tuga11

Hello everyone,
I have been searching the forums for all the info I could get to make my decision on buying a new (used) Mercedes and I believe that I have made up my mind.
I'm more likely to get a 2005 to 2007 C230 sedan with the sport package. 05 1.8- or 06-07- 2.5 (thanks NegroC230)

The reasons for my decision are......
I t will be a commuter car-the C230, 4cyl is great on gas for a Benz of course
2005 facelift on.. seem to be a bit more reliable than c230 20001-04
I really miss my ML320 but with the commute.....C class seems the best for gas
Sport Package is a must because of the look+17"

My questions are.....
Major known problems with the c230 1,8l are?
what should i look for when shopping for one with 35-55 miles--known problems that are easily overlooked?
average maintenance cost per year......apart from service A or B
I found a really well priced 03 sport but should I consider it, given that its pre facelift?
Last....many of my MB owner friends run 89 octane on their Benz.....with no ill effects whatsoever.......can the supercharged engine take that, has anyone done it?

Thanks for all your help and I'll keep you updated.

NegroC230

2006-on are 2.5L v6 engines, 2005-prior are 1.8L supercharged....FYI

AdidasC230

The car is not designed to run on 89 its run on 91 minimum, the knock sensors will notice the cheaper gas and the tuning will be dialed back, basically reducing power. So no do not put 89 in it, there are many ill effects, you just wont know till the car blows up one day.

Your friends are possibly not the brightest, the cost between a fill up of 87 even and 91 is less then 3 dollars, if you cant afford the gas, dont buy a Merc.

Maint depends on how much you drive and what tranny, I also think the C230 Kompressor might need more since they where not quite perfect even in 05. Look at the service schedule listed on the forum and you can see at any millage what needs to be done with the car.

I am a fan of the M272 V6 C230, Its supposed to be one of the most rock solid engines MB builds, even though it is a bit slower then the 1.8L super charged units.

W203E35

Tuga, a lot of people say the 2.5 is more reliable but I have also seen the 1.8 Komp go for many miles. I think a member here has one with 200,000km. As for the cheap gas it's pretty dumb (sorry couldn't find a better word). using cheaper gas than 91 wont blow up or damage your engine..(I say this because there was a member here who mentioned his dad used cheap gas for years and nothing has happened) but if 2 bucks is enough money to not run cleaner fuel and to keep your car from running better then you should look into a civic and not a benz. (no offense)

Check out this maintenance info thread to get an understanding on maintenance on the m272 engine (which is the 2.5 liter)
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ance-info.html

Good luck

LILBENZ230

You've been on the forum long enough to have seen this nonsense be debunked time and time again. 87 octane will cause the timing to retard, reducing power.. likely so small it won't be noticed. I've deliberately thrown 87 in my car repeatedly in the past few months. I'll run 87 a few times, then back to 93. I can detect no difference in performance and there is no difference in my calculated gas mileage. I've even did the same in the 135i, again, no noticeable difference. Please stop furthering the myth about it blowing up your car. That's first-class

Edit:

OP, the 2005 C230 will serve you well. Do not get the 2003. Early M271s are known for head issues that are expensive to fix. If gas mileage is a concern, definitely stick to the 05 with the 1.8.. it's significantly more frugal than the M272 2.5L C230. However, the 2.5L mated to a 6MT is a good choice.

acr2001

I notice a huge difference in my car from regular to premium to ultra (93) to the point that I try to only run 93 now. Mileage goes up enough that it nearly pays for itself.

Running regular or plus is idiotic because you will lose performance and mileage per gallon, so in effect, you are paying the same price per gallon and getting less performance out of the car. As far as doing damage... I'm still on the fence about that. I think there is the possibility of shortening the life of certain parts but it's probably negligible. Probably.

W203E35

Maybe in the long run. When I hear regular I remember the shell commercial where i believe it was the valve filled with gunk and the premium was much more cleaner. I know it's a commercial but I still have a feeling in the long run (wayy long) something like this might happen.

tuga11

Thanks for all your opinions,
The thread was to ask expertise on C230, 1.8 or 2.5's reliability, it was never about the gas (octane). That was just a question....but thanks anyway.

From what I hear and my own needs I'm leaning towards the 2005 c230 1.8(due to it will be a commuter car) and .
It is plenty of power for a commuter car(more than my current Civic anyway)
I only plan on keeping the car 3-4 years tops and just hope to have as much luck as I had with my ML320 for 5 1/2 years.

Regarding the Octane, I realize that it asks for 91 and you do loose power but the ill effects are minimal (maybe on the long run I suppose they are worse.

the 05's C230 1.8 run anywhere between 15k Canadian and 20k canadian so since I'm not in a hurry, I'll wait for a fairly well priced, low km sport model.....then I'll jump on it.

the forums have been great for figuring out things so thanks again.

E.V.

LILBENZ230

See search function, then.

Glyn M Ruck

See this.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ompressor.html