Am I A Moron?

[E270 Owner]

Hey guys,

Thought I'd register here and ask a few questions, just to see if I've totally lost my mind.

I've been driving for about 4 years now, didn't start until I was 23 due to living in London and being a student, but having not seriously injured or killed anyone in that time, I'm now getting insurance quotes for "proper" cars that are affordable for someone who isn't the head of a major bank.

I've always wanted a nice CLK or C Class, and I'm seeing decent CLKs (200/320 and all inbetween) on Auto Trader/ebay for around £4k. Most are around 03-05, between 70-100k on the clock, all with MOT and good service history.

I'm just wondering if this is a wise purchase or if I'm mad and in for a long list of heavy repairs?

Various mates of mine when they graduated to their own first "proper" car, go for a Focus or a Golf around the same price. I'm seen as the nutter who is holding out for a Merc, continually told I'll wind up in a cloud of smoke with a heap of **** that will cost more to fix than I paid for it.

So I'm just looking for basic advice really. From reading around I've learned a Mk2 CLK (C209) is a good buy, not too complex but still a fantastic car, and I'm aware of the potential issues to watch out for (balance shaft, MAF, etc).

Thanks guys.

Hi

Get an independent inspection from AA RAC and remember those guys are on breakdown service so ask them about common problems with whatever your thinking of buying.

Ask at this forum when you have a particular MB car you like then some more focused advice can be given.

Mercs are expensive to maintain in comparison with some other manufacturers but ........... "you are smiling at the shop window reflections as you drive along" (J.Clarkson)

 

[edgjhdsg]

Cheers for the responses guys. Just wrote out a long reply responding to some point and asking some more questions but then Chrome crashed and I lost it. Will return when I've got more time.

Briefly though -

I'm aware you guys aren't exactly going to say "Mercs are crap, avoid at all costs", but I was more looking for specific model advice, what to watch out for, etc, which is exactly what I got! I am looking for more general advice elsewhere, but I'm aware that asking this on a general car forum will just cause a massive argument between BMW, Audi, etc drivers.

In terms of fuel cost and to a lesser extent insurance, I'm thinking more along the lines of a 240 or even a 200K rather than a 320. Someone said to avoid 4 cylinders (200K) though. Any reason why?

Also, do all 200Ks have manual transmission? I'd much prefer the auto with the side-to-side kickdown thingy (is tiptronic the right term?) so I can briefly show off before oversteering into a tree.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Cheers for the responses guys. Just wrote out a long reply responding to some point and asking some more questions but then Chrome crashed and I lost it. Will return when I've got more time. Briefly though - I'm aware you guys aren't exactly going to say "Mercs are crap, avoid at all costs", but I was more looking for specific model advice, what to watch out for, etc, which is exactly what I got! I am looking for more general advice elsewhere, but I'm aware that asking this on a general car forum will just cause a massive argument between BMW, Audi, etc drivers. In terms of fuel cost and to a lesser extent insurance, I'm thinking more along the lines of a 240 or even a 200K rather than a 320. Someone said to avoid 4 cylinders (200K) though. Any reason why? Also, do all 200Ks have manual transmission? I'd much prefer the auto with the side-to-side kickdown thingy (is tiptronic the right term?) so I can briefly show off before oversteering into a tree.

Welcome to the forum. The engine to go for really is the M112 3.2 the 240 is also pretty bullet proof, IMHO both the W203 (C Class) and W209 (CLK). You should also find 320s will have higher spec hopefully with some nice options. I've just sold my C320 after owning it for 10 years and it's been faultless (except for a crank position sensor issue which is a common fault on many Merc models).

Yep, the auto box is referred to as tip tropic. Don't buy a manual gearbox car irrespective of how cheap it may be, Mercs of this type should always be an Auto. The 4 cylinder versions can sound a bit gruff. Sorry don't know much about the 4 cylinder cars, only things to watch for are rust really.

What sort of mileage will you be doing? The 320 won't be that bad on fuel

 

[John]

I can't help with the specific model you are after but I don't think you are a moron setting your sites on something a bit different.

I've pretty much always bought what I wanted and in the 15 cars I've owned - it's served me fine on the whole.

I would ensure whatever you go for is checked by a decent independent to ensure nothing bad is lurking.

I've not found my Merc any more expensive to run than pretty much any other car I've owned (and I've owned Opel, Ford, Vauxhall, BMW and Saab).