C32 Estate or C55 Estate

[sennasurgeon]

I would like to buy a w203 AMG estate.
Pros and cons of the two?
Don’t care about the MPG.
Definitely silver

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The C 32 will probably be less expensive to buy but will probably be more expensive to run. Unfortunately they were very inexpensive for a while and most C 32 were neglected, and as such have lots of persistent issues.

If you can find a peach amongst the lemons then you would not regret the C32. Finding one would be very very difficult though. Even an abused C 55 is likely to cost relatively little to run, they’re possibly the least expensive AMG to run.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

PS If you like tuning cars, go for the C 32. If you like loud exhaust notes then go for the C 55.

 

[Skd884]

Don't forget the c43.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I have run my C55 (S203 , S is estate , W is saloon ...no .. me neither ) as pretty much a daily driver that lives outside for 7 years or so now , it has 153K miles on it.

Rust (hidden or otherwise) is your problem , loads of people will tell you they have all been galvanised so they won't rust . In my experience the galvanizer must have been switched off the day my (late model) one went through the bath.....but I digress.

Jap imports seem to have zero rust issues.

It's a very analogue car and is not difficult for a decent DIY 'mechanic' to do most jobs on.

Buy on condition .

Good luck.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I have run my C55 (S203 , S is estate , W is saloon ...no .. me neither ) as pretty much a daily driver that lives outside for 7 years or so now , it has 153K miles on it.

Rust (hidden or otherwise) is your problem , loads of people will tell you they have all been galvanised so they won't rust . In my experience the galvanizer must have been switched off the day my (late model) one went through the bath.....but I digress.

Jap imports seem to have zero rust issues.

It's a very analogue car and is not difficult for a decent DIY 'mechanic' to do most jobs on.

Buy on condition .

Good luck.

The C 32 is even more prone to rust than the C 55, and whilst not scientific I would say the saloon is more prone than the estate, so a C 55 estate is probably the best bet for rust (even if it doesn’t feel like it)!

 

[Petrol Pete]

The hidden rust behind the plastic rear number plate holder is the tricky one , once it shows around the cover it is way too late. The only way to inspect for it is to remove the internal cover. Not sure many sellers will be happy to do that.

I'm sure the OP will be back with more questions.

 

[Neiltodd]

C32 is a great car but rust to pieces.

 

[Petrol Pete]

C32 is tuneable ,C55 not so much , OK it is , but the 'juice 'aint worth the squeeze' as they say ., little gains for big outlay £.

 

[sennasurgeon]

Pardon our interruption...

This one seems okay ?

 

[sennasurgeon]

The hidden rust behind the plastic rear number plate holder is the tricky one , once it shows around the cover it is way too late. The only way to inspect for it is to remove the internal cover. Not sure many sellers will be happy to do that.

I'm sure the OP will be back with more questions.

Absolutely
I had a w203 estate for many years and once it got to 200k miles it required a replacement rear door.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Pardon our interruption...

This one seems okay ?

Did you read the description? Tread carefully. There’s an electrical fault which has been diagnosed, parts purchased but not fixed. There’s only evidence of the two latest services. It’s sold twice but the buyers didn’t proceed with the purchase. It may be a peach and better than it sounds, however there are enough warning signs to either keep looking or go in with your eyes very wide open!

 

[Petrol Pete]

OK , where do we start with this Ebay car.

At the beginning .

Not showing disrespect to the seller but here is my 2p worth.

744u Brilliant silver is not the best colour for this car , 775u Iridium silver IS ! Just my opinion.

Wood has no place inside s C55 , looks carp on all of them , my opinion, leave that stuff for the Avantgarde etc.

Now my observations as someone who has lived and worked on one of these for years.

The wheels are the wrong colour , no big deal.

Why are the rear badges missing ? De badge to make it a 'sleeper' I don't buy that. Its already under the radar.

The front 'clip' (spoiler) is not correct for this car , again, no big deal but it might be if someone buys the car as an 'investment'.

Has the sunroof recall been carried out ?

The marks on the back seat are very difficult to fix.

Now for the big ones (for me)

The 'electrical fault' ? Enough said , this is an old Mercedes Benz , be careful.

The 'clicking' from behind the dash is an absolute minefield on any 203 , you could be lucky and it's caused by one of the 2 actuators that are just a complete swine to get to or it could be a full dashboard out job.

I would need to see the long undertrays removed to inspect the pinch weld the whole length of the sills , Pi$$ poor design of trays traps salty road water that eats away at the crimped section.

I would also question the 'full front suspension' rebuild springs and struts ?? need to see invoices for that making sure Eibach AMG spec springs were used from MB main dealer.

Now me being pedantic . This car is an S203 , not a W.

Without the 'electrical' issue and the HVAC 'clicking' it's probably not a bad car .

You get quite a lot for Two pence on this forum these days

 

[Notwen]

Another reason to possibly be wary of the Silver estate, I'm pretty sure the SAM units have to be coded in, not a simple fix.