2011 S204 Mercedes C250 CDI 125 Edition
Discussion
After my wife decided that she wanted something to replace her E91 330i, I was tasked with finding a replacement which proved tougher than I thought given the scope was ‘I don’t really care what I drive as long as it’s safe and practical’. For someone who wasn’t fussed, there were some very strong opinions on cars that I found 
I was championing a Mk3 Octavia vRS estate but that was poo poo’d very quickly.
One of the few cars that we both liked was an E350 CDI estate but it was miles away in Bournemouth but I liked it. It was proper old man spec with 17 inch wheels however it was snapped up really quickly. There weren’t too many others in the price range so I stared looking at C class estates. They were given a big thumbs up.
There weren’t too many loads for sale although I ideally wanted a 250. There was one locally that ticked the boxes; 250, not too many miles and didn’t seem like it’d had too hard a life. There was supposed to be another person seeing it but they cancelled, so we popped over.
The car we settled on was a C250 CDI 125 Edition. This was to celebrate 125 years of Mercedes and only came with the 7G-Tronic auto box plus AMG styling, sports seats and extra spec like AMG wheels, LED DRL’s, Command online, bi-xenon’s with high beam assist plus stuff like cruise.
It was owned by an older couple who bought it planning to get s dog (which never happened). He’d replaced it with a newer C Class coupe and was the third owner. General condition seemed good other than the wheels (stupid diamond cut finish) and a small ding in the passenger door. I made an offer which was accepted.
I collected it a few days later in some delightfully biblical rain which bought a few challenges because I didn’t know how anything worked. It’s very different to the BMW’s we’ve owned for the last 13 years. No right hand stalk still feels odd and I kept activating cruise control when reaching for the indicators.
We were away the following weekend for my wife’s birthday and because the weather looked question at best, I decided that there was no point going in my Boxster. To make sure this wasn’t a disaster on wheels, I used it for a work trip and on a very cold day I discovered that the drivers side A/C didn’t get hot and the passenger side as always warm. Great.
After a very cold could have hours I did some google and narrowed it down to two potential issues; low gas and / or a dud heater blend door actuator. The chap I use for A/C stuff was able to pop out the following day. The gas was low, so was tipped up. The passenger side was now warm and cold but the drivers side was still cold. He plugged his diagnostics in and there was an error code for the door blend actuator. He cleared it, it didn’t come back but it still wasn’t playing ball, so I ordered an order replacement from eBay. It did mean that I was in for a cold drive to North a Wales and back that weekend!
The following day was sodding cold but dry which meant that I could give the car a mini detail before using it properly. It looked clean when we saw the car but as you looked closer there was more and more detritus is nocks and crannies.
First up was the interior. With half cloth / half leather seats I was keen to give them a good scrub because I don’t want to sit in someone else’s filth. What came out with the wet vac was delightful.
I also found a few patched of mould and started to come to the conclusion that this had sat for a while; the clock was still on, plus the mould and the faulty blend door.
The interior scrubbed up pretty well.
When it gets warmer, I’ll remove the seats and really get stuck in with the wet vac. It was so cold so I didn’t go crazy and get the upholstery too wet.
With the interior less of a health hazard, it was time to tackle the outside.
The obligatory snow foam shot.
The snow foam doing its thing.
Once rinsed off, I cleaned out the wheel arches which hadn’t been done for a very long time looking at the state of my drive.
Once dried, I went over the car with a tar remover and a fall out remover. There was a lot of contamination on the paint.
The car was rinsed, snowfoamed with Garage Therapy Zero and then washed with Zero. Once dried an app,used a quick coat of ceramic QD as some interim protection.
It scrubs up pretty well other than the wheels which are battered. Not really curbed, but the diamond cut finish has failed on every wheel.
The next day we headed to North Wales. The weather was questionable as forecast but when we arrived in Treddaur Bay, the sun was out.
So, what are my thoughts on the car so far?
It clearly falls between the E9x era cars and the F3x cars. It’s more modern than an E9x car but the infotainment is a bit clunky but I can stream music from my phone so so useable for now. It feels quite well built and the steering wheel is a nice design and not too thick. The seats are OK but not as good as BMW sports seats which I love. It has the best headlights of any car I’ve owned to date and the high beam assist is useful.
The seven speed auto box is fine; better than a ZF6 but not as a good as a ZF8. It can be a bit keen to kick down and hold onto a gear too long. It rides well but doesn’t handle as well as the 330i did. This was quite apparent on some of the better Welsh B roads.
The 2.1 four pot is a bit diesely and gruff at times (very noticeable after an N52) but it’s quite pokey when needed. It’s very happy cruising at motorway speed, returning decent economy. It’s already covered 1,000 miles in two weeks. The main thing though is that my wife loves it.
The drivers side heating issue has fixed itself, so I don’t need to muck around taking the glove box out to reach the actuator thing. I assume it got a bit stuck sitting around.
There are a couple of other bits I’ve noticed that will need sorting;
I was championing a Mk3 Octavia vRS estate but that was poo poo’d very quickly. One of the few cars that we both liked was an E350 CDI estate but it was miles away in Bournemouth but I liked it. It was proper old man spec with 17 inch wheels however it was snapped up really quickly. There weren’t too many others in the price range so I stared looking at C class estates. They were given a big thumbs up.
There weren’t too many loads for sale although I ideally wanted a 250. There was one locally that ticked the boxes; 250, not too many miles and didn’t seem like it’d had too hard a life. There was supposed to be another person seeing it but they cancelled, so we popped over.
The car we settled on was a C250 CDI 125 Edition. This was to celebrate 125 years of Mercedes and only came with the 7G-Tronic auto box plus AMG styling, sports seats and extra spec like AMG wheels, LED DRL’s, Command online, bi-xenon’s with high beam assist plus stuff like cruise.
It was owned by an older couple who bought it planning to get s dog (which never happened). He’d replaced it with a newer C Class coupe and was the third owner. General condition seemed good other than the wheels (stupid diamond cut finish) and a small ding in the passenger door. I made an offer which was accepted.
I collected it a few days later in some delightfully biblical rain which bought a few challenges because I didn’t know how anything worked. It’s very different to the BMW’s we’ve owned for the last 13 years. No right hand stalk still feels odd and I kept activating cruise control when reaching for the indicators.
We were away the following weekend for my wife’s birthday and because the weather looked question at best, I decided that there was no point going in my Boxster. To make sure this wasn’t a disaster on wheels, I used it for a work trip and on a very cold day I discovered that the drivers side A/C didn’t get hot and the passenger side as always warm. Great.
After a very cold could have hours I did some google and narrowed it down to two potential issues; low gas and / or a dud heater blend door actuator. The chap I use for A/C stuff was able to pop out the following day. The gas was low, so was tipped up. The passenger side was now warm and cold but the drivers side was still cold. He plugged his diagnostics in and there was an error code for the door blend actuator. He cleared it, it didn’t come back but it still wasn’t playing ball, so I ordered an order replacement from eBay. It did mean that I was in for a cold drive to North a Wales and back that weekend!
The following day was sodding cold but dry which meant that I could give the car a mini detail before using it properly. It looked clean when we saw the car but as you looked closer there was more and more detritus is nocks and crannies.
First up was the interior. With half cloth / half leather seats I was keen to give them a good scrub because I don’t want to sit in someone else’s filth. What came out with the wet vac was delightful.
I also found a few patched of mould and started to come to the conclusion that this had sat for a while; the clock was still on, plus the mould and the faulty blend door.
The interior scrubbed up pretty well.
When it gets warmer, I’ll remove the seats and really get stuck in with the wet vac. It was so cold so I didn’t go crazy and get the upholstery too wet.
With the interior less of a health hazard, it was time to tackle the outside.
The obligatory snow foam shot.
The snow foam doing its thing.
Once rinsed off, I cleaned out the wheel arches which hadn’t been done for a very long time looking at the state of my drive.
Once dried, I went over the car with a tar remover and a fall out remover. There was a lot of contamination on the paint.
The car was rinsed, snowfoamed with Garage Therapy Zero and then washed with Zero. Once dried an app,used a quick coat of ceramic QD as some interim protection.
It scrubs up pretty well other than the wheels which are battered. Not really curbed, but the diamond cut finish has failed on every wheel.
The next day we headed to North Wales. The weather was questionable as forecast but when we arrived in Treddaur Bay, the sun was out.
So, what are my thoughts on the car so far?
It clearly falls between the E9x era cars and the F3x cars. It’s more modern than an E9x car but the infotainment is a bit clunky but I can stream music from my phone so so useable for now. It feels quite well built and the steering wheel is a nice design and not too thick. The seats are OK but not as good as BMW sports seats which I love. It has the best headlights of any car I’ve owned to date and the high beam assist is useful.
The seven speed auto box is fine; better than a ZF6 but not as a good as a ZF8. It can be a bit keen to kick down and hold onto a gear too long. It rides well but doesn’t handle as well as the 330i did. This was quite apparent on some of the better Welsh B roads.
The 2.1 four pot is a bit diesely and gruff at times (very noticeable after an N52) but it’s quite pokey when needed. It’s very happy cruising at motorway speed, returning decent economy. It’s already covered 1,000 miles in two weeks. The main thing though is that my wife loves it.
The drivers side heating issue has fixed itself, so I don’t need to muck around taking the glove box out to reach the actuator thing. I assume it got a bit stuck sitting around.
There are a couple of other bits I’ve noticed that will need sorting;
- stop / start isn’t working despite the light in the dash being green. This looks like a dud aux battery which are not expensive. I’m not fussed about stop / start but my OCD doesn’t like it that something isn’t working as it should.
- there is some slight water ingress into the boot when it really hammers it down. Research points to the third brake light and having looking closely, the gasket is swollen. This appears to be quite common. Annoyingly it means a whole new light at £100.
JakeT said:
Nice. Good looking cars these. I agree on the lack of right hand stalk, too!
A 250 will be good, too. They re tough old engines, being in so many sprinters stands you in good stead.
Thanks. I think they’ve aged quite well although I really struggle with the pre-facelift interior; I think it’s aged horribly. The facelift seems quite pleasant.A 250 will be good, too. They re tough old engines, being in so many sprinters stands you in good stead.
The lack of right hand stalk is weird as is having everything on one plus a little one for cruise. I guess it’s a hangover from the bigger cars that have the gear selector on the right hand side.
As with all engines, the forums make them sound like they’ll all detonate but there are loads of these around. I don’t think it’s had a hard life, so hopefully it’ll treat us well enough.
Nice. I really liked my 200, only got rid when the steering computer failed at 168k.
There's a gizmo that plugs into the becker satnav receiver that gives android auto.
My 7g had a nasty habit of "tripping up" when changing down at low speed eg roundabouts. Sometimes. Never got worse.
The seat "leather" might hit a stage when it disintegrates very rapidly, drivers right buttock area on mine.
There's a gizmo that plugs into the becker satnav receiver that gives android auto.
My 7g had a nasty habit of "tripping up" when changing down at low speed eg roundabouts. Sometimes. Never got worse.
The seat "leather" might hit a stage when it disintegrates very rapidly, drivers right buttock area on mine.
SitCet said:
Nice. I really liked my 200, only got rid when the steering computer failed at 168k.
There's a gizmo that plugs into the becker satnav receiver that gives android auto.
My 7g had a nasty habit of "tripping up" when changing down at low speed eg roundabouts. Sometimes. Never got worse.
The seat "leather" might hit a stage when it disintegrates very rapidly, drivers right buttock area on mine.
I’ve read about the steering lock issues. That’ll be fun! There's a gizmo that plugs into the becker satnav receiver that gives android auto.
My 7g had a nasty habit of "tripping up" when changing down at low speed eg roundabouts. Sometimes. Never got worse.
The seat "leather" might hit a stage when it disintegrates very rapidly, drivers right buttock area on mine.
I’ve seen the plug on CarPlay adapters but having a quick pile around, i can’t see the plug in Becker unit and wander if I don’t have it became it has the Command Online nav.
The ‘leather’ is a bit crap. This has had a repair on the drivers side and if it goes again, I’ll get a new panel stitched in. Seems to be a really common issue. Lots we saw had holes in the drivers seat. Shame because everything else seems quite well built.
You don't mention the mileage and what you paid, but I'm sure you got a good deal!
I had one of these in Fire Opal Red a few years back, and it still remains one of my favourite cars that I've ever owned (despite having a few unreasonable issues at the time with it).
It was just a pleasure to drive, easy, comfortable, nice dials, enough power.
I hope it grows on you, like mine did with me.
I had one of these in Fire Opal Red a few years back, and it still remains one of my favourite cars that I've ever owned (despite having a few unreasonable issues at the time with it).
It was just a pleasure to drive, easy, comfortable, nice dials, enough power.
I hope it grows on you, like mine did with me.
Good choice. We had a 350cdi in that colour with the 265hp engine, very quick. Do you know about the rear subframes rotting? Worth checking if you haven't already. Lots of stuff on forums about it and Merc potentially replacing for free.
Mercedes xenons always seem to be very good. I want to replace the headlights on my e-class as the projectors are dim and the lenses keep clouding. Cant get the drivers side anywhere currently unfortunately.
Enjoy!
Mercedes xenons always seem to be very good. I want to replace the headlights on my e-class as the projectors are dim and the lenses keep clouding. Cant get the drivers side anywhere currently unfortunately.
Enjoy!
venster70 said:
You don't mention the mileage and what you paid, but I'm sure you got a good deal!
I had one of these in Fire Opal Red a few years back, and it still remains one of my favourite cars that I've ever owned (despite having a few unreasonable issues at the time with it).
It was just a pleasure to drive, easy, comfortable, nice dials, enough power.
I hope it grows on you, like mine did with me.
It was on 111k when we picked it up. I had one of these in Fire Opal Red a few years back, and it still remains one of my favourite cars that I've ever owned (despite having a few unreasonable issues at the time with it).
It was just a pleasure to drive, easy, comfortable, nice dials, enough power.
I hope it grows on you, like mine did with me.
We’re finding it an easy car to live with. Stuff like brake hold is ace. I like the disks too.
What issues did you have with yours?
Willber said:
Good choice. We had a 350cdi in that colour with the 265hp engine, very quick. Do you know about the rear subframes rotting? Worth checking if you haven't already. Lots of stuff on forums about it and Merc potentially replacing for free.
Mercedes xenons always seem to be very good. I want to replace the headlights on my e-class as the projectors are dim and the lenses keep clouding. Cant get the drivers side anywhere currently unfortunately.
Enjoy!
I’d have liked a 350cdi which people seem to talk highly of. This isn’t mega powerful at 204bhp but it’s quite torquey (570NM), so like most diesels it’s quite effective once rolling especially 50 to 70mph.Mercedes xenons always seem to be very good. I want to replace the headlights on my e-class as the projectors are dim and the lenses keep clouding. Cant get the drivers side anywhere currently unfortunately.
Enjoy!
I am aware of the issue and that it’s usually too late by the time it’s spotted. I’ll get it into the local dealer at some point to see if they can check it over and go from there.
I was genuinely surprised at the headlights. The only thing that comes close where an F56 MINi with LED lights that were like a pair of dying suns strapped to the front of the car.
Annoying re not being able to get a replacement. Are Mercedes pretty good at supporting older cars (BMW are but Audi seem hopeless). It’s a brave new world stepping outside of my Bavarian comfort zone.
I actually grew up wanting a Mercedes as my Dad always raved about them, even though he never owned one. So I had 3 of them in the 90s and they were so much better built than the Fords I'd had previously.
TBF it looks pretty good, even if the colour scheme isn't nearly as nice as your 330i. If I was going to do anything with the wheels I'd just get them power-coated and forget about the diamond cut malarkey!
And diesel sounds like a good choice if it is going to keep racking up a thousand miles a fortnight. Unless there is a way of disabling it I'd happily leave the stop/start alone. I'm sure that helped kill the starter motor in my 123d in just over 7 years and 77K miles as it has to work quite hard starting a high-compression diesel. And actually this time of year it hardly ever operated anyway as it monitored things like ambient temperature, electrical draw from wipers, lights, HRW and battery condition, etc.
Anyway the best thing about it is that Mrs Court likes it. Happy wife, happy life!
TBF it looks pretty good, even if the colour scheme isn't nearly as nice as your 330i. If I was going to do anything with the wheels I'd just get them power-coated and forget about the diamond cut malarkey!
And diesel sounds like a good choice if it is going to keep racking up a thousand miles a fortnight. Unless there is a way of disabling it I'd happily leave the stop/start alone. I'm sure that helped kill the starter motor in my 123d in just over 7 years and 77K miles as it has to work quite hard starting a high-compression diesel. And actually this time of year it hardly ever operated anyway as it monitored things like ambient temperature, electrical draw from wipers, lights, HRW and battery condition, etc.
Anyway the best thing about it is that Mrs Court likes it. Happy wife, happy life!
Court_S said:
I ve read about the steering lock issues. That ll be fun!
I ve seen the plug on CarPlay adapters but having a quick pile around, i can t see the plug in Becker unit and wander if I don t have it became it has the Command Online nav.
The leather is a bit crap. This has had a repair on the drivers side and if it goes again, I ll get a new panel stitched in. Seems to be a really common issue. Lots we saw had holes in the drivers seat. Shame because everything else seems quite well built.
Our Becker nav thingy was in the roof of the glovebox on the right hand side. That is on an SLK though but yours may be the same. I ve seen the plug on CarPlay adapters but having a quick pile around, i can t see the plug in Becker unit and wander if I don t have it became it has the Command Online nav.
The leather is a bit crap. This has had a repair on the drivers side and if it goes again, I ll get a new panel stitched in. Seems to be a really common issue. Lots we saw had holes in the drivers seat. Shame because everything else seems quite well built.
Cheers, and happy/safe motoring
Good aren't they? We've had a C180 Sport for nearly 4 years now. It just works, swallows the kids, the dog etc and touch wood, hasn't yet thrown up any bills outside of servicing.
Ours is on the 17s but I really want to put those 18s on it - look brilliant. Funnily enough, way back we also had an E91 so it's nice to see someone else's comparisons. I loved our old 330 - everything about it but I've gotten to like the Merc. Whilst I don't think it's as good looking as the E91, I think it's a pretty classy looking thing still. Probably better suited to being in my mid 40s! I think it's a far better built car as well and the stuff like high beam assist on a pretty normal 15 year old car I was surprised at (but agree - the lights are incredible!).
Ours has properly made me a Merc guy. If I could find a really top spec low mileage C300/C350 petrol estate I'd be seriously tempted to change it.
On the android auto thing, I've got one of the little Becker replacement boxes. Theyre good (especially for 40 quid!) - connectivity drops now and then for a second but the benefits are worth it. Just having Google maps is so much better. You can replace the non-Becker unit cars but it's a bit more involved - pretty sure there's a thread on here about it in the Merc section.
Ours is on the 17s but I really want to put those 18s on it - look brilliant. Funnily enough, way back we also had an E91 so it's nice to see someone else's comparisons. I loved our old 330 - everything about it but I've gotten to like the Merc. Whilst I don't think it's as good looking as the E91, I think it's a pretty classy looking thing still. Probably better suited to being in my mid 40s! I think it's a far better built car as well and the stuff like high beam assist on a pretty normal 15 year old car I was surprised at (but agree - the lights are incredible!).
Ours has properly made me a Merc guy. If I could find a really top spec low mileage C300/C350 petrol estate I'd be seriously tempted to change it.
On the android auto thing, I've got one of the little Becker replacement boxes. Theyre good (especially for 40 quid!) - connectivity drops now and then for a second but the benefits are worth it. Just having Google maps is so much better. You can replace the non-Becker unit cars but it's a bit more involved - pretty sure there's a thread on here about it in the Merc section.
Here is my 350 i picked up in Nov. Warming to the car now im using it more. Got the opportunity the other week to 'open her up' and she has a fair turn of speed when unleashed. Would love to fit a Carplay but it seems a bit involved and, annoyingly, fitting a towbar/dedicated electrics also needs coding.
Will follow your thread with interest.
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