W202 - Any good?

[BGarside]

Although I'd been considering a W124, the W202s are very cheap at the moment & I've seen a low miles (49k) C240 V6 for sale with the 5-speed autobox.

They don't look as nice as the W124 but I guess might offer a more modern drive, are slightly smaller (I don't need the size of the W124) and having EFI are potentially LPG-able.

Did they all suffer from rust issues and are there any otehr show-stoppers with this model? Is the 240 pointless? - should I just get a 280?

[mickyveloce]

They are a pleasant leisurely and undemanding drive in 240 or 280 guise.
The later cars rust more from what I see, and there are precious few which have been cherished in the way that 124's tend to be.
Id like a 230k estate, but they seem few and far between.

Edited by mickyveloce on Wednesday 5th March 20:15

[BGarside]

The rarity of them seems slightly concerning. There seem to be as many, if not more, 190s around even though the W202 went out of production 7 years after the 190.

A 280 V6 or 230K Sport would be my ideal model, but there aren't many W202s to choose from full stop, so the 240 V6 might be OK.

Any other owners on here have any ownership experiences to share?

[mickyveloce]

I suspect many 202's have been scrapped due to electrical maladies. Mine needed a new transponder unit for the immobilizer which cost 800 to fix through Mercedes. The 190's were considerably simpler.

I believe the 240 was quite rare as it was slower and thirstier than the 280 (and C36).

There's an old C180 near me, with a very basic spec and used daily which looks great compared to the bloated rep mobiles which abound.

[cafehag2001]

The W202 C240 is an excellent car. I had one for five years, with little beyond regular maintenance required. The six cylinder models tend to have been bought by well-to-do private individuals, rather than the four cylinder petrol and diesel models, which will typically have gone out new as company cars. Consequently, they often have low mileage and low number of owners and, oftentimes, a few choice extras such as leather added. Find the right low mileage cherished car and you've got a great bargain. Mine did around 28mpg. Parts are also no issue, as they sold in large numbers. Find a knowledgeable Mercedes specialist to look after it - they will have dealt with any issues that come up many times before. Good luck.

[BGarside]

Thanks for the advice. They are better value than decent 190s so might be the way to go.

[niva441]

I'd had a C250 saloon and estate, I'd definitely have another. One of the last of the older type of Merc, although the paint of the later (post facelift) estate wasn't as good)