2004 Mercedes-Benz C180 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. 

I'm not saying that for $56,000 the entry-level Benz C180 is cheap, merely that it's as cheap as an Australian luxury car – such as a Statesman or Fairlane – and possibly has more street cred.Of course, the C180 isn't an executive express like the two Aussie cars. It will seat four adults with sufficient room, has a decent boot and its relatively compact dimensions give it excellent zip through city streets.What impressed me the most was simply the way this car did its job.It is ridiculously easy to drive – though seeing a foot-operated park brake again almost pushed my blood level into unmanned territory – and has exceptionally confident road manners.Though some earlier baby Benz models were a bit shy of features – certainly less than the price tag would imply – the latest versions are well kitted. Even the interiors are pleasant and imbue a sense of quality, though the leather-look upholstery really is leather look. It's actually vinyl.Standard features include CD player, electric everything, leather-rimmed steering wheel, vanity mirrors for driver and passenger, timber-look trim and so on. As you would expect, there is a heavy accent on safety with the C180 Kompressor coming with six airbags and a flotilla of electronic driving aids such as ABS brakes, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution.The feeling of solidity on the road is forged from a rigid body.Add to that some well-tuned suspension pieces and slot in the supercharged four-cylinder engine with a five-speed auto and you have the ingredients for an interesting sports-oriented sedan.Unfortunately, while there's all the ingredients, the cook hasn't followed the recipe.Because, in this case, performance isn't what the C180 is all about. The supercharger is there to get the modest 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine up to sufficient power to move the whole package along at a respectable rate.That it does, though despite all the promise, the engine is only fractionally more powerful than that in a standard Corolla.For buyers of this car, the performance would be more than adequate.The engine is a little rough down in the lower revs and, from outside at least, idles like a diesel. Yet everyone is oblivious within the cabin.The car is serene in its movements, feels nimble and lively from behind the wheel and shows immense promise without needing to deliver anything but the image of that three-pointed star on the bonnet.It is very comfortable – recently Merc changed the seat design from park bench timber to firm foam rubber – and gives the impression that it has significant durability to last for a few decades.As a car with class, it's about as budget motoring as you can get.Just don't expect to win any traffic light drags.