Veik

Hi,
What year range in the 90s would you guys consider to be pretty reliable?

I have a budget of up to $5000
Want to use the car as daily commuter possibly

I am considering a 98-99 C230 or C280
I am aware of the head gasket and wiring harness issues.

What ELSE should I look out for when looking at these cars?

Its pretty hard to find one with all records...
I do my own minor repairs and upkeep on all of my cars..

Thanks

aquinob

Sounds just like what I was going through about a month or so ago. Same budget, same perspective on use and maintenance.

From what I read, the 97-2000 c series are good cars without the problems you mentioned. I paid 4g for mine, but will probably have over 5 in before I'm done. Mine was seriously neglected by the PO on the interior and on maintenance, but was very low mileage which I hope makes up for that. I ended up traveling about 100 miles to get mine which is a disadvantage in that it is much more difficult to get it over to a shop for them to do a pre-purchase inspection.

In general, the car needs to start and idle nice and smooth and drive without wandering all over the road. Try and get underneath and check for rust in the wheel wells and on the bottom of doors and sills. Look for water in the trunk, check the oil to see if it is dark brown or amber and not milky white (coolant in the oil). Run the ac, make sure the compressor engages, check for belts and hose, pretty much all the usual stuff.

Veik

Hey, another Virginia poster

Lack of service records is what I hate.
Second, third owners...

Henrik-200 cdi

If it's financial possible, I recommend a facelifted W202, try to find one as new as possible ( 1998-2000).
230/280 are both good engines, but I think the maintenance and fuel consumption are more expensive for the C280.
Search for rust!
If you're into luxury, choose an Elegance-model!