need your honest opinion ,should i buy a w204 c180k?

[johny1989]

hi
i am in the search of a w204.(amg sports package mandatory)
i am between c180k or c200k ,seems hard to find a 200k at a reasonable price.

so i found a c180k 2009 with really low mileage in mint condition. i hesitate because it is automatic which means it is so much slower than manual gearbox.

so what do you think should i trade performance for lower buy price?
also what else should i check?

and lastly is it possible to ecu tune it in order to get similar performace with 200k?
the car has 1796cc engine m271

 

[markjay]

The M271 engine is prone to premature timing gear failure. If buying a car equipped with this engine, I would budget for getting the camshaft sprockets, tensioner, and timing chain replaced pre-emptively (unless there's proof that this has already been done).

As for performance.... in spite of promises made by various engine tuners, the M271 engine can't really be simply re-mapped for more power, instead you'll need to opt for hardware upgrades such as larger supercharger pulley etc and these can be expensive.

So instead of modifying a C180K or a C200K, I would look for a C250 CGI - same 1.8L M271 engine, but turbocharged (turbochargers replaced superchargers on M271 engines on later cars) and delivering ~200 bhp.

The higher bhp output of the C200, C230 (W203), and C250 M271 engines compared to the C180 by the way is achieved in part by higher supercharger pressure and lower compression ratio (to allow for the higher pressure).

If buying a C180.... note that the capacity went down from 1.8L to 1.6L on later cars. The bhp rating remains the same for both engines, but I am assuming it will be difficult to get more power out of an already-stretched 1.6L M271 compared to a 1.8L M271.

 

[E53AMG]

In my opinion Mercedes Benz is above all a luxury car brand, it should always have an automatic gearbox. The days of automatic gearboxes being slow are long gone as evidenced by F1 who use paddle shift automatic technology.

Mercedes with manual gearboxes will also be difficult to resell as they have a limited market.

The Sports/GT Mercedes range is the SL and SLK range, they are not even available with a manual gearbox, for a sporty drive paddle shifts are used.

The C63 V8 is an extremely sporty saloon, again only available with an automatic box.

Manual gearboxes are reserved these days to smaller cars as they are cheaper to produce...

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[DSM10000]

Curious why the "amg sports package is mandatory" but you are looking at relatively low powered engines?

Markjay has given very good advice as ever and SL500AMG has given good reason to avoid cars with a manual gearbox.

 

[johny1989]

well
1)in greece i cant own anything above 1900cc capacity engine due to big tax.
2)automatics in the cars sl500amg mentioned is a total different story. (autos in the first gen w204 c200 and c180 are all 5 speed with long drive thus slower accel times in comparison to manual identicals.)

i really test drove many c180k and 200k manuals and autos. manual has different ratio and one more gear.
manual gearbox in a c200k i test drove was day n night compared to identical auto car with even with kickdown
dsm10000 amg bumpers makes the car so much more good looking for my taste.

 

[johny1989]

https://www.automobile-catalog.com/wykres_por_zb.php

 

[190]

A 2009 C180K will be the 1.6L engine and it will also be the Blue efficiency model. Mine is a manual and it goes well enough for my needs. The gear change quality is quite good, it's only the ratios that irritate a little. 1st is too low which is a long standing MB trait and applies to auto's too. 6th is a little too high at 31.2 mph/1000rpm. You can always change down of course. I had an auto 190e for 21 years and it felt hopeless on steep hills. The C180K flies up hills by comparison.

To provide some balance, the 5 speed auto is said to be bullet proof compared to the latter 7 speed.

 

[DSM10000]

A 2009 C180K will be the 1.6L engine and it will also be the Blue efficiency model. Mine is a manual and it goes well enough for my needs. The gear change quality is quite good, it's only the ratios that irritate a little. 1st is too low which is a long standing MB trait and applies to auto's too. 6th is a little too high at 31.2 mph/1000rpm. You can always change down of course. I had an auto 190e for 21 years and it felt hopeless on steep hills. The C180K flies up hills by comparison.

To provide some balance, the 5 speed auto is said to be bullet proof compared to the latter 7 speed.

Your 190e would have likely had far less torque available than the 1.6 forced induction version plus it would be a 4 speed auto so not a fair comparison?

 

[Colesy]

Johny, if your heart desires a manual then go for it.
I've a 2005 C230k with AMG sport pack and manual gearbox. Admittedly it's the W203 but it's 1.8l developing almost 200bhp goes like stink for its size and the gearbox IMHO is great (6 speed).
I love it and wouldn't swap it for an auto. (Unless someone wants to swap it for a C63 or something )

 

[190]

Your 190e would have likely had far less torque available than the 1.6 forced induction version plus it would be a 4 speed auto so not a fair comparison?

No not a fair comparison over several generations of C class. A 2.0 L 190e was considered a good performer in it's day so it shows how much progress has been made. When someone asks if the performance of a C180K is adequate my thoughts are; yes it is compared to what went before. Adequate is a moving target and what seems adequate now will seem slow in a few years time.

 

[markjay]

Yes, times have changed.

The M271 is a 16V DOHC engine with light alloy head and block.

In the seventies this was considered an exotic design, found only in high-perfirmance cars.

And the C230K and C250 CGI both have the same bhp output as an eighties Sierra Cosworth.