Tips for buying second hand C Class/CLK's

[jpod]

Hello

I am looking for a C Class or a CLK budget £3,500 to £4,500 for my girlfriend

Automatic - leather

Petrol or Diesel - something that sips fuel! Reliable and I can maintain (with your advice )

Ideally 2005 onwards.........

I am leaning towards a Diesel 2.2 C Class or a 2.6 CLK

Any advice on what to look out for appreciated, thanks pod
Does the milage up to 120,000 matter
Is Diesel v petrol relevant for relatively urban driving, ~6k miles per year

 

[jpod]

Found this
Needs glow plugs and the engine light is on
2004 MERCEDES C220 CDI CLASSIC BLACK SALOON | eBay

 

[pembssurf]

You could find one without faults over 100k miles with your budget. Stay away from unknown lights unless it has a star print out with the code.

 

[cws196]

In my experience, look for a car that's been serviced at an MB dealer and/or an MB independent specialist - my thinking/experience is if the owner bothers with the above then it's a sign the car has been well cared for.

And when I say specialist I don't mean 'joe blogs German car specialists'....plenty of them about!!!'

 

[grober]

First thing decide on exactly which car you want- model and engine Then research it on here by doing some searches. Armed with that background knowledge check out the car classified sites to get an idea of what your budget will buy. Then go and look at some examples to get an idea of the quality of what's on offer. If you find nothing to satisfy you ---change model/spec/ budget accordingly. There are no magic short cuts to successful car buying just graft.

 

[markjay]

Many C180 about - buyers of old cars are (rightly or wrongly) looking for Diesels, so the petrol C180 go for cheap. Very frugal 1.8L engine and with 143bhp not underpowered for the car. You will struggle with finding real leather (or heated front seatts) on C180 though.

But as an owner of a 2006 C180s I can say that mine has been exemplary and I am very pleased with it. It never missed a bit over the years and very cheap to run am maintain.

 

[GP801]

We have had a 2003 CLK 200K from new. The 1.8 petrol engine is more than adequate and has never let us down. In thirteen years its had routine maintenance + alarm siren, multifunction switch and an airbag module. The 2.6 was only available prefacelift (up to 2004). Its very smooth but thirsty and generally unloved so can be a real bargain. More likely to find a CLK with leather bits than a C class. At that age history is vital. A recognised specialist or MB history not just any old garage.

 

[jpod]

Thanks fellas, I am still searching the site and your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[dan-mb]

Id check for rust and history... thats how you can separate the lemons. CLK V6 are cheap i have a 209 CLK240 auto coupe as a run around short trips to medium runs and its never let me down. Last year 6K miles and all it needed was a new battery.