Thinking of buying a facelift W204

[markjay]

Taking on from this thread:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/ot-off-topic-forums/181489-thinking-selling-car.html

A few questions regarding facelifted W204, for those in the know....

1. Are all 4-cylinder petrol cars equipped with turbocharged M271 engines?

2. Looking at Approved Used, it seems that late 2011 facelifted cars are 1.8L, while 2012 and 2013 cars are 1.6L. Were 1.8L cars not sold in the UK in 2012/2013 at all, or is it just a coincidence that there is low supply of these cars?

3. What COMAND version would facelifted W204 come with (if fitted) - and were there two versions, the later with improved user interface?

Thank you in advance (and yes this is obviously related to my thinking of selling the W203 at some point....).

Incidentally, I would be looking for a car in SE spec, not Sport / Avantgarde / AMG etc, i.e. it needs to have high ground clearance and soft-sprung suspension, standard-size 16" wheels, and most importantly the bonnet star

In short I am not looking for a car to break the lap record at the Nürburgring, but for something with similar power and ride comfort as my current W203.

Anyone....?

 

[grober]

1. YES
2. Change from 1.8 to 1.6 happened mid 2012 May /June and due to the unpopularity of petrol engined cars meant there were very few "Facelift" 1.8-------- The Elegance trim [ old radiator style] models stopped for the UK then also. May/June 2012 also heralded the new dashboard software improvements also [ becker sat nav etc] so I imagine the better Command dated from then also.
So you are pretty much stuck with a 1.6 petrol M271 if you want the improved interior /electronics to go with the facelift exterior. { sans elegance}

 

[nick mercedes]

Anyone....?

Why not wait a year and buy a used W205?

Mercedes near enough depreciate like Vauxhalls, so if you're going to swap you may as well have the latest?

 

[grober]

Why not wait a year and buy a used W205?

Mercedes near enough depreciate like Vauxhalls, so if you're going to swap you may as well have the latest?

That's if you prefer a car built in South Africa as opposed to built in Germany?

 

[nick mercedes]

That's if you prefer a car built in South Africa as opposed to built in Germany?

CLCs were made in a lorry factory in Brazil...

204s have a lot of issues, I'm sure 205s will too, but at least it's the new shape, and he might get a good px on his 203?

 

[markjay]

Thanks grober, nick.

My main concern is reliability, then comfort, then innovation.

I am very happy with my current facelift W203, it has so far been extremely reliable and has a very comfortable ride.

The rationale behind buying a facelift W204 in preference to a W205 is that facelifts tend to sort-out most of the issues with the original model (which is often rushed to market due to flagging sales of the previous model).

It is - to my mind - the equivalent of 'Service Pack 1'... (or the 'R2' in Windows Server Lingo).

I suppose what I am trying to do is simply replicate the success I had so far with the facelift W203.

 

[nick mercedes]

Thanks grober, nick.

My main concern is reliability, then comfort, then innovation.

I am very happy with my current facelift W203, it has so far been extremely reliable.

The rationale behind buying a facelift W204 in preference to a W205 is that facelifts tend to sort-out most of the issues with the original model (which is often rushed to market due to flagging sales of the previous model).

It is - to my mind - the equivalent of 'Service Pack 1'... (or the R2 in Windows Server Lingo).

I suppose what I am trying to do is simply replicate the success I had so far with tbe facelift W203.

Wait a bit longer and buy a facelift W205

W204 are super value for money, but they do seem to have a few costly issues, door handles that come off, fuel problems and rattles etc

 

[markjay]

As for the East London factory in South Africa....

My previous Vauxhall Omega was built in the Adam Open AG factory in Rüsselsheim, and the built quality was at best 'okeyeesh'.

My ZA-made W203 has no rust, no rattles, and no leaks, and seems to have been put together vert well indeed. I can't fault the build quality and based on my experience with the W203 will happily buy another South African made car.

 

[nick mercedes]

As for the East London factory in South Africa....

My previous Vauxhall Omega was built in the Adam Open AG factory in Rüsselsheim, and the built quality was at best 'okeyeesh'.

My ZA-made W203 has no rust, no rattles, and no leaks, and seems to have been put together vert well indeed. I can't fault the build quality and based on my experience with the W203 will happily buy another South African made car.

Buy a British made Jaguar XE!

 

[markjay]

As for the 'infamous' M271...

Bar The 100k timing chain issue (which can easily be avoided by pre-emptively replacing the timing gear), the leaking CPS (already modified on my car) and the split vacuum hose under the airbox (didn't have that one yet), it is a fine engine and produces around 150 to 200 BHP in various states of tune.

Achieving this from a frugal and relatively simply-built L4 DOHC 1.6L or 1.8L engine is quite remarkable in itself, even when taking into account the super or turbo charging.

You should keep on mind that for my generation the stuff of dreams was the likes on the Lancia Delta Integrale and the Siera Cosworth... getting 200 BHP out of a 2L engine was advanced science in my day

(I started with the eightees and I'll spare you the earlier stories about the Triumph Dolomite Sprint....).

It revs happily to the red line (on the rare occasion that I tried it) and it is very smooth at low rev. I would happily buy another M271 car, even if the purists will say it is not an original MB design.....

 

[markjay]

Buy a British made Jaguar XE!

Before buying the W203, I was looking at buying an X-Type. I was not impressed with coarse 2.0L Diesels, and the 2.5 petrol engines had bad reputation at the time.

The other car I was considering was a Rover 75, though I was put off by the end of production at Longbridge and the subsequent collapse of Rover.

Would love to buy a Jaguar, and always had a soft spot for the Range Rover (not the Sport though).

But having built a career on trying to provide 99.999999% uptime I am somewhat uncertain about Jags and RRs, regardless of where they are made or who owns them....

 

[nick mercedes]

Jaguar and Audi seem to make the most stylish desirable cars, while MB and BMW seem to be just after the mass market £329 a month men.

 

[grober]

The Rover 75 was an under--estimated car IMHO [ lots of HONDA influence during development] . They made a mistake with the orginal dash and interior trying to make it "retro" which did not sit well with folk accustomed to the more modern clean lines of the rival German manufacturers. Laterly they saw the light but went a bit OTT the other way with the boy racer approach.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Jaguar and Audi seem to make the most stylish desirable cars, while MB and BMW seem to be just after the mass market £329 a month men.

All a matter of individual taste and perception of course. The best car to buy should always be the one that YOU want, not the one that you think other people will like. So, for instance, there's no way I'd buy a W205 because of the iPad-style display panel that ruins (to my mind) an otherwise superb car. As for Audis being "stylish", that's very much a matter of opinion - they all look old fashioned to me. When I was looking to spend £40-45k on a new car a couple of years ago, I looked at all the big 4 makes (Jaguar, Audi, MB and BMW). The only one that felt absolutely right to me was the facelift W204 that I finished up with. It had everything that I wanted. It still has. It's had none of the "issues" that people say "all W204s have". I'm sure the same could be said for the other marques - with many not suffering with the issues that are said to plague them. So the final decision has to come down to personal preference.

 

[markjay]

...So, for instance, there's no way I'd buy a W205 because of the iPad-style display panel that ruins (to my mind) an otherwise superb car. ...

Keeping in mind that the early W204 Volvo-style pop-up screen disappeared when the facelift W204 was introduced, I wonder if the W205 will similarly lose the 'iPad' come the facelift....?

...The only one that felt absolutely right to me was the facelift W204 that I finished up with. It had everything that I wanted. It still has. It's had none of the "issues" that people say "all W204s have"....

Is it for sale, per chance....?

 

[markjay]

Incidentally... I drove the A6 on a couple of occasions, and they just don't feel right. There something unsettled both about the ride and the steering. But perhaps I was just unlucky with a couple of bad examples...

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Keeping in mind that the early W204 Volvo-style pop-up screen disappeared when the facelift W204 was introduced, I wonder if the W205 will similarly lose the 'iPad' come the facelift....?



Is it for sale, per chance....?

Sorry, no way - at least not until a facelift W205 gets it right! Anyway, mine doesn't have the gunsight and the engine is twice the size you're looking for.

 

[markjay]

Sorry, no way - at least not until a facelift W205 gets it right! Anyway, mine doesn't have the gunsight and the engine is twice the size you're looking for.

Oh well... was nice to dream for a while...

 

[markjay]

1. YES
2. Change from 1.8 to 1.6 happened mid 2012 May /June and due to the unpopularity of petrol engined cars meant there were very few "Facelift" 1.8-------- The Elegance trim [ old radiator style] models stopped for the UK then also. May/June 2012 also heralded the new dashboard software improvements also [ becker sat nav etc] so I imagine the better Command dated from then also.
So you are pretty much stuck with a 1.6 petrol M271 if you want the improved interior /electronics to go with the facelift exterior. { sans elegance}

Having done some reading... it seems that if I want a facelift W204 with the 1.8L M271 engine (as opposed to the 1.6L engine), my options are as follows:

Late 2011 C180 CGI BlueEfficiency

or

Late 2011 to 2013 C250 CGI BlueEfficiency

while avoiding

2012-2013 C180 CGI BlueEfficiency

The good news is that while the facelifted W204 in Elegance SE trim are indeed in short supply - they do exist!

As for COMAND... I am not too bothered, I trust Messrs. Alfie and Richard to do their bit in due course