I am interested in picking one up but not sure of the usual gremlins and stay away items surrounding this car.

I have driven many of the krompressor and later V6 models, but for some reason I preferred that supercharged 4 cylinder motor - am I crazy to do so?

Which year and drive train are the most desirable throughout the entire production range?

Thanks!

05+ models are reliable. Main thing to do is replace the CPS magnets if it hasnt been done. But search the forum and theres threads about this topic already.

I have an '05 C230K 6 spd and my wife has a '06 C230 auto.

Of course, they are very similar (sitting in the car without looking at the exterior, it's easy to forget which one we're in), but her's seems smoother than mine. At least part of that is because of the difference between the I4 and V6 (with balance shaft).

The V6 get a little less mileage on the highway than my I4 (~30 vs ~32 mpg) and seems to get much less mileage around town - below 20.

The cruise control is a little nicer in the '06 than the '05 - In the '06, each push of the lever changes the cruise speed 1 mph, but on the '05, you have to guess.

The '06 has a larger oil capacity (8.5 vs 5.8 qts).

As phister said, the cam positioning magnets can be a problem on the '05 ('06 too?). Some '06s might have a problem with the balance shaft sprocket. The former is covered by a recall campaign and the latter should be taken care of by MB.

Other than that, they are very similar. I like my '05 with the 6 spd., but the tranny is a little slow and notchy and the pedals are horribly positioned. The auto is smooth and will just about always put you in the right gear. It's very nice (for an auto).

That's my $0.02 on the two. Hope that helps.

ncmudbug as for the cruise control in the older car if I am not mistaken it should adjust by either .6 or .8 mph every click. it is in the owners manual.

2001-2002 w203's if u are looking for motor reliability + they will be cheap enough

I was all set to tell you you were wrong (and you are according to my manual), but so am I. In both the '05 and '06 manual it says a "briefly tip cruise control lever in direction of arrow." to increase speed by 1 mph. Maybe there is something wrong with mine. I'll have to monkey around with mine.

I will now have to look at mine to see. Knowing Mercedes they change it every year to **** with us lol

From the 2001 manual
If a set speed is to be increased or decreased slightly, e. g. to adapt to the traffic flow, hold lever in position 1 or 2 until the desired speed is reached, or briefly tip the lever in the appropriate direction for increases or decreases in 0.6 mph (1 km/h) increments. When the lever is released, the newly set speed remains.

OK looked at the owners manual for 01-05 Looks like 01 and 02 is by .6 MPH and for 03-05 it is 1 MPH

Thanks for all the replies.

After doing some research last night, I learned about the Kompressor's ability to jump a tooth on the timing chain/sprocket and that doesn't sound so good.

Is there a list out there showing the different engine's used and their associated production year for the W209?

Why should I stay away from the M272 engine?

Do these cars have issues prematurely wearing out their ball joints and control arm bushings?

From the 2001 manual
If a set speed is to be increased or decreased slightly, e. g. to adapt to the traffic flow, hold lever in position 1 or 2 until the desired speed is reached, or briefly tip the lever in the appropriate direction for increases or decreases in 0.6 mph (1 km/h) increments. When the lever is released, the newly set speed remains.

OK looked at the owners manual for 01-05 Looks like 01 and 02 is by .6 MPH and for 03-05 it is 1 MPHAs I said, I'm not sure what the difference is between '05 and '06 cruise controls (maybe it's between my car and my wife's). The action on my wife's is much more precise than on mine. On my wife's car, resuming a cruise after braking instantaneously resumes the speed while in my car, it will lag a bit before accelerating...

Either way, it's a small issue. Cruise works in both cars, it just seems to work differently.

Any belt or chain driven engine can jump time. It's true that the M271 would be better off with a duplex chain, but to my knowledge, it isn't a big issue. I mentioned the M272 balance shaft sprocket problem that can affect some of them. It is a known issue and I understand MB will take care of it (I believe even if it is out of warranty). There are other threads that address this issue.

It isn't a big issue.. and you *should* hear a chain rattle before it actually happens. Proper maintenance is key.

OP - if you prefer the supercharged four, buy an 05. These are solidly reliable and very efficient. If you want a V6, buy a 2007.. it's the best W203 in terms of appearances and should be well sorted.

Disregard anyone who advises you to buy a 2001-2002. They are clueless.

LOL - sad but true. Avoid them like the plague.