Looking to buy w208 what to pay attention to

[Lefa]

Hi!

I'm looking into buying a C208 200/230 with or without kompressor. I would prefer manual transmission. As every model has some weak spots and I would like to avoid costly repairs:

1) what should I inspect to avoid costly repairs ?
2) what to look out for on a test drive ?
3) any engine I should avoid ?
4) manual or automatic ?
5) how much millage is the car good for 200k, 300k....?

 

[carat 3.6]

Welcome to the forum.

Rusty wheel arch'es are a common problem.

 

[steve333]

Hi!

I'm looking into buying a C208 200/230 with or without kompressor. I would prefer manual transmission. As every model has some weak spots and I would like to avoid costly repairs:

1) what should I inspect to avoid costly repairs ?
2) what to look out for on a test drive ?
3) any engine I should avoid ?
4) manual or automatic ?
5) how much millage is the car good for 200k, 300k....?

Hi w208(clk's)are good cars but like any other they do have a few common issues.The 2 engine models you mention are both supercharged from memory but in my honest opinion for what the extra running cost would i would go for the silky smooth v6(will only return a few miles per gallon less than a 230k).You mention you prefer manual & would strongly advise driving both auto & manual as the foot operated handbrake can be awkward(especially on gradients)& the manual boxes a bit clunky.The auto boxes also have manual mode(tiptronic) & are a joy to drive.Common faults are aircon problems(make sure the unit blows ice cold air),crank position sensor faults(the car won't start especially when warm).Lastly check carefully around all 4 wheel arches(especially the insides where dirt/leaves etc have accumalated over time & got damp),around the bootlock & sometimes around the headlamp units.Any car you look at should have full service history(either mb or specialist independant) & if you go for an auto(which you will if you drive both)make sure the autobox has been serviced(atf/filter changed)about every 50k miles,good luck.

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
Things to look out for on a 208 will be exactly the same as a 202 C class, do a search on the forum there is a wealth of info on both.

 

[Lefa]

Thank you for your response!
You said that the automatic has tiptronic, does that mean paddles (haven't seen those) or is it something to do with the gear-leaver (I'm MB-newbi) ?
The thing with manual is when it gets slippery and snowy (2-winters in a row in Ireland), and you get stuck, one way to get loose is to "rock" the car back and fourth, at which point you need to be able to change gear from 1:st to reverse quicly so that you get a little bit of "push" in both directions. I'm from Finland so been stuck in snow at times is business as usual and very seldom have I been forced to get out and grab the shuffle. The last car I have driven in Finland wintertime is a Toyota Corolla which is front-wheel driven, that gearbox is nothing to have if you get stuck, I would any day switch that for a 79 Corolla I had years ago that gearbox worked as it should and it was rear wheel driven (fun to drive in the winter + you get "rear-wheel steering" as well) .
What goes for the V6 sounds good and price would not be that much higher, but the road tax (ROI) is just too much on my budget (+insurance).

 

[GP801]

No paddles. The tiptronic works by nudging the lever left or right. It works very well.