[Archish]

I know that there are many threads on Merc. I have gone through all of them, but i find them to be confusing. So, pls lets this thread stay alive.

Hi,
Lemme first give you a lil back ground of myself. I m all of 26, I first discovered TBhp when i was searching for a detailed review of Mahindra Xylo. Saw the one written by Vinay. Ever since i have been hooked on to Tbhp. In this short span of time I have sold my Qualis and bought a Siena 1.6 and a Innova. I m not too much of a mechanic, i love cars, i love trouble free cars, which i can maintain by sending it regularly to service stations.

Next i m looking out for a Merc. After spending about 10 man hrs on the net I just fell in love with C220 CDI. I just want to know the pros and cons of this machine. And also what other variants of merc would be in my buget.

I did a used car search and 2002 - 03 C220's are available from 11L to 16L.

Pls advice me.And also post pics of the various versions.

[GTO]

C220's a fantastic sedan, and pretty much the quickest manual Benz you can buy in India. Outstanding dynamics and the facelift model was pretty loaded too. She is outstanding to drive, especially at speed / on the highways. In the 0 - 100, she can keep up (or beat) an RS, the mid-range can crush much more powerful petrols and top speed is an indicated 240 odd (actual would be 220). Fuel efficiency within the city is a constant 11 - 12 kpl (manual), long range tank on the highways will give you about 750 - 800 kms on a fill (65 liter tank).

While the ride quality is excellent on the highway, it's too darn stiff (to the point of being uncomfortable over sharp bumps) in the city. Reliability is inconsistent too. My C220 in the past 1 year has had a clutch job, turbo pipe replacement, front suspension revamp and engine mount change. While 3 of these 4 were wear & tear jobs, atleast the clutch job & engine mounts should not have come up at only 50,000 odd kms. This is NOT the car if you want Honda / Toyota like reliability. Also, the steering is typically European and on the heavier side in the city. The rear seat has less space than an Accord making the car a 4 seater at best.

Look ONLY at a one owner car with complete service history. Easily budget for about a lakh a year in upkeep. Good idea to get one screened by an authorised service station prior to making the payment. Spend some time going through this thread. It's pretty much everything you need to know about the car.

[Nikhilb2008]

Someone I know is planning to upgrade to a proper car. He currently drives an NHC Vtec.

Budget is around 12 lakhs or so. Initially, he was looking at the usual Civic/Corolla. Now, he heard that a second hand C class(not sure if it the old gen or the current gen model) is available at Sundaram Motors for around 12 lakhs.

If it is, is it a good buy? I've followed GTO's thrad on and off and have seen that there have been tons of problems with that gen of C class. Is it worth it? Because this person prefers a Merc anyday compared to a BMW.

Now, coming to the BMW. Any possibility of the 3 series for around 12 lakhs? Obviously, looking at the current gen only because BMW didnt officially release the previous gen 3 Series in India.

If it is available in that price range, is it worth buying a second hand BMW?

[dipen]

You are looking at 2004-05 model C in this range. 3 of similar vintage would be a little rare.

[unni.ak]

Also, do look into the maintanence and service costs.

[GTO]

Nikhil, I've merged your thread with Archish's. Similar question.

You won't get a good C for 12 lakhs, especially not in Bangalore where the prices are high to start with. The 3 series - being a later model - will be a tough find too.

What I really suggest to your friend : A used Accord. It'll offer him more space than the C & the 3, better ride quality, supreme reliability and low cost of maintenance.

[pedrolourenco]

A Merc is a Merc. The pleasure you get from owning and driving it makes the space and ride quality irrelevant to the owner. Even the Mercs from the 60's are still great to own even today. Same case with the BMW but can't comment on that as I've not used one. You may also get an old Audi A4, though they are very rare. I know someone who picked up one for 6 Lakhs.

[Nikhilb2008]

Yeah, but the Mercs and BMWs are much better to drive than the Honda!

[ImmortalZ]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

A Merc is a Merc. The pleasure you get from owning and driving it makes the space and ride quality irrelevant to the owner. Even the Mercs from the 60's are still great to own even today. Same case with the BMW but can't comment on that as I've not used one. You may also get an old Audi A4, though they are very rare. I know someone who picked up one for 6 Lakhs.

Yes, the old Mercs are testament to Mercedes over engineering and quality above everything else. However, the late 90s/early 2000 Mercs (like GTO's ex-C class) are notoriously unreliable. I don't think the quality - that made you feel like the whole thing is made of granite - is back entirely.

[mysticmonkey]

Sorry to revive a thread that's been silent for a while. I am planning to buy a used A-4 or 3-Series. What would be the ball park price for a 2007 3 series or a similar vintage A-4? My budget is between 14-18. In case the aforesaid are not within budget, I am also considering an accord and a grand vitara (or a similar SUV) (will buy two cars). I have been checking out the pricing threads and they seem to be within budget.

[goingout]

You can look on New Cars, Used Cars, Car Prices, Reviews & Photos in India - CarWale to get an idea of the current rates.

I also noticed that the price difference between a used 3 series and 5 series is very little

Accord is a great buy and the rates have come down a lot since the latest one came out. I guess a good 2007 (old gen) would easily come for around 7-8 lacs. Same kind of money will also get you the Vitara.

All the best!

[nandishpal]

there is a very well maintained 530i 2004 model in bangalore for sale,
its a direct import from germany,it looks much superior than the indian versions,
i think the owner is expecting 21L with 25k kms,not bad,

[pskrishnan]

Hello

I am in the market to purchase a pre-owned Mercedes Benz C 200 Kompressor. I am based in Chennai and I am looking between 2004 to 2008 models of C200K

I would like to seek the opinion & expert advice of experts & Benz owners on their views on C200K. My queries are listed below

• What would be a fair price of a C200K Petrol version 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 models for a vehicle that has clocked 10000 Kms each year [Sub 70000 Kms]
• What are some of the major issues of C200K that comes up after Year 8
• What is the annual maintenance expenditure of C200K, including all parts, components, consumables, servicing, etc, etc assuming an annual run of 10000 Kms
• What is the fuel efficiency of C200K in City & Highway
• What are some of the major issues to watch out for
• Any other tips, hints for a potential buyer

Shall appreciate hearing back from experts & Benz users in this forum

Regards


KRISHNAN P S

[ACM]

A few points:

1) Petrol version Merc in the 7-8 years age zone would be priced quite attractively so in you don't loose much interms of depreciation yet of course this will still be hard to sell back further on.

2) Km per year expectations of 10,000kms or less are quite realistic and you might do even better for a petrol vehicle.

3) AC Compressor is something that you need to check on. Have heard of it being an issue at times. Also you may require to get the suspension checkout, and it can be quite expensive to restore to original state if due for a revamp.

4) Do remember that though this would be very well priced to buy to maintain in authorized or unauthorized service centres you would still be spending for parts as per the original full price.

5) In case of mishaps (accidents) the cosmetic damage pricing can itself be quite high and insurance will only cover 50% of that.

6) Expect FE in the 6-8 kmpl range depending on driving style and driving conditions, though actual long term users who would comment would be in a better position to give an exact idea.

[pskrishnan]

Further to my post last month, i have shortlisted a used C200 Kompressor 2010 Elegance model that has 26500 Kms in the ODO. I have an offer for Rs 19 lakhs from the MERC authorised dealer and the offer includes fully serviced car replacing oils, consumables, filters, correcting minor issues, 1 year warranty, removal of scratches and dentsand painting of bumpers and replacement of the star insignia with sports grill with in built insignia. The vehicle and the. Interiors are in excellent condition andi have also checked he vehicle history and service records with the dealer. There are no major issues. I have a few queries on the C200K

1. Do you use normal petrol or 93 octane or 97 octane petrol
2. What is the fuel efficiency in the city for an auto transmission
3. What are normal annual maintenance costs for the annual periodic maintenance service
4. Is Rs 19 lakhs a good price for the car (single owner) or else what would be fair value

I shall appreciate if some of the experienced members in the forum could respond to my above queries

Regards

P S Krishnan
Chennai