treiberg

I've never really heard why MB stopped making the Kompressors after 2005? Does anyone know? They seem to be very popular, and get great gas mileage, so I find it strange they stopped making them.

Jay J

I agree, I get between 22-24 MPG in city driving, and as much as 30 MPG on the highway, with plenty of torque and power available from the supercharger.

However the Kompressor is rather loud vs. the V6 that MB moved to with the 2006 and newer models, so perhaps for that reason, and the newer 7 speed gearbox they choose to move away from this design.

E-Klasse

Cost savings. They can make a better range of V6 engines to use in a lot more models instead of using a 4 cyl Supercharged engine in the smaller models. They stared phasing out inline engines back with the 98 models. The V engines shared internal parts even though the sizes were different. Even the V8s could share parts with the V6s internally to save costs. They can make a small V6 that costs less, performs better and can be used in a wider range of models.

LuxuryC240

I'm not too knowledgable on this stuff since I havent been a mercedes owner for too long, but I was also thinking to myself, it may have been the cost of the supercharger...along with the efficiency of the V6 engine

Boom vang

Mercedes never stopped making Kompressors as they are still available all over the world. It was just in North America that they stopped bringing in the little 1.8K because we feel the 4cyl = budget entry level car/low-rent. Despite that, the engine is one of the smoothest 4cyl around and has great power and fuel economy, if we were paying $8 a gallon like they do in the UK we would all be driving 4cyl cars unless we are very wealthy. The only company that still markets 4cyl in premium cars is Audi in their A4.

The 1.8 engine is coming back (launched in Frankfurt autoshow) in their dies-otto engine putting out 238hp and 295 lb-ft torque, whether it makes it to N-A is another question

Blake P

Very knowledgeable post. As I understand it, Audi isn't exactly bringing the 1.8 back, because as you said with the kompressor... it never left the European market and will still not be offered in the US. The information I've seen so far indicates that the 2.0T will still be the engine Audi is going to use on their entry level A4 in the US.

C230 Sport Coup

Exactly.
The m271 is alive and well.

Boom vang

The M271 engine is available in

UK & Europe
C180 Kompressor
C200 Kompressor
CLK200 Kompressor
E200 Kompressor

Australia
C180 Kompressor
C200 Kompressor

Asia
C200 Kompressor
E200 Kompressor

South America
C200 Kompressor

Africa
C200 Kompressor
E200 Kompressor


Just because it is not available in the USA does not mean that it does not exist, the C class coupe last year in the US was in 2005 (continued in Canada to 2006) but it still continues throughout the world in the current form and will be updated with a new front.

We get a very limited range of engines here in N-A, check out the world sites and you will find a huge range of engines that never come here and I would take a guess that the most common configuration of the C class is a 4cyl diesel. In Europe there are 8 different engines available for the new C class not including the 6.3

Phin

When I decided on buying a C230,I actually went looking for an 05' instead of buying a new 06'.I wanted the supercharged I-4.I drove both and for my taste and driving style the Kompressor won hands down.Now that I've learned so much more about my car,in hindsight I might've bit the bullet(money) and bought a C32.

Rzrlp

The guy I use for service is a master technician for mercedes, worked for them over 20 years he said. He told me they stopped with this engine becuase of too many problems.

dmatre

Please see the post 2 above yours, or check out the MB worldwide website (not MBUSA). Mercedes has not 'stopped with this engine'. It's still available worldwide - just not in America. I guess that gas in the USA is still too cheap for consumers to want to use less of it.

patrick_y

Mercedes-Benz wanted to stay competitive with BMW and Lexus, which were both offering 6 cylinder engines.

The four cylinder engine is a fantastic engine. I have no problems driving a 4 cylinder 200 Kompressor engine or 220 CDI engine and I wish they would continue to import these cars to the States.

Additionally, all four cylinder Mercedes-Benz vehicles still utilize the 5-speed automatic gearbox, to which I prefer over the new 7-speed.

The one car I want really badly is the BMW 320d coupe (in diesel), averaging 40 mpg (european cycle), I think it's better than a hybrid, plus it's got the same size tank as the petrol model so I'll be able to go much further between fill-ups.

Boom vang

I think that you need to find a new mechanic as your 'master technician' really does not know his stuff because the engine lives everywhere except North America. It apparently is one of mercedes most reliable engine as I've heard and read this numerous times even from my contacts at MB Canada's head office.

They stopped bringing it in to North America because of marketing reasons as its direct competitors all have 6cyl engines and people cross-shopping feel that they require it, the same way a V8 is needed for the next series up and how Audi and BMW feel that a V10 is one-up-manship. Here in N-A we look down on 4 cyl as being entry level as in the past they have been noisy, rough and underpowered. The M271 is a very smooth, free reving engine that most people driving it would not be able to tell it is a 4 or a 6. The previous 2.3 Kompressor is a different story however, as it is rough and noisy. The Audi/VW 1.8T and 2.0T has been consistently selected by Wards as one of the best engines, however driving both side by side I would say that the MB 1.8 is much smoother than the 1.8T.

ismeto

I have 2005 C180 Kompressor (it is 143 HB now 156 HP) _C200 now is 184 HP

Kompressor Engines are good for 1.8 cc engines that it gives enough HP and torque and less Petrol consum. Especially city drivers , they are great (no more problem fur Urban )

But it is feelable NOISY and I have change I would not buy it.V6 is great choise .

and I do not understand Why Mercedes release C180 K . It is same engine capacity vith C200 . only difference C200 K is 5 K Euro more expensive than C180 .Only C200 has minor part and Software.

TAMISH-ZN

well, i donno what happen in ur country but here in SA, the c200kompressor was for sale ight up til the 1st of august 2007, and i know coz i bought the LAST brand new w203 200Kompressor in south africa.

and that car is DAMN economical!! its a tipshift but its SO much better on fuel than my 2003 w203 200Kompressor!!

the 2007 1 is doing bout 7.3litres per 100km!!! and THATS DAMN good!!
driving down from jozi to durban, between 120km/h and 230km/h all the way!!!

thats 650km with a average of 7.3!!!

the last trip i took my other car and on te same down run, i was averaging 10.6km per 100km!!! wats up with that??

GuitarBenz

I have a 07 C180k.

It has the same power as the C200.

And why the C200 now has the 1.8 motor in it I don't know?

ismeto

CLK begins CLK 200 KOMPRESSOR in the World . Not CLK 180 K. Because mercedes Knows no needs CLK 180 in Luxery Coupe. Why C begins C180 K ?(and last SC producted C160 too -129 HP )

ismeto

What do you mean with - It has the same power as the C200- ?

I know C180 K 143 HP and C200 163 HP in the World (2008= 156 /184 HP)

davis449

This is correct. However, the 1.8T in the new B8 chassis is NOT the same exact 1.8T they've always been using. The new 1.8 (Europe only) is a FSI engine now. The 2.0T FSI will stay in America.

GDawgC220

Correct From reports, the 2.0T will be beefed up at some point, offering 250-260hp.

treiberg

Thanks for all the informative answers to my original question. It still seems odd to me - most C230 owners (2003-2005) appear to be very happy with their cars, and especially the economy factor - I would think Mercedes would pay attention to that, rather than just eliminating it because of competing with other V6's - it would actually give them a differentiation for those that want to pay less at the pump, but still enjoy some decent performance. Maybe sales were slumping in this class.

Ok, then, what about adding a superchager to a smaller V6 - get the smoothness of a V6, downsize it to get better gas mileage, then add Kompressor to boost performance. Wouldn't that be the best of all worlds? This engine configuration probably already exists for Mercedes somewhere in the world.

GDawgC220

With that combo, about the same as the C32. 3.2L V6 with a supercharger added on

Adding a supercharger to the 2.8L or 3.5L would cost $$.

Boom vang

Having driven many cars in my life (in my 40's) I think that the 1.8 engine is a great little power plant. In my opinion it was a superior engine to the V6 in the C240 (gutless lump) and the 2.5L V6 that replaced it in 2006 (slower and lacking low end torque). While a V6 will be quieter and somewhat smoother, the 1.8 had lots of grunt especially with a stick and had a very flat torque curve not to mention instant throttle response across all RPM's and was a full second to 60 than the V6's. It does make a distinctive sound (like a vacuum cleaner sometimes) and sort of runs out of steam approaching 6000 RPM. It is extremely free reving with no flat spots. My only complaint would be: I wish it had a higher redline because I hit the fuel/rev cutoff in first gear rather quickly and then it takes time to gather steam again.

Other advantages that people don't look at and discount it as a 4cyl (other than the gas economy) is that the powerplant is much lighter and the car is better balanced. The V6's tend to make the car nose heavy and you get too much understeer. The weight differences between the C240 and the C230K is over 200lb lighter, and that is off the front end!

In today's world we equate 'more as better' as in the number of cyl or the crazy horsepower war that is going on (do you really need a car that has over 300hp on todays crowded roads and heavy handed law enforcement?) Because after a while you are only taking tenths of seconds off 0-60 with a difference between a 300hp car and one that is 400 or 500hp (just like stereo wars, some people think that they need 600+watts of power when a 100 would be fine). And of course the times that are published are with a professional driver not missing a beat or the engine reved up so high before dumping the clutch or dropping it into D that one's car would not last that long if this was common practice. It is nice to have the big powerful engine but really it becomes only bragging rights and in Toronto somedays coming home from work I am lucky to get out of 2nd gear!

Phin

I agree with you on this Boom.I have "tracked" my little kompressor and it's a fairly nimble little car,lots of fun.

C230 Sport Coup

All I've ever seen as far as difference in C180 vs 200 or 230 is software.
I'd love to see if anyone could show that quality and price of parts is different on different versions of the same engine.

Kleeman solves that problem with software upgrade...and likely fuel mileage loss.