1995 Mercedes-Benz C-Class C180 Esprit 1.8
Faults:
Ignition lock broke - which meant the car wouldn't start. Cost £200 to get replaced.
Gromit on washer bottle perished - cost 13 pence.
Previously owned by fishermen who must have left it by the sea a lot as any exposed bit of metal has rusted - not good for a 4 year old Merc!
General Comments:
Dashboard bulbs seem to keep going on and off.
Very basic internal instrument and switch layout.
Wind noise from back door only solved by sticking a small piece of sellotape on window rubber.
Not much leg room in the back with a tallish driver.
Avoid Mercedes servicing - overpriced.
Very comfortable and quiet.
Can't imagine why anyone would want to pay new prices for this car - reasonable value second hand though.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd April, 2000
17th Mar 2011, 08:13
This site is very negative about this car, I've driven a lot of cars and these Mercedes are amazingly built, this site would put someone off buying a great car, I wouldn't trust anyone other than a Mercedes dealer with my car.
7th May 2012, 09:34
This is a rather anecdotal comment. Your timing chain breaking had nothing to do with a power increase from changing your air filter, etc.
If memory serves, the timing chain changed from a single row to a dual row in the later generations of the 190e. The single row was good for near 100,000 kilometers, and the dual row should last near the lifetime of the engine. Any increase in power short of changing compression via shaving or overcharging the intake would be minuscule. However, that same chain is used in 1.8, 2.0, and 2.3 liter engines, again if memory serves.
More importantly, did your brakes work, which is what your mechanic fixed? There are good mechanics and bad mechanics. Some work at dealers, some don't. Sometimes two things break from completely unrelated causes, merely temporally contiguous.
4th Mar 2003, 05:26
Following on from the comment about Mercedes Benz dealer servicing, I'd agree the first poster is ENTIRELY WRONG in recommending that dealer service is best avoided!
Many newer models have longer warranties, including 30 year corrosion warranty and road-side recovery. This can be voided by failing to have the vehicle properly serviced by a specialist garage.
Mercedes Benz motor cars with full service history hold their value much better. While expensive, dealer servicing and repairs enhance the re-sale value of the vehicle where similar examples with partial or no dealer history are comparatively worthless! Putting aside the issue of competency and risk of reduced reliability, any saving made on servicing isn't likely to offset the drop in value come sale time.