C Class 2.1 C250 CDI - a few questions

[rosscouk]

Hi All,

I just purchased a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C Class 2.1 C250 CDI BLUEEFFICIENCY AMG SPORT PLUS 5d. I have had it a week and I am wondering about a few things;

1) Servicing, is the official Mercedes ServiceCare Plan worth considering? It looks to be £36pm over 3 years (3 services) or £1296. Looking at a local independent in Somerset they state they charge £170 for a Assyst Plus Minor/A Service and £271 for a Assyst Plus Major/B Service. Looking at those prices it seems like a no brainer to stick with the independent although I have not used them yet. Any thoughts or comments?

2) Warranty - the car is 5 years old, is it worth considering buying an extended warranty? The official Tier 1 Mercedes cover is quoted as £666 per year. Whereas Click4warranty will offer a three year deal, with their top cover for £973 so £320 ish per year. Do people think a warranty is worth it, and if so, any suggestions or comments?

3) Tires - the car is shod in four new Goodride SW608 which appear to be a winter tire, and a fairly cheap one. I am wondering about swapping out for some decent rubber, or should I just wait for them to wear out first? I don't have any other wheels, but I could consider a summer/winter set I suppose, any thoughts?

Any other general comments about ownership are gratefully received.
Thanks

[rosscouk]

• bump

[gmaz]

1. If the indie is Avantgarde in Clevedon I can recommend them

2. Sorry I never use warranties

3. Depends on your driving profile, there are plenty of the 16" alloys on ebay that would suit a winter tyre ( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Mercedes-C-Clas... ) and probably worth it if you live in a hilly area or one affected by snow. Otherwise 99% of people get on ok with the standard wheel and a good wet-grip tyre like a Goodyear F1.

[rosscouk]

gmaz said:

1. If the indie is Avantgarde in Clevedon I can recommend them

2. Sorry I never use warranties

3. Depends on your driving profile, there are plenty of the 16" alloys on ebay that would suit a winter tyre ( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Mercedes-C-Clas... ) and probably worth it if you live in a hilly area or one affected by snow. Otherwise 99% of people get on ok with the standard wheel and a good wet-grip tyre like a Goodyear F1.

Thanks @gmaz for replying.

I can confirm it is Avantgarde in Clevedon, I have had four wheel alignment done with them and they were good.

I have decided not to get an after market warranty (fingers crossed).

I think I will just leave tires as is, and get some good rubber when they wear out.

The only thing I am having trouble with is noisy windscreen wipers. I have put new BOSCH blades on there, but they make an annoying squelch when the blades reach full extension. I need to look into to it as its pretty distracting.

[cjb44]

rosscouk said:

Thanks @gmaz for replying.

I can confirm it is Avantgarde in Clevedon, I have had four wheel alignment done with them and they were good.

I have decided not to get an after market warranty (fingers crossed).

I think I will just leave tires as is, and get some good rubber when they wear out.

The only thing I am having trouble with is noisy windscreen wipers. I have put new BOSCH blades on there, but they make an annoying squelch when the blades reach full extension. I need to look into to it as its pretty distracting.

Try bending the wiper arm a little to change the attack angle, this can sometimes be the problem; might take a few times to get it right.

[Scrump]

Avantgarde are very good.
The only thing to bear in mind with the MB service plan is that it includes extras such as transmission fluid change (which is due at 5years on my MB). If you have a full MB service history you also get the MB breakdown service for free.

The difference in price between Avantgarde and MB is quite large so the independant route is still better value (probably).

[Sheepshanks]

rosscouk said:

3) Tires - the car is shod in four new Goodride SW608 which appear to be a winter tire, and a fairly cheap one. I am wondering about swapping out for some decent rubber, or should I just wait for them to wear out first? I don't have any other wheels, but I could consider a summer/winter set I suppose, any thoughts?

I run my older C Class estate on all-seasons. Seem to work absolutely fine, but the car is mainly used for steady motorway cruising.