Been thinking about a C Class is something wrong with me?

[Welly]

Keep seeing these around and have warmed to the idea of owning one; been kinda looking at various models and prices and keep falling towards a C220 Sport dizzler Auto the Sport* seems to have the chunky grille and some skirtage/spoilerage. The interiors seem well finished/durable from some of the high mile ones I've looked at (albeit online).

Something around 2008/9 seem to be about £8K and with over 120K miles mostly and this is probably my budget.

Bothers me a bit that they're still fetching strong money at 8 years old, history tells me that I normally buy a car that plummets in value 2 weeks after I buy it but I think these things still look modern enough and are decent enough to warrant the price?

Early days but would appreciate any knowledge about these? I'm hoping the rust issues are now fixed, haven't found out yet if the 2.1 4-cyl engine has a DPF or not.

If not, please tell me I'm an idiot and need to go away and look at something else?

[PeterN]

I rather fancied the idea of an E class estate some years ago, it was the only one that was as big as the XM but a neighbour bought an E class saloon and it started to fall apart after not many years, rust everywhere. They may have improved them since then or maybe the C class doesn't suffer that way.

There is no doubt that they are very nice cars but on my budget I couldn't afford to run one so I have stuck with Citroen/Peugeot, the early 2000s models with the 8 valve hdi engine are relatively simple and I can still repair myself, plus they have cheap tax and do very good mpg.

If I could afford to run a Merc I probably would but my budget is in hundreds what yours is in thousands.

Peter

[Doggy]

[steve_earwig]

I know very little. Oh, apart from owning a Merc allows you to treat other road users as a lower form of life.

Early 2000's C-clarses were assembled in South Africa I do believe, where they had no idea what all the rust proofing stuff was for and they rusted like buggery as a consequence.

A quick perusal of Dishonest Johan's says... Run, run for your life waiving your hands in the air

[Welly]

I hope I've not stirred up any Merc haters in the camp?

Peter - I hope I didn't come across as some sort of caddish oik with money to throw around, my current Volvo should have been £9K (but was up for £7.5K) about 7 years ago, partially funded by my job and any replacement car will be along similar lines and dependent on a work-related bonus coming through. Until 2009 I only ever bought cars for max £3K and watched them turn into lemons; I was lucky with the Volvo as that was bought on a 'previously expensive but now fairly cheap' basis which has paid off. I think.

Doggy - thanks for your input, much appreciated and you went to a lot of effort there

Wiggy - I thought it was only Audi drivers who were like that, I think I've only ever found Merc drivers quite courteous? also looks like more reading up required (whoopie).....

Interesting opinions though so thanks for the input so far.

[FarmerPug]

Any i have sat in feel like nicely screwed together machines, a bit spartain on the spec as with most german saloons, the C320 CDI was a very nice engine.

One thing though try out the 220 cdi
My dad had an infiniti Q50 out for about a month while his audi A4 was getting repaired after someone drove into it.

The Q50 was an exceptionally nice car (funny fly by wire steering aside), but it was the 2.2d with the merc OM651 engine.
in a way it ruined the Q50, its amazing that such a new car can have such a clattery unrefined drone, it sounded like a there was an old nissan terrano up front. Other than that it was certainly fast enough, and on the motorway it quietens itself down as most diesels do, but about town it was quite noisy, with an automatic gearbox, doing short journeys it averaged about 38mpg, which wasnt too bad for such a big car.

[steve_earwig]

My (admittedly limited) experience of more modern Merc is the build quality has definitely gone downhill.

Wiggy - I thought it was only Audi drivers who were like that, I think I've only ever found Merc drivers quite courteous?

They're similar but the car 2" from your rear bumper is more likely to be a Bimmer than a Merc, and the Merc is more likely to bother indicating before pulling out on you. "In my Mercedes I am invincible!" Normal laws of the road (and sanity) do not apply, you're just in their way. I saw a Merc cut up a snow plough once. You are more likely to be run over on a pedestrian crossing here by a Merc than any other car.

[lozz]

Merc's are nice..
Iused to love them until ..owning a C-class estate..
It was nothing but trouble..talk about French electrics?
This thing was even worse..
* 1 eggzample..
When a bulb goes ..eg indicator..it will revert to another bulb..eg indicator can swap
To front fog or sidelamp.
Good idea ? (No)

Mine ended up as a very expensive garden ornament:

Maybe the newer ones have improved ?

[Captain Jack]

I always fancied the 2008+ Mercs but I am scared sh!tless for when they go wrong. With my Pug, I can do a lot of things myself, including dealer level diagnostics... With this, nuh uh.

The diag bit applies to most cars actually, not just Mercs.

But I would definitely volunteer you to be a guinea pig for this

[PeterN]

I hope I've not stirred up any Merc haters in the camp?

Peter - I hope I didn't come across as some sort of caddish oik with money to throw around, my current Volvo should have been £9K (but was up for £7.5K) about 7 years ago, partially funded by my job and any replacement car will be along similar lines and dependent on a work-related bonus coming through. Until 2009 I only ever bought cars for max £3K and watched them turn into lemons; I was lucky with the Volvo as that was bought on a 'previously expensive but now fairly cheap' basis which has paid off. I think.

Doggy - thanks for your input, much appreciated and you went to a lot of effort there

Wiggy - I thought it was only Audi drivers who were like that, I think I've only ever found Merc drivers quite courteous? also looks like more reading up required (whoopie).....

Interesting opinions though so thanks for the input so far.

Don't worry about it Welly, I have lived on a shoestring most of my life and the vast majority of people have far more money than me, I have got by through life by spending as little as possible and its worked so far. We have a nice cottage in the country which is worth a bit but I like living here, we have been here for 46 years and I wan't to stay until they carry me out, my son will be quite well off when they do. Asset rich and cash poor I think they call it.

Peter

[Captain Jack]

It's experiences that count, not possessions....

And I'd love to hear Welly's new experience with his MB