Looking at replacing the little 205 GTi soon - (I'm 42 in a couple weeks!!!).
Time I bought something thats quiet, smooth and comfortable.
Been looking at either a 2003 C-Class Sport Coupe with 30k miles and a 2003 320 Ci SE
with 16k miles.
Reading the road-tests - the Merc is better on the fuel but otherwise there's little in it at all.
I cover approx 400 miles/week - almost all of which are on the motorway. I'm more than happy just to sit at 70.
Reckon the Merc will be available £750 less than the BMW but all in - both cars are immaculate with mature previous owners.
Any advice or comments to watch on either?
Cheers
Edited by Pugugly on 23/11/2009 at 12:37
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For the times you are not on the motorway you will be glad you bought the BMW. Otherwise its a dead heat I think
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Yes, I think I would agree Espada, but it does depend which engine the Merc has. Could be a 1.8 4-cylinder, or a 3.2 V6 - which are quite different animals! I think the V6 is a bit nose heavy - maybe a 230K would be the best engine in this car.
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Merc is fitted with the 1.8 supercharged engine - according to the reviews it kicks out 163bhp compared to 170bhp for the BMW
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Right. We've got that engine in our (heavier) CLK Cab. It's smooth enough but not what you would call a ball of fire in the upper revs - but then I'm used to the pull of a diesel ;-). Still it's quick enough and economical enough for Mrs BB to prefer it to the V6 240 CLK Cab we had before.
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I thought that around 2003, Mercedes had very bad reliability issues which didn't clear until a couple of years later.I would avoid the Merc like the plague.
Edited by Videodoctor on 23/11/2009 at 17:21
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Is the Sport Coupe the one that looks like a chopped C-Class? If so, then it has to be the BMW. Fabulous handling and straight 6 engine, easy choice.
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Both nice cars, the MB needs to be very closely examined for rust, with such low mileage and good history it *might* have already had some remedial bodywork under warranty.
I too would be leaning towards the BMW.
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As a german I have to say - good choice anyway :-)
Seriously: The BMW will give you more kind of "upper class feeling" due to the brilliant sound of the 6 cylinder engine. Although the torque is not as fantastic as you would expect from that 170 PS.
I would recommend the Merc only for people who like the automatic gear box. NEVER buy a Merc with a manual gear box. That's what BMW does best.
Considering that you turn 42, coming from a 205 GTI I would guess that the BMW fits better. Just take a test drive - the cars are much more different than you might expect from the sheer performance figures so it should be very easy for you to decide afterwards.
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Planning to view the BMW this Friday afternoon - hopefully with an open mind!
A little shocked to find out about the corrosion issues with the Merc.
Also the Merc I was looking at is a 6 speed manual - I'm just not ready for an auto.
The little 205 GTi was a stop gap after selling on my last mode of transport at very short notice.
It only had 69k miles on it at purchase and 2 owners. 8 months later it's now at 81k miles and apart from a broken handbrake cable - not a bit of bother. Every time I stop - someone wants to talk about it!!!!
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A little shocked to find out about the corrosion issues with the Merc. Also the Merc I was looking at is a 6 speed manual -
MB auto boxes are the bees knees, well worth trying.
I have 2 friends who currently own the C class shape you have in mind (sorry i don't know the W number), one saloon one coupe, the coupe is babied 01 i think (pplate), the saloon is neglected 51...both have surprised their owners by sprouting tin worm almost instantaneously this year especially visible around wheelarches, but i have seen one traded in at a regular delivery point that the whole front end was riddled as well..bonnet, wings etc beyond repair.
One the other hand some don't seem to have the rust problem at all.
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Forget the Merc if it's a manual - the parking brake will be a pain. All Mercs should be autos - if you're not ready for an auto, you're not ready for a Merc!
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Simple rule of thumb on C and E class Mercedes from 1998 to 2005.
They rust, the quality is dreadful. And the diesel engines have serious issues with injector seats eroding - if left it's new head time.
Bargepole jobs.
Makes a Renault Laguna of 1999 to 2003 look well built.
Mercedes got it horribly wrong.. and BMW/Lexus blossomed as a result.
I would not touch one...
Edited by madf on 23/11/2009 at 22:36
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No way are they barge pole jobs - I've done over 100,000 miles in 3 C & E class diesels from this era and had no problems at all. My brother has done over 100,000 in his '04 E270CDI and similarly has had no problems.
Yes, there have been rusting problems in the earlier W210 E-class and the early W203 C-class, and some other issues, but nowhere near as bad as you make out.
Given the OPs criteria, the C-class Sports Coupe is however, not the car for him.
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Planning to view the BMW on Friday afternoon.
Spoke to my local Mercedes dealer about the C-class, they checked the reg number against their database and all the history is there including one warranty claim - a new seatbelt.
The Merc is sitting at £7500 ono, the BMW £8500 ono.
The BMW is local - the Merc isn't but I'm very tempted to get an AA/RAC inspection carried out on the Merc and keeping this info handy for when looking at the BMW.
If they were the same price - I would have the BMW but starting at £1000 difference it makes it not quite such a simple choice.
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>> Bargepole jobs.
I disagree.
I bought a E 320CDI estate new, in Jan 2001, I put 215,000 miles on it. It needed injectors fairly early on, no further injectors required. The auto gearbox was replaced at 155,000 miles by King Autos of Epsom.
No other work required other than routine servicing. I sold the car in August 2008 and bought an E 220CDI estate.
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I had one of the very first W203 C-Class Saloons off the line that I got as a company car in May 2000. Interior plastics were not up to the standard of the late W202 C250 that came before it but it lasted 3 hard driven years in my tender care with no problems whatsoever and the later ones have noticeably nicer interiors than the early ones. They are very nice cars, especially for long journeys, I just think the Sport Coupe version looks like a cut and shut job gone wrong.
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Of course current 320s are 2.0 4cyl and earlier ones 2.0 6cyl (and lacking torque) though as I recall a 2003 320i is actually a 2.2 ltr 6cyl and would be my choice out of the two.
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Remember when it was easy to understand BMW badging but as said - the 03 model 320 is actually a 2.2 - 6 cylinder.
Will speak to the owner of the Merc today and the AA to inquire what a full inspection would cost.
The vehicle check on the BMW came back clean - even quoted the mileage!
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Hello
All I can tell you is that we have a C180 and it tends to annoyingly pull when going around long bends on the motorway, it can get tiring on the arms. Mercedes have said it is charactistic of the car due to it compensating for the camber off the road. This is absolute nonsense and it seems, from a few searches on the net, that a few owners of this model suffer the same problem. I would also warn against mercedes aftercare and service. The worst I have ever known. They have failed to pick up on brakes that were 90% worn and a worn tracking rod (when complaining about the pull). Replacement tracking rod (done by a reliable independant garage) helped but did not cure the pull
I have much better satisfaction with BMW
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Paul1967, the W203 is sensitive to tracking being knocked out by our potholes - I would suggest you get it checked by a good laser alignment equipped outfit.
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Took the BMW for a test drive on Friday.
Not too impressed I'm afraid.
The thing was pretty quiet and smooth but appeared to have quite a lack of go.
Engine just seemed to rev with very little forward motion.
Maybe its just a different set-up from my 205 GTI or the good ladies Golf GT Sport 2.0 tdi.
Allied with a small dent in the rear quarted panel and all 4 wheels in very bad condition. Both front tyres had rips in the side-walls.
Since then the owner has contacted me a couple of times asking if I would be interested at a reduced price but I honestly think it needs too much spent on it considering it needs:-
Full service, brake fluid and coolant changed.
Wheels and tyres.
Paintwork.
The seller was wanting £8500 ono.
My gut feeling is the thing was worth £6000 tops.
Looks like the search continues.
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Took the BMW for a test drive on Friday. Not too impressed I'm afraid. The thing was pretty quiet and smooth but appeared to have quite a lack of go. Engine just seemed to rev with very little forward motion.
I know what you mean - I had a similar experience when I tested an old 325 cabriolet many years ago.
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