Buying guide: used Mercedes-Benz C-class

22/06/09

Everything you need  - what to pay, which to buy, what to watch for. It's all hereThere’s something about a Mercedes. Once you’ve owned one, you’ll hanker after another. Maybe it’s the hewn-from-solid feel of the dash, cabin and body. Or perhaps the wonderful way they feel ‘planted’ on the road, more surefooted than other cars.

If you’ve wanted one but haven’t acted on the thought, now would be a great time to change that. Buying prices are low, and the C-class has now been with us long enough for there to be cars selling from just £1000.

What’s it like?
Smooth and solid. It’s more easy-ds-it in nature than its arch-rival, the BMW 3-series. If buying a first-generation ‘C’ (1993-01) pick between a saloon (pictured below) or an estate. If you can go newer, a tidy three-door hatchback also enters the picture.

All are sturdy and long lasting, although the oldest cars may be tired and, more seriously, may have succumbed to rust. Expect roomy cabins, generous boot space and a real sense of big-car comfort, making them perfect if you’re forever ploughing along motorways.

Older entry-spec models, badged Classic, are meanly equipped, though, so we’d go instead for an Elegance, Avantgarde or a Sport.

Most have automatic gearboxes and in any case this is the transmission style to go for. While Mercedes self-shifters are among the smoothest, the manual gearboxes can feel ‘bony’ and awkward to use, particularly beside Mercedes’ foot-operated parking brake.

There are a huge range of engines but for us the pick are the 2.0-litre petrols or 2.2 diesels because they offer the best trade-off between power, fuel economy and sensible running costs.

Which one should I get?
If you’re looking for an older car, spending £3000 or less, a C200 Elegance auto that’s T-reg, has had two owners and has covered 74,000 miles is perfect. The estate version is far rarer than the saloon but no dearer at this age and price. It’s a great option if you’ve dogs to walk or simply plenty of junk to shift because its load bay is among the biggest for this type of vehicle.

Top your budget up to £4000 and you’re in line for the next-generation car, sold new between 2001 and 2008. This looks prettier, feels much more up-to-date and is also sharper to drive, while still channelling that Merc, glued-to-the-road feel. This much buys one of the first, an X-plate C180 Classic with a Kompressor engine. This uses a supercharger, driven mechanically off the engine, to force air inside and boost power. Here, it teams with a 1.8-litre petrol engine to add extra oomph at low revs.

Unlike the older model, with this one estates attract a premium – not least because they are good looking and just very, very useful. So £8000 gets you an 02-reg C200 Sport showing 90,000 miles.

Finally, scoop together just about £11,000 for one of the likeable three-door hatches. Mercedes named this car (wrongly in our minds) a Sports Coupe. It’s not very sporty and definitely a hatchback but it’s highly versatile and our money here gets a 56-reg C200 Sport with 30,000 miles on the clock.

Mercedes launched an all-new C-class at the end of 2007. These continue the tradition but are as yet fairly steeply priced.

What should I watch for?
Rust on first generation cars: it can kill an otherwise sound vehicle, years before its time. As mentioned above, look first for bumps under the paint around and beneath the wheel arches, then the sills below the doors and then the boot lid.

Otherwise, the biggest risk is clocking – where the total mileage elapsed is wound back to boost the car’s value and fool buyers. Don’t think that a Merc with an electronic mileage readout is tamper-proof, because anyone with a laptop, some software and a mind for criminal mischief can wipe away years of use within the space of a few seconds.

It’s hard to spot a ‘clocked’ Mercedes because the cars can still look fresh with 100,000 miles or more up. But the best insurance is to keep to cars that come with stacks of paperwork. If you can get one that comes with every garage receipt kept from day one – bingo! Do check, won’t you, that the bills belong with the car, though.

Engines and gearboxes seldom give trouble if regularly serviced but these are heavy cars so dampers and springs give out. If the car rides poorly, crashing across bumps on the test drive, it’s likely that the suspension will need work.

Where should I buy from?
For newer cars, Mercedes-Benz dealers field the broadest choice, while the after sales care is second to none. Prices are competitive, too. For those with high miles or much over five years old, one of the many Mercedes used-car specialist dealers dotting the UK may be your best bet. The best way we know to find a good one is to ask other owners locally about the service they have received. First-generation C-class saloons and estates can be picked up cheaply at general used-car dealers, who like ‘em for the value they offer.

To read the motors.co.uk review - and watch our video review -  of the current C-class, click here
To view and buy over 1600 C-classes at all ages, shapes, and prices, click on to motors.co.uk