Discussion
Hi
I was wondering if I could tap into the collective wisdom of the board.
I'm looking to replace my car in the next few months and am interested in a C Class diesel estate. I'm still unsure whether I'll buy or lease but putting the lease option to one side, i'd be looking at either a very late W204 model or an early W205.
Is the W205 a significant step up from the W204 or is the W204 worth getting in preference?
Would all of the issues surrounding the W204 have been fixed by 2014?
Were there any issues with the early W205s?
Is there anything I should particularly look out for?
Any other advice gratefully received.
Thanks.
I was wondering if I could tap into the collective wisdom of the board.
I'm looking to replace my car in the next few months and am interested in a C Class diesel estate. I'm still unsure whether I'll buy or lease but putting the lease option to one side, i'd be looking at either a very late W204 model or an early W205.
Is the W205 a significant step up from the W204 or is the W204 worth getting in preference?
Would all of the issues surrounding the W204 have been fixed by 2014?
Were there any issues with the early W205s?
Is there anything I should particularly look out for?
Any other advice gratefully received.
Thanks.
4 pot diesels are a bit rattly, some versions seem a bit under powered with a load on board, V6 is rather more refined and in the real world not a lot different on fuel than the 250 badged 4. Don't think any of the 205s were V6.
Had a W204 from almost new and when you start fixing all the bits that fail it becomes obvious it was built down to a price. If you can live with the problems it does the job just as well as any other diesel estate but it is not the premium product the brand image would suggest.
Had a W204 from almost new and when you start fixing all the bits that fail it becomes obvious it was built down to a price. If you can live with the problems it does the job just as well as any other diesel estate but it is not the premium product the brand image would suggest.
It is a perfectly acceptable diesel estate but it is not quite as premium as the brand or the salesman would suggest.
In the rear load space there are two plastic pop out hooks on which you can hang .. something, if they will pop out. Take a look at them as they are indicative of a lot of the rest of the car.
When the glove box damper fails ( which it will ) you will find it is a small plastic bit that would be more at home in a cheap Christmas cracker. If the rear light clusters had cost 5p more to make they would perhaps not melt around the common earth pin. If they had put a cable restraint on the power lead to the glow plug controller it wouldn't after a while wiggle the thin plastic box and break the connections inside. The list goes on and on with each problem plainly because it was built down to a price. Sadly I suspect this is the case with most relatively current cars. Premium cars seem just the same as the rest except the premium price.
If you want a medium size rear drive diesel estate with a reasonable engine you really only have a 330 bm or C350
In the rear load space there are two plastic pop out hooks on which you can hang .. something, if they will pop out. Take a look at them as they are indicative of a lot of the rest of the car.
When the glove box damper fails ( which it will ) you will find it is a small plastic bit that would be more at home in a cheap Christmas cracker. If the rear light clusters had cost 5p more to make they would perhaps not melt around the common earth pin. If they had put a cable restraint on the power lead to the glow plug controller it wouldn't after a while wiggle the thin plastic box and break the connections inside. The list goes on and on with each problem plainly because it was built down to a price. Sadly I suspect this is the case with most relatively current cars. Premium cars seem just the same as the rest except the premium price.
If you want a medium size rear drive diesel estate with a reasonable engine you really only have a 330 bm or C350
steve-V8s said:
4 pot diesels are a bit rattly, some versions seem a bit under powered with a load on board, V6 is rather more refined and in the real world not a lot different on fuel than the 250 badged 4. Don't think any of the 205s were V6.
Had a W204 from almost new and when you start fixing all the bits that fail it becomes obvious it was built down to a price. If you can live with the problems it does the job just as well as any other diesel estate but it is not the premium product the brand image would suggest.
Having has the v6 w204 and the 250 w204 the fuel consumption was about 33% better on the 250 (34 vs 44mpg), identical usage. The V6 is smoother and better performance.Had a W204 from almost new and when you start fixing all the bits that fail it becomes obvious it was built down to a price. If you can live with the problems it does the job just as well as any other diesel estate but it is not the premium product the brand image would suggest.
Neither had problems with bits failing or anything else. Lucky, maybe.
All cars are built down to a price. The W204 is a pretty reliable model and the W212 E class of the same era is a good car too. I'd have facelift 350 W204 over a 250 w205 any day.
The owners forums have relatively few complaints about them. Thats usually a good barometer of what will be a good reliable car.
The owners forums have relatively few complaints about them. Thats usually a good barometer of what will be a good reliable car.
I've driven an earlyish 204, with a 320V6 engine, I can't remember what it was called, for a few days. I liked it, in fact so much that I bought a CLK of the same vintage which was on the same floorplan.
The interior was in very good condition but the dash felt a bit cheap. My CLK, 2006, was quite a bit better. The steering felt perfect, much better than the recirculating ball rubbish.
I had no problems with the CLK. There was no rust, no suggestion of rust. I was well built, quite impressively s in fact. However, I've seen one 204 2-door with rust bubbling around the boot button.
Talking about the 204 has made me wonder if I could get another, perhaps with the V6 350.
The interior was in very good condition but the dash felt a bit cheap. My CLK, 2006, was quite a bit better. The steering felt perfect, much better than the recirculating ball rubbish.
I had no problems with the CLK. There was no rust, no suggestion of rust. I was well built, quite impressively s in fact. However, I've seen one 204 2-door with rust bubbling around the boot button.
Talking about the 204 has made me wonder if I could get another, perhaps with the V6 350.
Derek Smith said:
I've driven an earlyish 204, with a 320V6 engine, I can't remember what it was called, for a few days. I liked it, in fact so much that I bought a CLK of the same vintage which was on the same floorplan.
The interior was in very good condition but the dash felt a bit cheap. My CLK, 2006, was quite a bit better. The steering felt perfect, much better than the recirculating ball rubbish.
I had no problems with the CLK. There was no rust, no suggestion of rust. I was well built, quite impressively s in fact. However, I've seen one 204 2-door with rust bubbling around the boot button.
Talking about the 204 has made me wonder if I could get another, perhaps with the V6 350.
The earlier w204s had the 350cgi petrol engine as an option.... rare as hen's teeth, though, it wasn't popular.The interior was in very good condition but the dash felt a bit cheap. My CLK, 2006, was quite a bit better. The steering felt perfect, much better than the recirculating ball rubbish.
I had no problems with the CLK. There was no rust, no suggestion of rust. I was well built, quite impressively s in fact. However, I've seen one 204 2-door with rust bubbling around the boot button.
Talking about the 204 has made me wonder if I could get another, perhaps with the V6 350.
Had 2 W204 C Class estates. First, a 6 month old 2011 C200 SE Executive. Did 48K in 3 years....100% reliable apart from one brake light bulb failure!!
Changed it in Sept 2014 for one of the last of the W204 run-out models, a very highly specced 3 month old C250 estate Blue Efficiency AMG model. Now driven 40K miles and again, 100% reliability apart from a couple of dash rattles which were easily sorted.
When I bought the C250, the new model was in the showroom. I looked at it, didn't like the stick-on iPad and thought the trim a tad "blingy". Then went straight back to the sales guy and bought the 3 month old W204 C250.
I have never bought a brand new model of any car, preferring to wait at least 1 year for others to shake-down the first year's production.
Each to their own but I have always been apprehensive about brand new models lack of testing in real world terms.
Changed it in Sept 2014 for one of the last of the W204 run-out models, a very highly specced 3 month old C250 estate Blue Efficiency AMG model. Now driven 40K miles and again, 100% reliability apart from a couple of dash rattles which were easily sorted.
When I bought the C250, the new model was in the showroom. I looked at it, didn't like the stick-on iPad and thought the trim a tad "blingy". Then went straight back to the sales guy and bought the 3 month old W204 C250.
I have never bought a brand new model of any car, preferring to wait at least 1 year for others to shake-down the first year's production.
Each to their own but I have always been apprehensive about brand new models lack of testing in real world terms.
b2tus said:
When I bought the C250, the new model was in the showroom. I looked at it, didn't like the stick-on iPad and thought the trim a tad "blingy". Then went straight back to the sales guy and bought the 3 month old W204 C250.
The stick on ipad is really tacky, tiny screen and lots of surround. Not nice.Gassing Station | Mercedes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff