Mercedes-Benz Problems

If the Mercedes-Benz A-Class suited young singles and couples without kids starting out in life along with older couples at the other end of the journey whose kids had fled the nest, the B-Class was the car for couples in the midst of family life.The B-Class was a logical extension of the A-Class concept, a larger version of the small peoplemover capable of hauling a tribe of kids to school, sports days or wherever they need to go.Outwardly it looked like an A-Class, there was the same upright stance, the same sloping front, and the same sweeping roof, but it was longer. That extra length was used to create a roomy and versatile interior that was perfect for its intended use.At launch there were two models, the B200 and the B200 Turbo, but they were joined a few months later by the B180 diesel. All were five-door, front-wheel drive hatches cum wagons capable of accommodating five adults and packed with features and safety equipment. Mercedes offered a choice of two 2.0-litre petrol engines, one of them turbocharged for extra zip, and a frugal 2.0-litre turbodiesel.All engines could be had with a Continuously Variable Transmission, CVT, which was the auto choice, or that could be with either five or six-speed manuals. The manual 'boxes were generally praised for the their ease of use, but the CVT copped some flak for being sluggish and unresponsive.On the road the B-Class demonstrated good grip and nice chassis balance, but for a more sporty drive there was a sports suspension package available as well. All models were well equipped with all the standard features wanted in a car today, including air, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, cloth trim, fog lamps, alloy wheels, central locking and CD sound.IN THE SHOPAnyone buying a Mercedes-Benz needs to do so in full knowledge that servicing and parts come at a premium, which makes it important to seek out a specialist who can service your car, and source parts, at a more economical rate. When checking a car prior to purchase test all the gadgets to make sure they work, fixing them later can cost a motza. If you're unsure get a mechanic to help you.Check for a service record, as like all engines, Mercedes-Benz powerplants suffer when forced to run on dirty oil. Also check for panel damage, particularly around the front, which is hard to see and can make it hard to judge when parking. Also check the interior for the damage that can naturally occur when transporting kids.IN A CRASHFive stars from ANCAP say it all. The B-Class is well geared for a   crash with front, side and curtain airbags, plus ABS brakes and ESP stability control.UNDER THE PUMPFor economy the diesel delivers to the tune of 6.2 L/100 km on   average and the pick of the B-Class bunch. The petrol engines deliver 7.2 L/100 km (non-turbo) and 7.9 L/100 km (turbo), and what's more 'Benz says they can handle E10.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $47,400 to $51,400Engines: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel, 80 kW/250 Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 100 kW/185 Nm; 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder, 142 kW/280 NmTransmissions: CVT auto, 6-speed manual, 5-speed manualEconomy: 6.2 L/100 km (B180 CDI), 7.2 L/100 km (B200), 7.9 L/100 km (B200 Turbo)Body: 5-door hatchbackVariants: B180 CDI, B200, B200 TurboSafety: 5-star ANCAP

New-age diesels in every size and price class promise more kilometres from every litre and more kilometres between refills, thanks to massive advances in efficiency and refinement.The days when diesels were black-smoke rattlers, and only favoured by farmers with a diesel tank to top-up their Benz or Peugeot, are long gone. The diesel-engined Ford Territory easily outsold the petrol-powered model during its first month in showrooms, reflecting the backlog of buyers who now put diesel first.But is diesel the right choice for everyone?Petrol power is also more efficient than ever in 2011, LPG is making a solid surge, especially with a new gas-powered Falcon on the road and a Commodore coming soon, and it still costs more to choose a diesel.At the most basic level, new-car buyers need to work out how quickly the extra cost of a diesel car will be recovered. If it takes three years and you plan to keep the car for five, that's all good. But if it takes seven years to make up the difference and you only plan to keep the vehicle for five, then ... So it's a horses-for-courses situation. The more you drive the more a diesel makes sense.Diesels generally have the advantage of lower fuel consumption, and many modern diesels can also get 1000 kilometres from a single tank, as well as a tougher engine to cope with the higher compression and better values at resale.Diesel is already the first-choice pick with some luxury brands, as BMW's diesel-powered fleet has outsold the petrol models through the first half of 2011 and Mercedes is also reporting record diesel sales on its C and E-Class cars.Most European-built cars have always had diesel variants and the 4WD and SUV classes have also been long-term diesel strongholds, but the move to maximise fuel efficiency means they're also appearing in baby and small cars in Australia.It's in these price-sensitive segments where choosing a hi-tech oil-burner can represent up to 15 per cent of the cost of the car. Buying a diesel Holden Cruze adds up to $4000 to the price and if you pick a Ford Focus with diesel the extra cost is around $4300.The good news is that diesel cars will maintain their price advantage at resale time, says Glass's Guide managing director Santo Amoddio."The only area where the diesels aren't strong is the manual four (cylinders)," he says. "In Europe it's the sensible way to drive but Australians have yet to embrace the idea of manual-powered small diesels, so the used values reflect that."Amoddio says diesels are a quick way to cut fuel use and CO2 emissions."There's a lot of talk about electric cars and hybrids but I think diesel is the way to go for private buyers at the moment in terms of costs of running and resale," he says. "That's especially the case in the medium in large SUVs. For example, we expect the turbodiesel Ford Territory to outsell the petrol model. It's probably two years too late to market but it's a good engine and will suit that application."The diesel engine in the Territory is up to a $5000 option but in this class people often believe they need the extra towing capacity of the diesel, yet then don't order the heavy-duty towing pack, which pulls it back to the 1600kg the six-cylinder petrol engine can haul.At Ford's claimed fuel use rates of 8.2 litres for the diesel against 10.6 litres for the petrol it will take about six years travelling 15,000 kilometres a year (assuming the same pump price for both petrol and diesel) to recover that five grand.The relative difference between diesel and petrol models isn't usually as big on SUVs as it is with the smaller cars.Choose diesel on a Toyota Prado and it's a $1000 premium, while Subaru's Outback is $2000 more with a diesel donk - but only comes as a manual - and the Mitsubishi Pajero is around $3000 dearer with an oil burner.Step up to the larger off-roaders and Nissan's turbodiesel Patrol is $3000 cheaper than the comparably-equipped petrol model, Range Rover offers $500 off its diesel Evoques and diesel is the entry option for Audi and BMW's SUV ranges.Diesel is even the preferred option for the Toyota LandCruiser despite its $10,000 dearer purchase price.The traditional argument that servicing costs are higher is also starting to lose momentum. Ford has capped servicing costs for the new Territory and the diesel is only $20 dearer at $290 for each visit to the dealer.It's a similar story with the Polo - over the first five services and/or five years the diesel is about $100 cheaper to maintain at $1910."If you know what you plan to do with the car it isn't hard to work out whether you should buy diesel or petrol," Amoddio said. "About five years ago diesels accounted for 1 per cent of passenger vehicles in Australia - now it's nudging 10 (per cent). It's the improvements in refinement that have driven that and we see that trend continuing."VW Polo ComfortlinePetrol (diesel)Price: $19,850, ($22,350)Engine: 1.2-litre turbo petrol (1.6-litre turbodiesel)Outputs: 77kW/175Nm (66kW/230Nm)Transmission: Six-speed manual (five speed manual), front-wheel driveFuel use: 5.5 litres/100km, 128g/km CO2 (4.7 litres/100km, 124g/km CO2)Weight: 1048kg (1115kg)Price after three years: $10,900 ($12,500)Percentage of new cost: 55 per cent (56 per cent)Annual fuel cost* $1152.30 ($979.21)Diesel saving of $173.09 a year means it would take 14.4 years to recover the $2500 difference in purchase price.Holden Cruze CDPetrol (diesel)Price: $22,240 ($24,990)Engine: 1.4-litre turbo petrol (2.0-litre turbodiesel)Outputs: 103kW/200Nm (110kW/320Nm)Transmission: six-speed manual (both), front-wheel driveFuel use: 6.4 litres/100km, 146g/km CO2 (5.6 litres/100km, 147g/km CO2)Weight: 1329 (1489)Price after three years: $11,100 ($15,100)Percentage of new cost: 50 per cent (51 per cent)Annual fuel cost: $1340.86 ($1166.72)Diesel saving of $174.15 a year means it would take 15.8 years to recover the $2750 difference in purchase price.Mercedes-Benz C-Class 250 AvantgardePetrol (diesel)Price: $67,900 (both)Engine: 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder (2.2-litre twin-turbodiesel)Outputs:150kW/310Nm (150kW/500Nm)Transmission: seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (both)Fuel use: 7.2 litres/100km, 167g/km CO2 (5.1 litres/100km, 134g/km CO2)Weight: 1480kg (1587kg)Price after three years: $36,700 (both)Percentage of new cost: 54 per cent (both)Annual fuel cost: $1508.42 ($1062.54)The same price for both cars means a diesel Merc owner will pocket more than $445 a year in lower fuel bills.Ford Territory 2WD TXPetrol (diesel)Price: $39,990 ($43,240)Engine:4.0-litre six-cylinder (2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel)Outputs:195kW/391Nm (140kW/440Nm)Transmission: Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (both)Fuel use: 10.6 litres/100km, 240g/km CO2 (8.2 litres/100km, 217g/km CO2)Weight:Price after three years: $22,000 ($25,100)Percentage of new cost: 55 per cent (58 per cent)Annual fuel cost: $2220.81 ($1708.40)Diesel saving of $512.41 a year means it would take 6.3 years to recover the $3250 difference in purchase price.Toyota LandCruiser 200 VXPetrol (diesel)Price: $88,414 ($98,664)Engine: 4.7-litre V8 (4.5-litre V8 diesel)Outputs: 202kW/410Nm (195kW/650Nm)Transmission: Five-speed automatic (six-speed automatic), four-wheel driveFuel use: 14.5 litres/100km, 341g/km CO2 (10.3 litres/100km, 273g/km CO2)Weight: 2610kg (2675kg)Price after three years: $53,900 ($60,200)Percentage of new cost: 61 per cent (both)Annual fuel cost: $3037.89 ($2145.92)Diesel saving of $891.96 means it would take 11.5 years to recover the $10,250 difference in purchase price.*Fuel costs calculated based on national petrol average last Friday of $143.5 a litre for petrol and $142.7 a litre for diesel. Annual travel of 14,600 based on Australian Bureau of Statistics' average for the national vehicle fleet.

While most motorists seek reliability and economy from their cars there are those who put performance above all else.For them cars like the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG deliver the ultimate driving thrill, they're the ones that take performance to previously   undreamt of places.The sad reality for most who lust after a true high performance car, like the C63 with its $126,000 price tag, is that they're well beyond the reach of all but the very, very well heeled.Everyone else can only look on and dream, at least until the price drops to a point they can afford to turn the dream into a reality with a secondhand example.MODEL WATCHThe Mercedes-Benz C63 rewrote the book on performance, lifting the bar even higher than its awesome rivals from BMW and Audi.The pocket rocket race can be traced back to the humble Minis, Cortinas and Escorts of the 1960s, but really started in earnest when   the Germans got in on the act in the 1980s.It was back then that BMW launched the first M3, a hot derivative of the 3-Series. Not to be outdone Mercedes-Benz answered with a hot AMG-  tweaked C-Class, and the race between the German carmakers was well and truly on.  Almost 30 years later and the race is hotter than ever, with each company quick to counter any move its rivals might make.The C63 answered BMW's move to slot a V8 into the M3, and raised the performance bar even higher with its own V8 that boasted 336 kW at   6800 revs and 600 Nm at 5000 revs.It was enough to have it doing 100 km/h just 4.5 seconds from rest, which put it in elite high performance company with cars like the Porsche 911.  Like all AMG models the C63 starts with a modest regular production model, in this case the compact C-Class sedan and wagon.It then gets a much hotter heart, in this case a thumping great hand-built 6.2-litre double overhead camshaft V8 engine.  But while the V8 gave it the grunt the C63 was much more than mere power, it had the chassis to back it up.If there was a criticism of previous C-Class AMG cars it was that they weren't very engaging for those who wanted to be fully involved in the driving. That was countered in the C63 with the seven-speed auto transmission with shift paddles under the steering wheel that gave the driver more control than in previous models, and sharper chassis tuning.It also came with a comprehensive array of electronic devices to monitor and control the car, including electronic stability control, traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes with optimum brake force distribution, emergency brake assist and the like.While these systems help keep the booming 'Benz on the straight and narrow the driver could, if they wished, switch it off and fully enjoy the full thrill of the beast beneath.  Then, if things went wrong the car would engage the electronics in an effort to save the situation before it got too out of hand.Inside, it had leather sports seats, a sports wheel, auto air, cruise, park distance control, six-speaker CD sound, power front seats with memory, power mirrors and windows, sat-nav and woodgrain trim.IN THE SHOPIndependent Mercedes-Benz specialist Peter Lennox services 10-15 C63s   and tells us that it is a robust and reliable performance car and   little goes wrong with them if they are well maintained.The V8 engine has been in production since 2006 and is very reliable.  Lennox says it's good for at least 200,000-300,000 km, and probably a lot more.The seven-speed auto is also quite bulletproof. It has been around since 2005 and like the engine doesn't give any major trouble, although Lennox says he has seen a few problems with lock-up torque converters in cars that have done 200,000-plus km.If driven hard the front-end bushes can wear out in 50,000-60,000 km.   Check for fluid leaks from the oil-filled bushes, a sure sign the   bushes need attention.Tyres don't last long, particularly if driven hard. A driver who takes care of his tyres will be replacing them every 10,000-15,000 km, but one who pushes the performance limit will be replacing them even more frequently.IN A CRASHWith an electronic arsenal of ABS brakes, Brake Assist, EBD   brakeforce distribution, ESP stability control and traction control the C63 has an impressive complement of active safety features.If that isn't enough it also has a full array of airbags, including dual front and side airbags, and head airbags.  ANCAP hasn't specifically tested the C63, but the C-Class it's based upon is rated at five out of a possible five stars.UNDER THE PUMPMake no mistake the C63 is a thirsty beast; Mercedes-Benz claims an average fuel consumption of 14.5-16.0 L/100 km.OWNER'S SAYA super car for less than 150 grand! It was a deal Carsguide reader Lindsay couldn't resist. In his mind he had attained the ultimate in   motoring utopia. As a 60-year-old who has driven competitively and owned some high performance machinery he felt more than capable of   extracting reasonable performance and pleasure out of the C63, but he finds it almost impossible to get the car off the mark quickly without spinning the wheels and invoking the ESP, and defies anyone to achieve the acceleration time Mercedes-Benz claims. He also shredded the rear tyres in just 13,000 km, something he says is   common on the C63. Despite that he says the C63 is great to drive.LOOK FOR High speed thrillsAwesome performanceRefined and sophisticatedGas guzzlerEats rear tyresGreat bang for the buckTHE BOTTOM LINEAwesome performance yet still refined and sophisticated. 90/100