Hi folks,
Have spotted a C-Class Sport Coupe (Evo Panorama) C180 for about £11k. 40k mileage.
I'm intending to keep it for 3-4 years.
I like the car, but what should I be wary of?
Anyone know what the service interval and costs are?
Curiously the insurance (at Confused.com) is the same for the C180 and C350! Bizarre.
TIA
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My boss has just sold his 2003 C class and his biggest gripe was the service costs. He'd take it in for a £350 service and within an hour would have calls saying "it needs x, y, z". He reckoned it was rare to get change out of £800 come service time.
He's an engineer by trade too, and not the kind of guy I can see taking suggestions of extra work lightly. Mercedes main dealer parts/service costs can be eye watering.
If you have access to a good independent specialist, you can probably save yourself a fortune, but if you're relying on main dealers to look after it, be prepared to dig deep.
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DP's spot on, i've run Benz's for about 10 years, and i use a particularly good specialist indy.
I reckon overall servicing/repair costs to between a third to half of main dealers, far better care too, and you speak to the man not through an often non tech intermediary.
Unless its a compressor (C180K) it won't be particularly quick, and do check the build date to be 04/05 at the earlest to ensure it's galvanised.
Edited by gordonbennet on 29/12/2009 at 10:02
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I own a c-class & suggest (as the previous poster notes) you'll be a ripe sweet plum for picking come 'service' time. Main dealers absolutely love the old C & E classes - they no longer sell them in any numbers (why would they take the risk with them?) , but still get them in for repairs & servicing - the costs of which are becoming legendary. Anything that fails - which is quite a big (and growing) list - seems to cost a fortune to fix. Nice earner for them, huge costs for punter.
The only viable option, I'd suggest, is the pukka indie route.
Edited by woodbines on 29/12/2009 at 10:05
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A Neighbour who is ultra careful with the £££s, (he runs a K Reg Mondeo which is maintainable by himself, he bought it from his father 12 yrs ago so is the 2nd owner)
His wife has a 2006 C class - 3 yr old service and MoT was £850 - it needed brake pads, disks, wiper blades (front & back,.......................) on top of the £350 service. They wanted 2 tyres (3-4mm) as well but that was just too much for his wife to sanction
Be warned in the mid 90's I put my car in to the local MB palace and got eye watering bills based on £80/hour
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Be warned in the mid 90's I put my car in to the local MB palace and got eye watering bills based on £80/hour
Ford main dealers charge the same rate for labour.
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>> Be warned in the mid 90's I put my car in to the local MB >> palace and got eye watering bills based on £80/hour Ford main dealers charge the same rate for labour.
My point was in the mid 1990's (12 years ago!!!!!!) MB garage charged £80 - bet you it is now £140+ / hour. My local Indie is £5 + VAT - much more palatable IMO.
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Shoul have read
"Indie charges £35+VAT"
£5.00 would be ever so cheap !!!
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Thanks all for the replies.
I can confirm it's a C180K.
I'm glad I checked about the servicing though, this would not be feasible. I already find my Focus bills eye watering!
Is there any easy to way to find a decent independent? I'm in Fleet, Hampshire.
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I'm glad I checked about the servicing though this would not be feasible. I already find my Focus bills eye watering!
If you find a Focus expensive to run, keep well away from Mercs, BMW's etc!
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Is there any easy to way to find a decent independent? I'm in Fleet Hampshire.
www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/
And I think this is your area:
www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/postcodes/index.php?pos...1
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On my MB forum this chap comes very highly recommended and customers travel a long way for his servicing and repairs.
I have no connection, and have never used him myself.
mbsofsouthampton.co.uk
hope that isn't a problem mods.
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Prestige Car Services in Waterlooville are highly rated on the MB forums, if that's not too far from Fleet. I think MB service rates inside the M25 are now circa £110-120/hour - about the same as BMW, Audi, etc.
The 180K goes reasonably well enough, but it's no sports car. What you will notice after a Focus is the nicer 'feeling' you will get from driving a Merc.
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I'm wondering if the C230 will be a better buy. Seems to be a fair bit quicker (0-60 in 7.8s) and the economy isn't that different from the C180K. Curiously the insurance isn't that much different either.
Failing that it's a C350, which is a lot quicker (0-60 in 6.5s if memory serves). I'm guessing that the economy will be proportionately worse though.
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