After being sans transport for almost a year it was time to purchase a car.
Owner: Mark B
- Soft and comfortable ride
- Solid quality
- Good technology
- Plastic door pulls
- Random squeaks and rattles
- Heavy steering at low speeds
- Engine noise
After being sans transport for almost a year it was time to purchase a car. Ideally I wanted something that was well-priced (Covid hit pretty hard…), and in good condition. I was pretty much open to anything, but after seeing the prices for what amounted to be absolute rubbish on the used car market I decided to buy something that most people are too scared of, a used Mercedes-Benz.
This is my third C, and follows in the footsteps of a W202 and W204, always post-facelift models. Now there is the well-used, and sometimes correct, saying that if you buy a cheap Mercedes then you buy two, so I went into this with my eyes open, knowing from experience that a second hand Merc still has maintenance costs that cost a bit more than other makes. Thankfully I know a good specialist who is honest and reliable.
Anyway, I found the Merc and took a good look and test drive. A deal was done and away I went on the same day, for about the same price as a ratty old Corolla or Mazda, judging by what was online. First stop was to get it serviced – including a gearbox service – and work out what was needed. Surprisingly little it turns out. Just the usual maintenance items like wipers and a battery, and not far down the track some brake pads and rotors.
So far so good.
I gave the Merc a good clean inside and out and it scrubs up well. Three months later everything still works, the air con is cold, the gearbox shifts like a knife through hot butter (the trusty old 5-speed 722.6 is a goodie), the interior is in excellent shape for it’s age and kilometres (15 years and 169,000km) and there are barely any squeaks or rattles to be heard.
It has been completely reliable and the drive is comfortable and easy. Although you can tell that this era was definitely a low point in Mercedes quality (compared to the preceding W202 and following W204) there is still more than enough of that Mercedes specialness that makes each drive a pleasant one. Would I buy again? Sure, but I would probably look for the post-facelift C240 or C320 with the bulletproof M112 V6 (although they are very rare).
I like that even though it’s a Sport Edition with lowered suspension, it rides comfortably like an old school Mercedes still, but also handles really well. It probably has something to do with having appropriately sized 17-inch wheels. I like that everything works as it should; the doors shut with a satisfying thunk, the dash (all of it, right down to the footwells) is soft touch and feels great. It’s a perfect size for me; being able to pull off that Mercedes trick of actually looking quite large while being only 3cm longer than a first generation Mazda3 sedan.
The technology on offer for something from 2006 is quite remarkable, including a digital speedo, factory Bluetooth connectivity, auto (Xenon) headlights and wipers, and the world’s best (non-adaptive) cruise control that brakes to hold speed and is easily controlled with a simple wand. And although totally subjective, it’s a Mercedes, which for me is simply the best.
While there are many things that you can see and feel are high quality, such as the dashboard, the driving experience, the materials used for the seat coverings and doors, there are other areas where I really wonder, “What were they thinking?”
Such as the interior door pulls, which are plastic, creaky, feel nasty, and from what I have seen online, are a common part that breaks. The window switches, again work perfectly but just feel a bit fragile compared to other generations. There are random squeaks and rattles from the centre air vents and the driver’s door, which seem to resonate when the road gets rather rough. My other two C-Classes never had anything like it.
While I’m sure they were thinking that the exhaust as part of the Sport Edition pack looks the goods, it makes the M271 engine (already not known for a delightful sound) make a droning, farty sort of sound on part throttle. It’s not overly loud thankfully, just not really inspiring either. The steering is unnecessarily heavy at low speeds, but thankfully lightens up at speed.
Owner: Mark B
MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz
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