Hi


I've never owned a merc before but my current car is just about on its last legs and I'm seriously considering getting a C-class estate.


I was hoping to get some advice from others that have experience of owning/buying c-class mercs, which models to avoid, which model to look out for. Im aiming to spend between 10-12K, could stretch it a little but would prefer not to.


I know that's all a bit vague, but I'm looking for something safe, reliable, and nice looking. In terms of bling I'd be looking for a black/dark grey, nice alloys. Sporty looking but not pimped up.


So, are there any particular ages to look out for, things to check in terms of mileage - I mean should I look for things like timing belt changes at particular intervals for certain engines ? ...or are there common issues to keep an eye out for ?


Really appreciate any help or advice


Jamie

 

Hey Jamie,

Welcome to the forums! Before we can help answer your question, which C-class are you looking at the W203 or W204? We have a lot of tech articles about both models that will help you out a lot in the long-term. Let us know how you're going to proceed and I'm sure that we can help you out!


-Dmitry

 

Hi Dimity - thanks for coming back to me. Almost certainly looking at W204 - looking for one between 2010 and 2012


I'm probably quite a low-mileage driver, no more than 10,000miles/year - probably less, but want an estate for fishing and camping with the kids - also have two dogs, but before I let them into my "new to me" car I'd want to line the boot with a decent liner - so would love to hear about recommendations for liners too.


But for now I'm looking for a steer as to which model to aim for. I'm fairly agnostic about fuel type - ive had oil burners before although my current car is petrol. I might be wrong but kind of assumed petrol would be the way to go as I do so few miles, but Im keeping an open mind.


I know its a really open ended list of questions, but I was hoping to hear people thoughts on pros/cons for diesel vs petrol, and same for each specific model - any models to look out for or avoid - whats best for running costs/reliability/servicing etc ....although I'm not in the market for an AMG V8 ....if im being honest I would like the knowledge that when I need to I can put my foot down and overtake when I need to. Probably not expecting quite the same performance, but prior to my current car I had a mkIII golf Gti, so getting into my 1.6 zetec focus estate was a bit of an anti-climax, and often frustrating getting stuck behind cars I would normally have got around in the golf. Not looking for same performance as the golf (although would be nice), but just something with a bit more oomph that the focus

 

I've found a really nice looking 2014 C220 CDI Executive - only issue is the mileage is over 94K on a 2year old car.


Looks like a business rep car - no obvious use on passenger, rear or boot - even the drivers side is extremely tidy for a care with that mileage. So is there anything to look out for with this model with that number of miles on it ? ....anything that should have been changed on the engine ?


I'm probably aiming to keep onto it for 5 years, and with my low mileage in 5 years time the avg will drop to around 18K/year

 

Hey Jamie,

Glad to hear that you're narrowing your choices. WOW 94k on a 2 year old car! That car got used! I don't know if I would be looking at that; it's a bit much. Think of it as a rental car that just got used by everyday; and you don't really know how the person drove it. Unless you're really keen on it and it passes a full mechanical inspection with flying colors, I would find a different car.

If we're being honest, I'm a BMW owner; so I do not have specifics on what to look out for and pros/cons. I know that the petrol version are quite zippy, so you'll likely have a lot of fun driving it. As I'm sure you're aware, diesel motors gives you the extra torque; so that's another thing to consider. I'm sure someone will get back to you with relevant info on the W204. Best of luck and be sure to update us when you have a purchase!

Cheers,
Dmitry