newbiee

Hi everyone..
I am new to this forum and new to MB. actually I havent got any yet.
I have 2 door honda civic. But coz of family, I have to get a 4 door car. My budget being not a lot..as you can imagine with family... I was looking for cars in the range of 5000 $. Then I checked this MB C220 ..year 1995, 1996 with mileage of 110k to 140k ....I was wondering if this is a good idea to buy any of those..and if it is ..How much roughly wud be the cost to maintain one ...as money is big thing for me at the moment.I am really impressed by the smoothness and luxury of MB. But I think it might be too big for me at the moment. ......Also, I am a bit scared of the computer stuff in MB...
Any suggestions are most welcome..

Tom

davis449

Yeah well the "computer stuff" is the last thing you have to worry about on a w202 Benz. I wouldn't imagine that the C 220 would be real expensive to maintain as they don't seem have the major problems that the I6's do (wiring harness, head gasket, etc.). Oil changes wouldn't be that expensive as they run regular oil typically changed every 7500 miles. The electronics in the 1994-1997 models are really stable. Haven't had any major electronic issues with my 1999 either.

newbiee

thanx..that relaxes me a lot...
is there any preference between the C class itself...and also between the year models 1995 or 1996 or 1997??

ddtham

There are no significant differences in 94-96 models as for as I know of. In 97 though, MB did not offer C220 anymore, it was being replaced by C230. I personally would not get the first year of every car (ie. 94 in C class). You would be better off getting latter models, as the latter models already have their bugs fixed.

I think you would spend lots of money in maintenance anyways if you compare an mb to a honda.

Good luck in your decision, W202 is a beautiful, and a very solid car if properly maintained.

newbiee

Thanx for your suggestions..
But would it be a problem if i buy C220 whose production has been stopped already in 1996. Would i face problems with spare parts and stuff??
Also you said.. merc would be expensive to maintain than honda....By if oil change and filter changes are done by myself... where does the rest of maintenance account for??

davis449

You're not going to have ANY problems with parts so don't even worry about that. As far as differences between models, there really isn't any difference between 94-96 C 220 models at all. My PREFERENCE would be to skip all the way to 99 and get a Kompressor. Also, there were no more difficulties with the 1994 model than any of the others. Do not fear the first year of the C 220. Fear the first year of the 722.6 5 spd. transmission in 1997-1998.5.

newbiee

OK..Cool
Thanx...its been really helpful..
I ll check for Kompressor too but I doubt if i ll get it within my budget..
But you are always welcome for any more suggestions...
I m trying to get a MB withing $ 5200 which has about 110-130 k mileage..
If any better car in that price range..please let me knw.
Keep Benzin

ddtham

Thank you for the correction, I did not know that the C220 is that greatly reliable.

To NEWBIEE:
You can get a 1993 300E for that price, I just saw one in SLC being sold for $5300 with 79K mi. If you really want a C class though, the C220 is the only way to go with that mileage. Or you can get a very mint 1992 190E 2.6 with lower milage.

It all comes down to your preference. I hope you can join us in the W202 family . Like I said again and again, W202 is a very solid and beautiful :P

newbiee

Special thanx to both Davis and Ddtham..You have been really helpful..
Do you think I 'd be better off buying a C220 with about 120k mileage or a 190E with lower mileage... I always thought it doesnt really make much difference to MB coz they are known to run for long long times..
Also, I prefer a bit higher average per gallon + the design of C220 is really appealing.... It is a bit compact yet elegant and you can run it around the city easily and even do the highway miles.......
But if there is going to be a big difference in the maintenance of C220 or 190E..then probably .. I ll think of 190 E... otherwise..that day is not far now.... when I ll join this club

Kilroy

Here is a pic of mine. It has a Carlsson kit(which is really hard to get anymore).

c220 1995 4cyl

I have Eibach spring if you want to raise it up a little.
New tires about 6 months old.
New headlights.
Clear corner lights.
Additional fog lights.
Sub in the trunk(you need the base!)
New fuel pump(they go out at about 100k)
hmmm tell you more if you are interested...

mb_bilal

Check for the maintence records of each car. Make sure the car is in good condition. Im in the same boat as you are right now. Don't worry about year, if u see the car in good shape, and records prove it get it. The C230 Kompresor might be far from your budget for a good one, you can possibly get one from a wholesaler but strongly don't recommend it. Cuz the thing with wholesalers are they also sell accident cars. Try to get a C220 privately, you'll know the previous owner, and most owners keep documented repair sheets of their cars. I know I do.

newbiee

Thanx everyone
I am gonna get a C220 soon now...

KILROY
Thanx But I am not looking for a car that has been modified....If I wanna do it, I 'd like to do it myself.
But it looks cool no doubt..

newbiee

Hey guys..

How reliable the carfax report is for a car whose service history is not available?
Is it worth buying a C220 without the service history but 'Pass' carfax report.!!
Please guide me

Thanx

davis449

I would NEVER buy a car that doesn't come at least MOST of the records on it.

mb_bilal

FORGET THE BENZ, AND BUY A BMW MAN ! NOW THATS THE REAL THING !

ddtham

LOL... Are you a BMW troll now??

zzdragonz

save your money and dont waste it on a euro car....they will break down and cost you more to fix than the car is worth.....owned 3 euro cars in my life all had problems...owned 3 japanese cars also, still runs w/ no problems whatsoever