the norm on the c180k?

Anything else I should watch out for on one at 90k miles?

Thanks,
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[shorty]

The M271 engine in this car is rubbish IMHO , I had one in an E class . They are hard on petrol , I only averaged 26 with mixed driving and my best ever was about 33 , also the cam chains give trouble , stretching at as little as 40k and damaging the sprockets or even bending valves . I will never again have a car with this engine .

 

[trapperjohn]

The timing chain is a "single" one. Avoid like the plague it will stretch. Get a 230 or a diesel.

 

[Pittsey]

Now I am a little worried about the engine in my car...!

 

[shorty]

Now I am a little worried about the engine in my car...!

What milage has your car done ?

My local indy checks the chains at 40k miles , Get the chain checked when its next service is being done . If the chain is changed before it strectches then damage to the sprockets can be avoided

 

[Pittsey]

What milage has your car done ?

My local indy checks the chains at 40k miles , Get the chain checked when its next service is being done . If the chain is changed before it strectches then damage to the sprockets can be avoided

Thanks. It's just done 40k.

I will get it checked. I'll see if it's something PCS mobile services can do in London, or if not, I'll book it in down there when I'm in the area next.

 

[sinewave]

This seems to be a re-occuring theme these so called 'economical' small capacity engines doing significantly less than their bigger engines cousins?

My E320 CDi of 3 litres does at worst 32-34 round town and up to 47mpg on a run.

I don't tend to hang about too much and do use the full performance regularly.


Bear in mind this engine is in the bigger heavier E Class and it begs the question why buy a small engine when they so often don't deliver due to needing to be thrashed to get anywhere smartly?


Didn't someone recently prove this on a B series with a back to back of the 'Cooking' version and the Turbo?

 

[shorty]

My reasons for buy a 200k when I was getting a 211 was road tax based .

The road tax on a 1.8 is around 600 euro pa at the moment , whereas a 3.2 is around 1800 euro pa .

 

[Pittsey]

I bought mine second hand and I didn't really look too deeply into it. I didn't realise how poor it would be on the fuel. Parkers said something like 36mpg combined.

I don't mind 25MPG if performance comes with it. But I am tempted to look for something new with a bigger engine.

 

[219]

I too was tempted by the petrol C180 and 200 models , although in W203 models , as low mileage examples were available at quite reasonable prices ; on paper , the published fuel consumption figures were not much worse than the diesel counterparts and bearing in mind the difference in cost of almost 10p/litre the running costs did not look to be so different .

However , after asking advice on here , I was warned about problems with the M271 engines and also that real world fuel consumptions were not the same as the published ones - so in the end I opted for the C270CDI .

I would suggest that at the price you are mentioning , you could be looking at an early W204 with high-ish mileage , or a late , one owner W203 with lower mileage .

Worth comparing the two : a tired example of the latest model vs a cherished example of the earlier one .....