MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,794 
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Nov 12, 2013 12:13:18 GMT
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Ok folks, Looking for some opinions and experience of living with a W202 I'm looking at a change from the W124 300CE I currently enjoy, and a C230 Estate has really caught my eye. However, am a little sceptical (scared) of the elastictrickery and doofangled electronics. Aside from the front wings rusting from the day they leave the factory, what else do we now about these things? Am I likely to regret 'going modern'? Have some pics for inspiration    |
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,160
Club RR Member Number: 134
Member is Online
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Nov 12, 2013 12:24:48 GMT
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Oh they rot. They really rot. I've had a couple and the wings are frightening. I found the boot to be another particular sore spot. The newer one i had was actually very reliable. No electronic woes at all. The earlier one was a riot start to finish though.  |
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longman
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 507
Club RR Member Number: 3
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Nov 12, 2013 14:05:14 GMT
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I went from this grand old dame  To this hooligan  Although it's mighty fun I'm looking at W124 estates again.... |
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Last Edit: Nov 12, 2013 14:06:17 GMT by longman
Paul
98 500 SL
86 911 Carrera/sold
23 Octavia Phev
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User
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,696
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Nov 12, 2013 14:59:50 GMT
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I have history with the W202 thanks to this steaming pile of junk...  27k, one owner from new, full service history, everything working. It should have been the win of wins. It was not. You can read all about it HERE. It burned me, I won't have another. Chris |
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Last Edit: Nov 12, 2013 15:01:10 GMT by User
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compass
Posted a lot
www.compasstrading.co.uk
Posts: 1,644
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Nov 12, 2013 15:24:21 GMT
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I`d stick with the 124 wherever possible. IMO, better built and more reliable.
However, a good W202 AMG has always tempted me!
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Nov 12, 2013 17:04:44 GMT
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My parents used to run the W202 sport estate, 2.5 diseasal... Was quite nippy, cornered like a boss, had two major design flaws however - ROTROTROTROTROT from every corner of every panel (not even the roof was spared!) not what they expected from a 1998 car, even if it had been to the moon in mileage.
Also bizarrely there's a Y-shaped hard plastic pipe - at least on some models - that supplies the heater matrix with water through the bulkhead, and it's not unknown for them to sever, chuck water EVERYWHERE and because of all the plastic trims it's very difficult to locate the leak.
We replaced theirs with a nice braized section of pipe so it wouldn't ever go again.
Also on auto models if there's a problem with the brake lamp circuit it can refuse to let you shift out from 'park'. *shrugs*
Anyway, seen a few of these low on big wheels and they can look very good.
Seen some others which also looked very bad.
Good luck ;D
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"A Pierburg carb? It would be more economical to replace it with a funnel..."
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Nov 12, 2013 18:45:56 GMT
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I`d stick with the 124 wherever possible. IMO, better built and more reliable. That's only partly true... It all went down somwhere in '91-'92. Late W124s are just the same curse word rot-boxes like the W210 E- and W202 C-Class... They are notably cheaper build. Unsufficient rust protection (resp. even worse than before  ), eco junk wiring, any many little details that ooze "I was cheaper". As much as I like W124's; let's face it - in '92 even those went downwards rapidly. I spend many hours under a lot of W124s - I know what I'm talking about. IMO W124s are over-hyped right now. Any Volvo of the same era beats a W124 in regards of quality/durability  It's just that feel of driving a very refined vehicle that maybe separates the W124 from the Volvo. And the W124 era 2 valve cross-flow diesel engines are just - *drooool*. A W124 any day. But a W202 - never ever. I've seen things I can't unsee... o0 The difference is, that W210 & W202 have been build from the very begining with reducing production cost before anything else. Never! |
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Nov 12, 2013 21:41:20 GMT
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That AMG wheeled one is porn though...
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Koos
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Nov 12, 2013 21:58:20 GMT
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A lot of earlier w202 and w210 are fine,they started making budget cuts around1998. Also many flat colours will have less issues with rust as I don't think they used the water based paint,which they hadn't quite got right.
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Mercedes W210
Honda ATC70
3 x Honda Z50
Rat bobber
Ford Ka
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I ran a 1997 C200 Sport estate for 7 years. Bought it in 2000, and only got rid of it when I emigrated on 2007. I miss it, lots. It is the best alround car I've ever owned. It did everything I ever asked of it, without fuss. Things that went wrong: viscous fan (done under warranty), an ABS sensor, and the wiper mechanism got stuck. Nothing major though. Yes it had rust, but that didn't stop it working. In fact according to the DVLA site it is taxed until March 14, so it is still going I'd have another, if they weren't so expensive in Australia. |
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1982 Mercedes 280TE
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tenman
Part of things
m00000000000
Posts: 899
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Nov 13, 2013 11:28:57 GMT
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I had a 97 C200, it was horrible, hateful thing, I can't imagine how bad a C180 would be, the wife still thinks I crashed it on purpose... Nothing actually went wrong with it though..
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RWD Fanatic...
2003 BMW 320d Wagon (getting old and boring)
1996 Mini Kensington (SWMBO's)
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Nov 13, 2013 12:26:48 GMT
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I was telling someone only recently about the worst car I'd ever driven. But I'd completely forgotten about the W202 I'd driven a few times. I guess it's because it was *that* bad that I had obviously done my best to erase it from my mind. Thank you for digging up those memories again! I coulnd't tell you what model it was, but is was one of those 'Kompressor' supercharged ones and it was a manual. AVOID manuals! This thing managed to make a 1980's Ford gearbox feel like a symphony of Japanese precision engineering. As for clutch feel, driving position, steering feedback etc...it had none. I'm not saying it was bad, I'm saying it had NONE! I cannot comment on reliability of long term ownership, but my few encounters with this thing made me fully understand why their second hand value is about as bouyant as brick built dinghy. Filled with lead. I guess that pretty much describes the way it drove too. I'm sure there are good ones out there, and equally, bad ones. I just know I'll not want to be near one ever again and it's going to take me a while to re-erase those memories, so once again, thanks.  |
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Nov 13, 2013 12:50:51 GMT
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my dad had a w202 c200 elegance estate (p reg), he never had a good word to say about it until he saw it put into the crusher! the faults where pretty much endless from rear brakes randomly and regularly desintegrating constant abs problems, constant electrical problems windows failing lights failing sensors failing. auto gearbox failure (twice) head gasket failure. absolutly terrible fuel consumption (20 mpg steady on the motorway) and then there was the rust! it had a decent service history upto 100k by mb and independents so it was pretty well looked after and serviced. it was dead by 120k, beyond any kind of repair it couldve just been a bad one but when you look around alot of people have had the same problems. saying used to be avoid ANY manual merc right up until they brought out the 5 speed electonic auto boxes and there reputation is dreadfull  as to them being the start of the decline id say no, things started to go downhill with the late w124 phase 3 cars and the w140. mercedes hit the bottom as such with the w210's then made things even worse by the end of the 90's early 2000's by using water based paints (some one will probably be able to correct me) but the rust issues and build quality started to improve after 2006/07? |
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Last Edit: Nov 13, 2013 13:08:48 GMT by Deleted
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Nov 13, 2013 13:04:04 GMT
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I have history with the W202 thanks to this steaming pile of junk... 27k, one owner from new, full service history, everything working. It should have been the win of wins. It was not. You can read all about it HERE. It burned me, I won't have another. Chris Your link doesn't show it to be a bad car it shows it had one problem and no one knew how to fix it. |
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Nov 13, 2013 13:06:48 GMT
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^It's biggest problem was the owner^
There is *no* cure for the Pollitt/Auto syndrome.
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User
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,696
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Nov 13, 2013 13:19:54 GMT
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While Bruce is correct, I would suggest that while it only had the one problem, it was a problem that Mercedes themselves were unable to remedy. Let alone all the other garages and specialists I took it to.
Ergo, bad car.
Chris
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,794
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Nov 13, 2013 13:55:45 GMT
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Hmmmm, I'm sensing a little hostility towards them  So, it seems you either get a reasonable one, or an absolute dog, and no real way of telling until it hit's the fan?! I must admit, my head is now telling me to avoid it and get a Triumph 2000 instead, but I do like the way this wagon looks  |
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Last Edit: Nov 13, 2013 13:56:28 GMT by MrSpeedy
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Nov 13, 2013 14:32:57 GMT
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I have history with the W202 thanks to this steaming pile of junk... 27k, one owner from new, full service history, everything working. It should have been the win of wins. It was not. You can read all about it HERE. It burned me, I won't have another. Chris God I remember this at RRG '11 - pulling up on the campsite pretty late, locking up the front wheels at about 2 mph and an exclamation of something along the lines of 'nothing electrical works!' from your good self. I had completely forgotten! Enough to put anyone off for life. |
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"A Pierburg carb? It would be more economical to replace it with a funnel..."
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Nov 13, 2013 14:49:57 GMT
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i've been running a W202 '98 C180 estate for quite a few years. It's been very reliable, up to 210k miles on the clock now and motor still going sweet.
Problems i've had - some rot at the bottom of the B post, water pumps don't last very long (got through 2), and rear calipers seize up.
Handles well for a big estate, tends to understeer in high speed cornering if pushed to the limit.
Advise against petrol 1.8 as it guzzles fuel when driven hard
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tenman
Part of things
m00000000000
Posts: 899
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Nov 13, 2013 15:38:55 GMT
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even if you get a reasonable one like I did, its still wibblepoo... I ran mine for nearly 2 soul destroying painful years with nothing going wrong with it and it wasn't rusty, not saying you can't polish a turd though, I'm sure with some talent and money you could create a really good looking fun car, you just aint gonna get that with a standard one though.
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RWD Fanatic...
2003 BMW 320d Wagon (getting old and boring)
1996 Mini Kensington (SWMBO's)
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), eco junk wiring, any many little details that ooze "I was cheaper". 
It's just that feel of driving a very refined vehicle that maybe separates the W124 from the Volvo. And the W124 era 2 valve cross-flow diesel engines are just - *drooool*.
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