a little help pls

[jay_225]

hi people, my first post on this forum.
ok i have at the mo a megane sport 225, and am really tempted in purchasing a c class, either the 180, 200 or 220
thing is, there seems to be so many different options and interior differences on the trader and dont want to have my trousers pulled down over a silly sale.
just wondered if you guys could help me out a little, im looking in the region of about 8k not very much i know but thats what i got and wondered wat was sensible in me looking for??

is there any preferences on here as to steer clear of certain ones?? what tends to go wrong?? and what are they like mostly, ive read about 160bhp for the 1.8 and was under the impresion its got a super charger

would u guys recomend the diesel or petrol.
sorry for the questions on my first post.
thanks in advance
j

 

[wemorgan]

Welcome.

£8k is plenty enough to find a nice C-class. Everyone has their own opinion of basic minimum spec, but for me it's simply to have automatic gearbox, leather interior and climate control. Other options are a nice bonus, but little more to me.

I'd look for a post 2005 car, where rust issues are less common

diesel or petrol: what's your annual mileage? I'm a fan of the 220 diesel. But if your mileage is low then a 200K petrol would be nice.

 

[jay_225]

hi mate, so after 2005 thats fine, i like the rear of them where the boot corner is clear, if u get me, think theyre so much nicer to look at rather than a bmw compact.
i saw one last nite parked up an loved how it sat, anual milage is around 10k ish
so dont mind diesel or petrol really just performance issues if any?
am i rite in saying the evo version looks nice, are they nice to drive?? any comon faults,
cheers again

 

[wemorgan]

hi mate, so after 2005 thats fine, i like the rear of them where the boot corner is clear, if u get me, think theyre so much nicer to look at rather than a bmw compact.
i saw one last nite parked up an loved how it sat, anual milage is around 10k ish
so dont mind diesel or petrol really just performance issues if any?
am i rite in saying the evo version looks nice, are they nice to drive?? any comon faults,
cheers again

Ah, so you're looking for a c-class coupe (2 door)?

My sister just bought one. Here's the thread. I agree the EVO looks nice
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/clas...anted-c-class-coupe-diesel-automatic-10k.html

a bit more than your budeget, but should give you a decent idea of what the money buys.

There are 2 diesel versions 200 and 220. Both are the same engine but different states of tune.

BTW I was suprised to see that CLK were cheaper!!

EDIT: Jay, a forum member has a 2002 CLK 240 for sale £7990 or a 2002 C-coupe 180K £6890

http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/66954/mercland_stock.htm

 

[jay_225]

ahh rite see thats my first mistake, i know a bit about other cars but never even looked at a merc ha sorry
yeah i like the coupe, thought they looked really nice.
didnt think they would be that expensive tho, ah well il keep looking, really would like to think i could get in one tho
cheers for ur help

 

[kwakdonut]

To be honest, you get what you pay for. Mercs have higher residual value for a reason. They are seen as a more prestige marque than Audi, VW, Ford etc. On a par with BMW for different reasons (MB Auto boxes are fab, BMW not so much! etc etc)

Trim levels are Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde (with/without SE). Later versions also had Sport. I know nothing about the Evo ones!

The Coupe's are an acquired taste and not to everyone's but each to their own!

As Will said, minimum spec I would go for is leather, climate, autobox. I love the Panorama roof on mine and quite a few of the 'toys'. Just remember that the more toys you have, the more you miss them if you ever have to 'downgrade'!!

Have fun and welcome to the Forum

Tony

 

[kwakdonut]

Also, don't be afraid of pre-2005 ones. I had one and it was rust free but did have a couple of the common problems (front torque arms worn and A/C condensor leakage...). Full Service History is very important but doesnt neccessarily have to be from main dealer - a good Independent will do as good a job for half the money

 

[bpsorrel]

My wife had a 2003 C180K coupe Evo with the panoramic roof. Nice car, no rust at all, but did have some silly faults, all dealt with under warranty. Car looked great, especially with the upgrade "sport edition" wheels and light grey leather! If we were buying another, I'd go for the 220 cdi instead of the 180 kompressor.

 

[jay_225]

thanks very much people, some nice things to think about, so people seem to be preffering the 220 over the 180 komp, why is this?? just a mpg thing or the standard of the actual engine??
yeah the sport ed is the one id be going for, why do people prefer the auto over manual?? for me it has to be manual all day

 

[bpsorrel]

I love autos, but that's just me! I'm lazy I guess! I've heard that the manuals can be difficult on hill starts because of the foot operated parking brake, but I've never tried it so it's only hearsay...

 

[wemorgan]

Here's the list of engines in the C-class coupe:

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sports Coupé (01-08) - Facts & Figures - Parker's

so you see, the 220 is diesel and 180 is a petrol.

Mercedes are renowned for their automatic gearboxes. With millions spent on their development it could be said that they make the best. However, they sell relatively few manual cars, so subsequently they have spent much less money on their development.

Drive both and see how you feel.

 

[BenzedUP]

I'd go for a 54 plate + they should not have any problems.

Go for either 200 K or 220 CDi, the 180 K is under powered, coming from a 225 you will find it very very slow!

 

[louisv6]

My personal experience of the C220 CDI was not a great one. It takes a long time to warm up in winter and is sluggish until it has warmed up.

I had more than a couple of near misses as a result, and actually thought there was something wrong with it until I noticed other people saying similar things across the internet.

The C200 CDI as I understand it doesn't suffer from this problem.

Bear in mind though that mine was a 2003 model (so pre-facelift) and I don't know if they rectified that issue with the later versions.

The C270 CDI is a much nicer diesel if that's what you're planning to go for.

I think the C180 and C200 petrols are probably a bit underpowered. The C220 CDI had absolutely bags of torque so once warm was nice to drive, but it scared me in the mornings sometimes!

C240 might be worth a look? V6, but still relatively frugal...

 

[Gridlock]

Manual Mercs still have the foot-operated handbrake?

Erk

 

[jay_225]

didnt know about the foot operated hand brake, feels weird saying that ha
il more than likely try a few out before i dive into anything, thanks for so many replies tho,nice to hear people trying to help.
cheers

 

[bennesspipers]

Hi jay, I totally agree with bpsorrel,i'v run manual gearboxes all my life untill i got into Mercedes, i'll NEVER go back to manual. Auto's are quicker through the gears even on the older mercs, & as it selects the next higher gear you can feel it boost you forward, where as in a manual you're still waiting for the revs to rise, TRY ONE