MattB

I am currently trying to convince my parents to let me consider a W202 2000 C280 for my next car (I'm still in college and everything has to go by my parents even though I'm paying for it myself). One of their arguments against the Benz is that it will be excessively expensive to run. Can you guys help me in that regard by giving me an idea what it costs you maintenance wise to keep your 202s in good shape (oil changes, brakes, tires, etc)?

harryt

Well basic cost is there for all cars, like brakes, oil changes etc...

However! When it comes to costs for a new electrical unit, or lug nuts etc... It's quite expensive from a mercedes dealer. I'm saying almost triple the cost VS a car like a Honda Civic.

So basic maintainence is cheap, but when big parts die, WHICH! they will, as the cars are quite old now. Head gaskets will leak etc... Unless you can do the work yourself, you can't save much money.

The way I save money on my C280, is because I can do the labour myself. Parts is something you have to pay for, reguardless of where you get it done from. The labour, depends on the mechanic, in my case MOST of the jobs, are ones I can handle.

I'd reccomend you look at how much money you can spend. Preferably I wouldn't go with one at this stage of your life. I am in college also, however my car was lent to me by family that didn't use it. If I were to go buy a car now at this stage, I'd get something cheaper and easier to fix up.

Later on after college I can save up and easily buy a newer model, at the same time be able to afford it.

Hope this gives you an insite on things.

Thanks,

Harry.

MattB

Yeah that definately helps to get the perspective of a fellow college student. Would you say that a lot of wear and tear related failures are hugely expensive, or is it primarily things that would be covered under warranty? I'm planning on buying a 4year/48K bumper-to-bumper warranty on my next car.

ddtham

Get a mercedes with a perfect maintenance record. If you can find a low milage 2000 C280 with good record, go for it. The last years of w202s are one of the best benz ever made. There is almost no known problems for them, and the dealer usually offer warranties.

Just don't go for older w202s that are prone to problems such as head gasket for I6, adaptive transmission problems found on 97 and up (but got fixed around 98-99), and engine wiring harness on 94-96 models.

I'm also a college student and I would say that regular maintenance are pretty cheap (ie. oil change for $35 vs $20 for civic, transmission oil change for 200 in indie shop).

I'd say that if you're a mercedes enthusiast, go for it and have fun. But if you're looking for cheap, economic, and easy to fix, don't go for MB.

harryt

I'd say the newer the car is, the better. Mines is a 95, so I can run into problems. I bought mines right at 80,000kms and now its at 101,000kms. Between then I had to do a few major fixes. Such as a new head gasket etc... So the newer the car, the better for you. This way the car will last longer, before you experience any major problems. As for me with a 95, I haven't had too many issues.

Althought with my 95, I haven't had too many issues, but as time goes buy things will need some major repairs. So if your going with mercedes that's fairly new, good mint condition and has warranty. Then you might want to go for it.

The way I see it, is if you can't afford it, you can always sell it. I know with mines I could still sell it and save some money.

MattB

Well I'm by no means a Mercedes enthusiast, right now I would consider myself an Infiniti enthusiast (don't laugh, there's a site like this one for Infiniti owners). However a used Infiniti G35 is out of my price range and I would prefer something slightly smaller than the Infiniti I30/I35. An Acura TSX would be ideal, but again probably too expensive for me on the used market, which leaves me with the Audi A4 (way too many electrical problems), BMW 325 (overpriced and underpowered), and the W202 C280. I've driven a few and they are quite fun to drive.

harryt

Well go with the C280, I admit its great and fun to drive. I have one myself and it's the best car I've driven as of yet

MattB

Yeah I like the C280 as well, I just have to convince my parents to let me get one...

fearlessone2

Never spit into the wind, never tug on Superman's cape and never have your MB serviced at a MB dealer. Hey, these rides are good, easy to fix and last much longer than most.

benz rider

I recently got bitten by the MB bug and bought myself a '97 C280 and I love it!. I was looking for a car that would save me some gas because I currently have a muscle car that drinks like a sailor...so I got it at 76,000 miles "as is" from a high end car dealer who sold more than just benz's but other high end cars(land rover, bmw, lexus, jags, etc..). but I figure since the owner used to be the head guy at a local major Lexus dealership he wouldn't go into business by himself without a serious taste for good cars to sell. the carfax history showed no major problems. I'm the 3rd owner and I got the feeling that the 2nd owner was a MB dealer because the milege between the 1st and 2nd owners was only 1,000 miles, not even a week owned.

I'm a classic american muscle car enthusiast by heart, and I plan to work on this benz as much as I can. this benz has really turned me on to german engineering in a major way. oh sure I've have plenty of beetle and bugs, but not something updated and german.

planned work:

change flex discs(front and back)
change head gasket
change oil
flush and fill transmission fluid
put in new water pump
update muffler system(it needs a growl)
darken the tint
charge the A/C a tiny bit more
add a punch 10' woofer with amp

last but not least......RIMS AND TIRES!!!!...

harryt

haha I'm doing just about the same stuff... so far I've done mabye 25% of it... need to save more money. I agree though, it's fun working on these cars The end result is great

benzo23

these cars are great!...not to fast but oh well....im trying to be seen in mine and not trying to go 150mph...but they are expensive to maintain for sure...i needed a new key a week ago and that set me back 200$....but thats the price u have to pay with a benz.....G

MattB

Yeah I haven't heard too many good things about MB dealer service. One dealer near me apparently requires you to sign a warranty waiver if your car is over 100K. My main problem is that while I can get good service on my car when I'm at home (I know a good independent shop), getting the car serviced in Williamsburg, VA where I go to college could be an issue...the dealer down there does a decent job on my friend's car but seems to be expensive.

patrick_y

Maintenance on a Mercedes vehicle is a bit more expensive. For example, on a Infiniti, the 60k mile service (which is too big to do by yourself) is $600. On a Mercedes, 6 cylinder, you're looking at $1500 give or take. One thing that seems to surprise everybody is how expensive the brakes are. The rotors have to be replaced along with the pads and the damage is aroudn $1k. I hope you don't drive in the city too much or use the brake too hard.

The Infiniti G35s have depreciated quite a bit. You can pick one up with around 40k miles for about 15 nowadays. I liked the Infiniti G35 myself, came very close to acquiring one.

BMW is actually slightly cheaper than the Mercedes.

1957Birdman

I don't think a C280 is a great choice for a college student unless you go to an Ivy League school and appearances mean more than practicality. I own a 1999 C280 that in many ways is a great car, but in other ways not. It has a very solid structure. It gets decent gas mileage, but on premium gas. My car is low mileage (45K) and I still have the original tires on it, so keeping the front end aligned is no sweat. The transmission has issues, especially in stop and go traffic when it shifts down into 1st gear. It is very abrupt and worse than the old Fordomatic clunk shifting from second to third gear. The accelerator linkage makes it tough to start out slowly from a dead stop. If you don't get a car with the leather package the seat bolsters are vinyl which means on a hot day your skin sticks to them if you wear shorts. The interval wipers only have one delay position, every six seconds. Unless you get the optional wiper control that is what you are stuck with. The overall build quality is first rate. I don't like the automatic climate control and it is giving me problems. The cast aluminum wheel are coated with brake dust after about 200 miles of driving, and I don't ride my brakes.
If I were in your position I would take the amount you are expecting to spend on the C280 and look for the best Honda Accord that I could find. I think in the long run you will be money ahead and then can buy the MB of your dreams once you are established.
If you still decide to get one find a good independent garage to work on it. I only take my car to the dealer for recalls. The last time I had it in there they tried to tell me that my front brakes were about shot and that the belt tensioner needed to be replaced. I said no and took it to my mechanic who confirmed that was hogwash. I was in there for a recall and also to get them to replace the catalytic converter because the baffles had come loose. That is also a known problem with the 1999 C280. Fortunately, there is an 8 year/80,000 mile warranty on that item.
Good Luck,

MattB

Every time you need new pads you have to replace the rotors too? If that's the case that's a poor design on the part of Mercedes. I do like the G35 a lot, if I could get one with 40K for $15000 I'd be all over it. Unfortunately in my area a 2003 G35 sedan with 40K goes for around $20000. $15000 gets me an I30 with 40K in my area.

ddtham

I changed my front rotors and pads along with sensors for $350. I don't seriously think that you need to change rotors everytime you change the pads. Rear pads are only $109.

Ashkan's C43

i changed rotors and pads and sensors for about 250 front and rear, just gotta find a good indi shop, all my stuff was oem too, I have a 97 c280, and knocking on wood i have not run into huge problems as of yet, besides things that just fail over time, i plan on keeping my c280 for at least another 2 years, and I have put on a ton of miles on my car 104k now, and it still runs like a champ... i6 egnines last forever

TA-9FF

Agreed. MB's are hella expensive to buy and maintain. If you're in college, get a beater, and save up for a new Benz when you graduate. Accord's make good beaters, and they're super cheap to maintain.

Cyan

It goes to show that every MB is slightly different. I've driven 105K miles on very rough roads in my 99 c280 and aside from break jobs and regular A/B maintenance every 10K miles, all I ever had to repair was:
New Battery - Steering Shock - Lower Ball Joints - Lower Control Bushing - Idler Arm Bushing - Drag Link

(knock on wood)

MattB

Accord V6 transmissions are a problem prior to '03 (I wouldn't buy the 4, it's slower than my current car).