1995 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Elegance 200

Summary:

Outstanding proposition for long term ownership

Faults:

Nothing really, at 110,000 miles the first major items have gone (except the usual tyres and servicing stuff), namely catalytic converter, heated rear window switch, and now some ominous white sludge in the radiator:- (

The interior is as new, there is one small spot of rust where a stone ship has corroded - everything else is A1.

General Comments:

It's a shame the new ones aren't built to the same quality. I have recently bought a new C270 CDI estate, and its not even a year old, but has been in the garage for knocking noises, vibration, and now worn suspension links.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th April, 2003

1995 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C220 Petrol 2.2

Summary:

Safe, Reliable, Classy Family Car!

Faults:

Nothing!

I Only had to replace Tyres, Disk & Pads due to normal wear & tear.

General Comments:

I had hired a c180 for a weekend as my BMW had blown up, I was quite impressed with the car in general and you get a sense of class and its more grown up.

I then test drove the C220 and was impressed with its performance over the c180 and the fuel figures are the same.

At first the car seem rather upright and not as stable as the BMW I had, but as you drive this more and more, it becomes more and more convincing, and for the size of it it handles very well indeed. It pulls away quick and the rated book speed is not correct, certainly not what I got, 0-60 7.9 seconds, and I know she can do over 130mph, but not saying I have or have not! I say she, yes because this is the first car I have owned for 2 years and had no problems, it gets noticed which is not such a good thing, but then again, it's a Mercedes and they are good cars, everything form a clip to alternator is so much better made, that's why they last. My only gripe is the fact that Mercedes have cut corners in a few interior area's, for example the plastic door bins that contain the speakers give a good rattle, but they are going back to their good old self now so I look forward to my new E class in August. I would recommend this car as a safe, reliable family car with a lick of class, and would rather have a 4 year old Class than a new Mondeo or alike. The last other bonus I would mention is that it holds its money if you get the correct colour and spec!

Go on you know you wanna!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th May, 2002

6th Aug 2002, 12:57

I envy those of you who have a C220 and have had few if any problems. Mine is the worst car that I have ever owned. The car has approximately 150,000 km on the clock, and these are the problems that I have experienced:

- A broken lock cylinder.

- The SRS warning light sensor failed, the repair of which required removal of the front seat. It looks as though it has failed again.

- The right rear power window regulator has failed.

- The motor powering the drivers' side headrest has also failed.

- Every month, at least one of the exterior bulbs (headlight, parking, brake, or turn signal) needs replacement. (I have replaced more bulbs in this car than all the other cars I have owned combined.)

- Both O2 sensors required replacement (twice)

- A bracket for the sunroof broke. Replacing this part will require complete disassembly of the sunroof.

- The under-hood insulation seems to degrade prematurely. It was replaced, and in short order the same problem occurred.

- The hinge on the vanity mirror has broken for the second time.

- A Mercedes-Benz dealership inspected the brakes and informed me that the brakes were still in good working order. Within weeks, the brakes developed a squealing sound and were not stopping the car effectively. I took the car to an independent mechanic for inspection. The calipers had seized, destroying the pads and rotors. Replacement of virtually every brake component was required. Assuming the dealership performed a suitable inspection, it seems that the calipers simply failed.

- The a/c unit stopped working recently. This despite the fact that we prefer using the sunroof and use the a/c only infrequently. The dryer and expansion valve have just been replaced at cost of $513.96, which served only to reveal that the compressor has also failed.

- I am no longer able to use an auxiliary device in the cigarette lighter. The fuse blows as soon as I turn the device on. When I removed the top of the fuse box, the paper ‘map’ of the fuse box appears burnt as though the fuse panel has overheated. I will add that the cigarette lighter gets jammed and cannot be removed if one mistakenly presses it in.

The kindest thing I can say is that the paint and interior still look very good.

23rd Mar 2007, 20:08

To the poster who had the a/c system failure, I can tell you that one of the main reasons for the failure is the fact that you hardly use it. Air conditioning systems are one of those that require that they be used... at least twice a week in most cases to keep the system properly lubricated and the seals well oiled. Many people prefer not to use a/c because of the additional fuel consumption or the loss in power. But take it from me, the additional cost of replacing an a/c compressor is MUCH higher.

In reply to 23rd Mar 2007, 20:08

14th Sep 2015, 23:50

It's possible the previous owner abused the car. It's also possible that the car was not well maintained. I have a C220, bought at 240,000 miles, and only thing that doesn't work on it is cruise control and central locking. If you don't use the A/C on a Mercedes that has one, you are asking for cooling system problems, because the auxiliary fans are tied to the A/C. I found out just in time to start finding out why I was having heating problems. All cars require some maintenance, but Mercedes in my opinion, at least up to 1995, is the most reliable car I have ever owned.