Evening all, been considering a couple of cars this weekend, both auto Merc C Class from dealers priced at £4000. I've only viewed one of them so far. One is a 95N (presume 4 speed 6 cyl) 280 Elegance with 99k, leather, aircon, alloys, FMBSH. The other is a 97P 180 Elegance with 79k and FMBSH.
The car will be used as a second vehicle to be kept for 3 years minimum doing max 5k pa - so I'm not concerned with petrol costs. However am I looking at potentially big bills on the 280? I'm tempted by the 280 but my head says the 180 (with none of the goodies)
Anyone got any views on this? (Aprilia - I gather you know a fair bit about Mercs)
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I'd definitely take a 280, provided it really is a 6 cyl. engine.
1800 ccc matched with an autobox ? No, thank you...
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I am the only Pole over here.
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It's definitely a 6 cylinder. They changed it to a V6 with 5 speed auto in 1997 according to Parkers
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I agree that the C280 would strike me as the better buy. I ran a C240 auto for three years and was very pleased with it. The V6 engine is a delight, very smooth, and suits the auto well. I also found it more economical than I expected with overall consumption coming in around 31 mpg, I will qualify that by saying that I am not a tearaway and comfort has higher priority than speed whilst driving.
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You're buying one of these for enjoyment - or you'd spend your £4,000 on a Ford or Vauxhall. So I'd definitely suggest the 280 unless a test drive shows potential problems - if so wait till another 280 comes up.
At this age either of them could be expensive, either a good buy: in which case if both are a bit of a gamble, gamble on the one thal'll give you some fun. I don't see a C180 automatic being anything other than flat-footed.
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Not bad cars, although my choice would be something more like a '95 E-class (W124) - probably an E220. Nicer to drive and more rugged than the C-Class.
The 280 was a I6 until about '97 when it became a V6. The C180 is pretty sluggish - I think a lot were bought by company car 'user chooser' snobs, desperate to get a MB on their driveway. They are not good to drive and feel a bit poverty stricken inside.
The C-Class got an upgrade in the 96/97 model year - autobox went to a 5 ratio unit.
If thinking of buying a C-Class of this age then check it carefully for rust. I have bought and sold a few of these (got one at the moment actually - see my other post about CDI's) and have been surprised how rusty some can be - especially the back wheelarch lip and boot floor etc. They can be rustier than a Nissan Micra of the same age, for example!
Also check all the suspension bushes at the back - its quite a complex set up and they start to crack at 100k+ miles. The bushes come integral with the arms, so it can be an expensive fix. Also check for diff whine (typically in the 50-70mph range) and ease gently on and off the throttle to see if you can hear anything.
Bear in mind that if you go for a '95 or earlier car then many insurance companies will insure it cheaply on a limited mileage 'classic' policy - although IMHO the W202 C-class will never become a 'classic' like the W201 or W124.
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I had an N plate C220 Elegance (4 speed auto) that was absolutely fine, the only fult in 80k miles was a broken wiper motor. SWMBO had a P plate C200 Espirit (5 speed auto) that was a total dog - 2 gearboxes, PAS pump, leaks everywhere, etc.. and we kept it only 20k miles.
Look at where it was built, MB moved some C-class production to South Africa in the late 90s and some early SA-built ones (like SWMBO's) were not that good.
In your position I wuld think very carefully about an E-class of similar vintage, built like a barn.
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Thanks for your replies everyone. I would like an old shape E Class but it's too long for my partner to drive. The C Class is about right. The 280 has the added advantes of aircon for comfort and leather for the kids (as opposed to easily marked mushroom cloth on the 180) so that may swing it if the mechanical risks are about the same. The 280 does have electric seats however and I reckon these could be costly to fix if they pack up (likely at 10 years old?)
Surprised to hear about rust. My old 190E was 11 years old when I got rid and didn't have any body rust other than the front door hinge area (a common place according to the MB owners club)
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'96 on C230k, quick and more economical than 280. Sport trim still quite contemporary.
I have quite fancied a C43 estate for a few years now.
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Can't really lose at 4k...go for the bigger one and enjoy it. Get it checked out as much as possible before parting with cash and with a bit of luck you will have a great car for peanuts.
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Can't really lose at 4k...
4k is a significant amount of money for a 10 year old car. I know W124 is too large for Marc's requirements. But for between 2k - 2.5k, you can buy a very nice E280 with leather and A/C.
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