C Class 220cdi MANUAL?

[jimmy lee]

I have seen a low mileage 2003 220cdi for private sale for a very very good price. However it's a manual. All the other Mercs I have owned have all be autos and I love em. Even when I bought my first and one and only brand new Merc the sales man told me to get a auto as the manuals were crap. I knew no better.

I am very tempted to buy it but can any manual owners out there tell me there woes or joys of having a manual!!!

 

[GrahamC230K]

Apart from the obvious difference resale value lower, although less so on a diesel I would have thought, have to adapt to using MB foot operated handbrake which means slipping into neutral unless you have 3 legs. Really easy and if you can walk without falling over you have enough coodination to do it, but some I have read struggle.

Modern MB manual not bad on feel I believe.

 

[GRAV888]

What Graham said above. Resale vastly different between manual and auto.
By the way, could you change your avatar picture please, as it may offend some people.
Thanks

 

[MBManInKen]

However it's a manual. All the other Mercs I have owned have all be autos and I love em.

My first cars were all manuals, I only started driving an auto when I got my first Merc 10 years ago.

While I still drive manuals on occasions, I would never, ever go back to a manual car for myself.

 

[recycled]

I have had one auto c180classic and 2 manuals c180sport and c 200sport.
The autos are better for a relaxing drive and more popular but personally i prefer the manuals and they are very good albeit a bit notchy but that is just me.They are certainly not crap in fact as you will have noticed on the forum the autos even tend to give more problems.
I had treated my manual very hard including botched starts and crunchy gearchanges and i have never had a problem yet. the auto i had was also good but sometimes it was slow to react ,especially in the morning when i drive out in reverse .as you flick it into D it tends to take a few moments to think. I think both gearboxes are brilliant, it just goes down to tastes and driving style, but i have had no problem absolutely with mine.
And if you do not rest your foot on the clutch you may never see a clutch change for the lifetime of the car. i do not mind shoving it in neutral as i did that with the auto as well as i hate standing on the brakes so apart from the foot operated brake you should have no probs.

 

[BlackC55]

The manuals have a very poor feel. The gear stick feels horrible and knotchy and a bit wooly. The clutch has a poor feel to it also. Its springy and not driver friendly.

The newest manuals are much much better than the old and the faclifted c-class has a fairly good gear change also but with a springy clutch pedal.

This is all my own personal opinion so the best thing to do is to test drive it yourself and see how you feel about it.

 

[ROBB]

Jimmy,

To present a balanced argument, i have to say that i have never driven an outo box in any car, and everyone told me to go for an auto for the same reasons they are telling you (blah, blah etc).

I have had mine for 2 years now with no problems to report. Initially (on a trip through wales) the clutch seemed a little heavy (which i prefer-as i can feel something) but i soon adapted to it.

There is nothing springy or wooly about the clutch, and the gearbox is very well made with smooth gearchanges.
Hill starts are a doddle (dont need any revs above idle to balance the car on the clutch), and the parking brake is just that: For Parking.
I have heard more horror stories about auto box failures of many kinds than i have ever heard about manuals.
Yes mine was approx £1500 cheaper than it would have been if it was auto - but i intend to keep it so i saved £1500!!
You have to live with it so go try first - but dont be put off by weight of opinion against it (auto box elitism )

rob

 

[Traveller]

Jimmy,

To present a balanced argument, i have to say that i have never driven an outo box in any car, and everyone told me to go for an auto for the same reasons they are telling you (blah, blah etc).

I have had mine for 2 years now with no problems to report. Initially (on a trip through wales) the clutch seemed a little heavy (which i prefer-as i can feel something) but i soon adapted to it.

There is nothing springy or wooly about the clutch, and the gearbox is very well made with smooth gearchanges.
Hill starts are a doddle (dont need any revs above idle to balance the car on the clutch), and the parking brake is just that: For Parking.
I have heard more horror stories about auto box failures of many kinds than i have ever heard about manuals.
Yes mine was approx £1500 cheaper than it would have been if it was auto - but i intend to keep it so i saved £1500!!
You have to live with it so go try first - but dont be put off by weight of opinion against it (auto box elitism )

rob

You could start a MB Manual Gearbox Club of Great Britain....
Allbeit I think membership would be low, and definately non-elitist

 

[timskemp]

With regards to resale values, whether that's an issue depends on your ownership profile. Buying new and keeping for 2-3 yrs I'd say auto, however I could have saved about 4000 by getting a manual E220 instead of the auto E270 I bought, if buying on finance that's 4000 quid not to have to pay interest on, and after 4 yrs and 200k miles I reckon it'll be a lot less difference then.

the "rules" say never buy a manual merc but rules are meant to be broken. In general the bigger manuals are harder to sell, but the smaller sporty ones shouldn't be an issue.

 

[MBManInKen]

(auto box elitism )

That's a bit rich, isn't it? Elitism has zero to do with why for example I prefer autos. It has everything to do with the driving comfort that I value so highly.

I do notice some manual box elitism with some people at times, though, as if you are "more of a driver" if you shift your gears by hand...

I'd suggest that everyone is entitled to their preferences and choices for whatever reason works for them.

 

[frich107]

I can relate to the last post well, having thought like that myself up until I bought my first auto in June 2006. There is a definite perception amongst some people that 'proper drivers' drive manual cars. My response to that would now be to say that's just not true.

To be honest it would have to be something exceptional for me to buy a manual car again - especially if the automatic 'box in question is anywhere near as good as the 7 speed one on my c320 cdi!

In the end though, only you know whether you can live with a manual c220 cdi or not. If you're happy with it, personally I'd say go for it. Wouldn't be for me personally, but everyone's different!

 

[gina2201]

I have only ever had one auto in 7 cars, which was a Mercedes and my current Mercedes is a manual.

I have no problems with the manual or auto at all, in fact, I am not overly bothered. Manual is nice to have that extra feel of 'driving' a car and being able to downshift (and up!) as and when you want and being more 'sporty' whilst the auto was a lovely smooth drive and very relaxing.
The manual is also smooth once you get used to the gearbox, but I like it, and would never discount one in future.

I would suggest test driving both otherwise you'll only be left wondering...

 

[R2e]

I can't see the point in manuals, having driven manuals and autos for more years than I care to think about. Unless you want a left leg excerciser (but I use my left foot for braking anyway on an auto so not really relevant), a third pedal for your third leg, and a silly stirry stick in the middle of the car..........

Are you more in control with a manual? I would dispute this strongly. In fact, more to do, albeit something you learn to do without thinking, is just another distraction like mobile phones or changing the track on the CD. And unlike an auto, how often does the manual driver get caught out in the wrong gear.

Better fuel consumption and performance? True in theory, but if you drive a manual for performance you will in all likelihood get worse performance and fuel consumption than the auto equivalent.

There seems to be a 'macho' view in this country that real men drive manuals. While I'm stop-starting on the M25 I have the last laugh with my auto.

 

[Traveller]

Apart from my wife's car, my MB is the first automatic I've ever owned, and over the years I've had about 30 or more cars, many high performers.
I was always a firm believer that you had more control with a manual box, even though the constant shifting in traffic was laborious.
As you get older and lazier, the auto box becomes appealing, especially in the MB, as the entire package is so well engineered around comfort.
The definite icing on the cake for me personally is the tiptronic, whereby I can have the lazy comfort mode, or throw the car about with tip!!
Does it for me, I find the tiptronic better than any manual and clutch setup.

 

[Benzowner]

Jimmy Lee, as you can probably observe from all of the above, the preference will be down to you. For my two pennuf, my last manual car was a Peugeot 406 2.1litre diesel and I found that a very good car. The only manual Mercedes I have driven was a C200 loan car whilst my car was in for service. Being used to autos, I found it a pig of a car to drive because of the parking brake system. However, I recently had a weeks holiday in Madeira where the vast majority are manual Mercedes and they drove without any problem in a very hilly place.

 

[crockers]

I love driving a manual - for a day - but am always pleased to get back into my auto afterwards....

Talking of autos I have driven VW / Audi with the DSG box - now that is the best of both worlds and I only wish their paten runs out soon....once it has no-one will want an manual again - faster - more economical and auto if u wish....full control .....drool drool....

Still prefered my Merc but afterward even the 7 tronic felt slurred...

 

[jimmy lee]

Thank you all for your views. They have been a very intresting read.

 

[recycled]

Hmm All the gearbox problems on this forum seem to be autos.
Limp home mode,no reverse, no kickdown, leaking atf, gearbox ecu, slow when cold,stuck in fifth, faulty electronic plates.blah,blah.blah
or maybe the case is more people have autos than manuals.
Anyway everyone seems happy with what they have got so test drive both and make up your mind.
it is up to you.

 

[Dieselman]

Hmm All the gearbox problems on this forum seem to be autos.

Apart from the manuals that bomb out syncromesh on 3rd gear..

 

[recycled]

Apart from the manuals that bomb out syncromesh on 3rd gear..

Yeah sorry apart from that one