2004 Mercedes-Benz C200 Reviews

Mercedes-Benz has just launched an all-new C-Class model, so there's a good chance many owners of older models will be trading up. Meaning there could be a glut of used C-Class in Australia, giving you the chance to select between the many on offer, as well as the opportunity to select from the best of them. 

The small-medium Mercedes-Benz C-Class, while costing significantly more than many cars in its class, is becoming increasingly affordable by the standards of the prestige car market.Though it has been built down to a price when compared with upper crust Mercedes models, the price trimming has been done intelligently and you still get a car that’s well built and uses good quality materials.The C-Class is sold as a three-door coupe, a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon body. Coupes from 2008 to 2011 were called the CLC-Class in an attempt to give them a sportier image. That didn’t seem to work and with the new model of 2011 the C-Class coupe name was revised.This is a rear-wheel-drive car so those travelling in the back seats of sedans and wagons will find themselves a little squeezed unless the front seats are moved forward a notch or two. This situation has improved over the years as the C-Class cars have become slightly larger, but it’s still smart to take the family along during your pre-purchase road test to make sure it suits them.Boot space is good and the big bootlid in the sedans makes it easy to load. The wagon is of the stylish school, with a sloping tailgate that robs the load area of some cubic capacity.Naturally the back seats and boots of the coupes are on the cramped side, but that’s par for the course.Few cars come with such a staggering range of engines as the Mercedes C-Class. Four, six and eight-cylinder engines are offered. The latest petrol engines have direct petrol injection and are significantly better than the older units in terms of performance consumption and emissions. Look for the letters CGI in the car’s title, indicting the new-generation engines. The name Kompressor in the car’s title means it has a supercharged engine to provide extra torque. Later units use a turbocharger rather than a supercharger.The hot AMG models use the V8s and have tremendous performance, but this comes at a cost in high fuel consumption.Mercedes-Benz C-Class with turbo-diesel engines have been sold for many years, long before they became common in other European marques. They have either four or six cylinders. The newer diesels (look for CDI on the badge) are a big advance on the older diesel in smoothness and refinement and once the car is cruising at a steady speed we defy you to pick them from petrol powerplants.The great majority of C-Class Mercedes-Benzes will have an automatic transmission, though you will find some four-cylinders cars have a five-speed manual gearbox, they may cause real hassles at resale time.Luxury levels are Classic, Elegance, Avantgarde and Sport. The latter has firmer suspension for better road feel and will make a nice car for the enthusiastic driver.Spare parts, servicing and repairs are all expensive for a car of this size, but certainly not for a machine with the high prestige rating the Benz affords you. Insurance costs are generally reasonable for a car in this class.It pays to buy a used Mercedes-Benz which has been serviced throughout its life by an authorised dealer. Their mechanics are not only trained to high standards, but are in constant touch with the factory. A car with a full service history will almost invariably command a higher price but be sure the service books are genuine.Mercedes-Benz Australia offers a good used-car scheme on cars up to five years of age. The length of the warranty varies according to the workshop’s assessment of the car.WHAT TO LOOK FORBe sure the steering is positive with no unnecessary free play in the straight-ahead position. There were some problems with the early version of the Brake Assist System (BAS). These should have been rectified by a dealer after a recall. Contact the dealer or Mercedes’ head office to see if this work has been done.Do a visual check of the car inside and out for signs of damage or worse-than-average wear. Pay particular attention to the bumper-bar corners for signs of paint scrapes. Also have a good look at the condition of the seats.Always call an expert for the final say no matter how good the Mercedes appears to be after your own inspection. Either use a mechanic formally trained on Mercedes or a senior inspector from your motoring association. Noisy engines, or units that are slow to start may be about to rack up an expensive repair.CAR BUYING TIPIf you’re considering getting an old prestige car rather than a new, but somewhat mundane, car make sure your budget is up to the task of supporting the higher running costs of the upmarket machine. 

It could be the kiss of death for V8s and other fuel guzzling behemoths, with the focus switching to smaller, more economical vehicles – well, more economical ones at least.At $1.20 or more a litre (because there's no guarantee it will stop there), imagine forking out more than $200 to fill up some of the larger 4WDs, many of which lap up the stuff at the rate of 16.0L plus per 100km.It's a sobering thought...In this context cars like the Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor could eventually become more desirable than more fancied and powerful siblings.The C-Class is Benz's best selling model and is available with a range of engines, starting with two 1.8-litre supercharged fours, then 2.6-litre and 3.2-litre V6s plus a 5.4-litre V8 – with a 2.1-litre turbo diesel for good measure.That's six different engines from which to chose!It's a difficult decision, but after spending a week behind he wheel of the four cylinder C200 Kompressor, you begin to wonder whether a larger engine is really necessary, given the car's performance and amazing economy.Without nursing the Benz in any way, we were able to get 700km plus out of a single tank of fuel, with the trip computer showing a longterm average of 9.2L/100km.The CDi diesel produces even better results, but diesels are not everyone's cup of tea.The C200 Kompressor's 1.8-litre engine produces 120kW of power at 5000rpm and 240Nm of torque between 3000 and 4000rpm.It's enough to propel the car from 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds in manual form or 9.4 seconds for the automatic – not neck-snapping but no slouch either.The 1.8-litre engine in our test car was mated to a five-speed tipshift auto which is ideal for small engines.A six-speed manual is optional and knocks $3100 off the price of the car.Although the auto features comfort and sports settings, the ability to shift manually gives the driver more control.It is particularly good for getting the car mobile more quickly, with a quick flick left or right to change gears – and no clutch to worry about.Given the car's size and weight, performance is admirable, with very low levels of interior noise even when working hard.The ride is skewed towards touring and feels a little soft at times, but firms up nicely in corners.It is well balanced and easily controlled, with electronic stability control to ensure things do not get out of hand.The four-wheel ABS brakes are great.The new C-Class has a more aggressive look, with a deeper front air intake and sporty side skirts.Wider 16 inch 205/55 wheels and tyres are standard.Inside the it features a new cockpit design with simplified chronometer style dash and seat design varies from model to model.We would have liked to have seen more cupholders, with at least one that accommodates a sports drink bottle.Changing between AM and FM radio stations should not be that difficult and be sure to stand clear when you pop the boot – it comes up with a bang.In terms of safety the car has front, side and window airbags and scores a full five stars in European crash tests.You may have head about the innovative, scratch- resistant paintwork that is based on nano-technology.Benz reckons it gives the car a brighter sheen and makes it three times more resistant to scratching, so you can put it through the carwash with confidence.The C200 Kompressor is priced from $63,990.