wwwiiilll

HI
I have a c320 2002 sedan ( 240 000 km) and I check to change for a c350 4matic sport/premium pack 2009 (70 000 km).
I want your idea on the car I want buy ?
the w204 it is better fiability than w203 ?
I will have many problems with my c320...the bigger problems I will have is rust.the w204 does it have this problems.

and what is imnportant to check on a c350 4matic...before buy it

thanks

Sportstick

With this being an international forum, we realize English is not your first language, so good work on describing your questions!

We do not have the word "fiability", but I am guessing you mean "reliability"...how many problems will it have. The 204 has been much more reliable than the 203 and may be one of Mercedes Benz's most reliable vehicles. Nothing is perfect, and there are some problems, but overall, it is doing very well. I have read no reports about any rust on any 204.

My car is also a 2009, like the one you are considering, and it has been excellent for 4 years. At 70,000km, however, you can expect some maintenance items to be required, so do not be surprised if brakes, tires, or struts need replacement. The quality continued to improve in 2010 when the car won a prize for being the best quality in its class. If you can find a 2010 with fewer kilometers, you may do even better.

JamesKim

Rust is not the car's problem, it's yours. You're not waxing and protecting the clear coat properly. Any car's paint job will last several decades if properly taken care of.

Sportstick

Disagree. Rust is not a problem of insufficient wax on a unbroken paint surface. There is a long history of cars with inherent engineering/design problems which prompted corrosion from the inside out. In many cases, the paint was the last surface to fail as the metal disintegrated beneath it. I don't know from personal experience if the W203 is among them, and longer-standing MB owners can chime in, but the phenomenon is well documented in auto history.

acr2001

This is incorrect!

Sportstick has it right. Up until 2005 the W203s were experiencing a lot of rust in the bottom of the doors as well as the fenders. Had nothing to do with the paint. Had everything to do with retaining water in certain areas, improper galvanization, and complete lack of galvanization (Mercedes has done some very stupid things in the past) until a certain year (I've forgotten which year exactly...).

My W203 was a complete piece of junk. Dozens of major problems. So far my W204 has had only 1 very small problem - the sunroof makes loud 'cracking' sounds when I hit bumps and the body of the car flexes. Haven't taken it in for the problem yet.

JamesKim

*Gulp* Are you serious? I thought Mercedes Benz was the forefront of reliability????

Sportstick

Nope...among luxury cars, that would be Lexus, but you trade off several other benefits which "drive" people to choose a MB. Far more MBs have been on Consumer Reports "used cars to avoid" list than we'll ever see Lexus. But, far more MB owners enjoy driving their cars while more Lexus folks float along softly and a bit detached. Figure out how many "things gone wrong" you are willing to tolerate to balance out the "things gone right", and you'll know what luxury brand you want.

JamesKim

So does that mean MB is bad at holding value over time?

Sportstick

Not sure what number crosses the line into "bad", but it varies by model and year. Residual value is based on supply and demand, and even a less than perfect reliability auto with high demand can have high residual value. There are sites where you can compare used car values, and a bank or dealer can tell you current ALG projected residual values which they use for financing leases.

JamesKim

There's no way my car will have good resale value then, as I rarely ever see the C class in my city. A total BMW fest over here. I guess I'll just have to drive it for a long long time then.

wwwiiilll

thank a lot SPORTSTICK...I am reassured (google traduction )

AND TO JamesKim I DONT THINK WAX WILL ELIMINATED THE PROBLEMS OF RUST...CHECK IN ALL THE FORUMS AND YOU FIND THIS PROBLEMS MANY TIME.MY SON HAVE A HYUNDAI ACCENT 1999 WITH 200 000 KM AND DONT HAVE RUST LIKE THIS AND DONT HAVE 2 PAINT JOB ON HIS CAR.I LOVE MY CAR BUT I AM NOT BLIND...MERCEDES W203 IS NOT A RELIABILITY CAR...SORRY ITS THE REALITY.

Sportstick

Meilleurs voeux avec votre nouvel achat. Vous pourrez profiter de la 204 pour l'ensemble de ses améliorations!

Glyn M Ruck

Rust on the W203 was production plant dependent. Brazil worst. Never any rust problems on SA production at all - zero. 10 year perforation warranty.