C180K Courtesy Car - Hmmmm

[jimmy]

Took my E320Cdi to MB for an E service today, very helpfull and a pleasant experience so far. (Makes a change from people slagging them off!)

Anyway, I got a nearly new C180K Sport saloon as a courtesy car, Hmmm, not very impressed with it. Don't get me wrong, it's better than the usual Corsa you get and I am grateful to be offered a car at all.

But, I think this car is an emabarrassment to MB. It,s uncomfortable, bumpy, noisy and slllooooooowwww!!

The noise it makes is awful, reminds me of the awful american hire cars, loads of noise and no go. Surely they could have tuned the exhaust to make a slightly pleasant noise instead of the screaming farty noise.

The ride is bad, admittedly it has 17" wheels but even so you can feel every bump and matchstick you drive over, the handling is not even that great, my old Discovery feels more stable and sits on 4" raised suspension.

OK, the interior feels OK, the seats are nice, the radio is horrible and looks bad.

And how do you turn on the Kompressor? This car feels sluggish, certainly not a 'Sports' model like the name suggests. How many HP is a C180K supposed to be? Feels no quicker than my old 122hp C180 Estate.

I get to drive a quite a few different cars at work, personally I think the new Mondeo is streets ahead of this C-Class, and no doubt a fair bit cheaper or rather affordable, there are many better cars out there, Audi A4 and the VW Passat are also much better cars in my opinion.

However, I think my E320Cdi is superb, so I am not slagging off MB totally, I just feel this particular model is rather a dissapointment.

Lets hope the service on mine remains a pleasant experience, looking forward to the bill, what they quoted is not too bad considering.

 

[R2D2]

Thats a shame you didn'y enjoy it. I have to agree with you about the sport suspension and 17inch wheels. It is by choice that I have 16inch wheels and standard Advantgarde suspension. My son felt ill in the harder sport suspension model.

Performance wise it is supposed to have 143bhp and most the standard c180k go pretty well so I'm at a loss as to why yours is SO slow. What car timed their one at 0-60 in 10secs (auto) mine was doing upper 8s before I had it tuned.

Personally I love my car. Its handling, ride and comfort are excellent and I'm happy with its performance. 38.3mpg best was good but 17/18mpg on a trash not so good.

BTW try doing the gearbox reset incase its been driven by an old boy.

PS. its nt been left in C mode has it?

 

[Simon]

In order to stop it being thrashed by customers as it's a courtesy car, I wonder if it's possible to de tune it in the electronics? Maybe that's what's happened.

 

[Shude]

In order to stop it being thrashed by customers as it's a courtesy car, I wonder if it's possible to de tune it in the electronics? Maybe that's what's happened.

Maybe they just unplugged the kompressor clutch

 

[jimmy]

I tried it in C and S mode, didnt seem to make much difference.

It is a new car, 2000 miles and was driven very enthusiastically by a salesman into the car park. Perhaps it needs more running in.

Honestly, it feels so slow that when I went to overtake a van I bottled out and pulled back in, in my car I am used to just 'pointing and shooting' if you get what I mean.

Shude, you could be right, no noise like I would expect from the supercharger.

 

[scumbag]

what you want is a VW jetta as your replacement car. Thats what I got. it is very dull indeed.

the instant torque it gives you feels stong but only lasts about 800rpm.

and when i stall it in 2nd, which i do regular, it doesn't start again on releasing the clutch. it just bounces to a complete halt. its quite a laugh.

 

[R2D2]

Shude, you could be right, no noise like I would expect from the supercharger.

Maybe thats it then because I love hearing my supercharger whistle!

 

[jimmy]

Don't panic, found the problem.





It's got a petrol engine!

 

[Rose Chap]

This has a petrol engine and I believe it doesn't lack urge when overtaking...

 

[R2D2]

You should have realised when it didn't sound like a tractor

 

[DieselE]

I tried it in C and S mode, didnt seem to make much difference.

It is a new car, 2000 miles and was driven very enthusiastically by a salesman into the car park. Perhaps it needs more running in.

Honestly, it feels so slow that when I went to overtake a van I bottled out and pulled back in, in my car I am used to just 'pointing and shooting' if you get what I mean.

Shude, you could be right, no noise like I would expect from the supercharger.

When you look at the torque figures for the 320CDI, you were always going to be disappointed on the mid-range acceleration front.

 

[glojo]

Anyway, I got a nearly new C180K Sport saloon as a courtesy car, Hmmm, not very impressed with it. Don't get me wrong, it's better than the usual Corsa you get and I am grateful to be offered a car at all.

Great to hear you are satisfied so far with the service you have received. Just remember one man's food is another man's poison.

For those of a politically correct persuasion, many apologies for continually referring to 'man'!! Please read person.

We cannot justify having an E-class, we did try the C, but it was simply not to our liking. Very nice car and a popular choice. For the life of me I cannot understand why on an ordinary road going car, folks want to know what way up a coin is when they run over it??? I'm not advocating a wishy, washy, soft suspension, but the car is a means of transport, NOT a racing, or rally car.

I'm with you,

Good luck and stick to high performance, wheel spinning, neck breaking diesel power

John the optimist

 

[garystu1965]

Honestly, it feels so slow that when I went to overtake a van I bottled out and pulled back in.

Oh dear

 

[Thmsshaun]

Don't panic, found the problem.





It's got a petrol engine!

Dont tell us you pur Diesel in it

 

[jimmy]

My comment about the petrol engine was a bit tongue in cheek, I did not expect the C180K to impress like the E320CDI but I genuinely expected a bit more performance from a high class german car.

The dealer just phoned me, there is some warranty work that needs doing on the suspension, a few recalls and upgrades that will all be FOC. They recommend that the brake fluid is changed so have quoted for that, asked me if I want them to do it and I have given the nod.

 

[dagd]

I had a C180K SE Sport Coupe and I thought the acceleration, ride and handling was OK, my previous car was an Audi 80 (I think) and the MB was most definately quicker of the line, though maybe a bit slower when accelerating to overtake at higher speeds.

 

[Flash]

Anyway, I got a nearly new C180K Sport saloon as a courtesy car, Hmmm, not very impressed with it. Don't get me wrong, it's better than the usual Corsa you get and I am grateful to be offered a car at all.

But, I think this car is an emabarrassment to MB. It,s uncomfortable, bumpy, noisy and slllooooooowwww!!

I bet thats exactly what W221/W220 S Class owners too think of the W211...!!!

 

[jimmy]

I bet thats exactly what W221/W220 S Class owners too think of the W211...!!!

Yes, exactly!

If I had taken my old C250TD (202) in for a service and been given this C180K as a courtesy car I may be thinking differently.

It's all about what you are used to. As I said, I am not slagging it off too much, it's a nice car, I was just a bit dissapointed with it.

 

[glojo]

Yes, exactly!

If I had taken my old C250TD (202) in for a service and been given this C180K as a courtesy car I may be thinking differently.

It's all about what you are used to. As I said, I am not slagging it off too much, it's a nice car, I was just a bit dissapointed with it.

I think your posts are a credit to the 320CDI, be it in the E, or imagine what it would be like in the C-class That must be some machine.

John

 

[R2D2]

Joking about diesels aside, a c320 diesel (chipped of course!) would be a laugh!