Should i trade to a 300E?

Hi again,

I just want ANYONES advice here....I drive a 97 C200 Elegance everyday nearly to work which is quite a fair distance, over 100kms a day so I get to know the car pretty well........Some of you guys might have seen me here before whigning about the power of my car, so I just wanted to ask if its worth selling the car and buying a 300E. My dad drive a 300E and the driving experience in terms of power and driveability is 10 times better. Your not constantly holding a gear to keep up with the traffic. So, should I sell the car we have had since new which we know like the back of our hands or risk it and buy a used, older 300 series?

Christian

89 300TE
97 C200

[JCE]

I have both a w124 and a w202. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, IMHO. The C class gets much better fuel economy (27-33mpg), is comfortable on trips, has newer technology and safety features, and is fun to drive. It is adequately quick on acceleration, but not fast. While several hundred pounds heavier than my 87 300E, it feels a little too light and softly sprung for my tastes. With the fold down rear seat, it is more utilitarian than the 300, but feels much smaller inside than it really is.

The early 300E is very quick, a performance champ on corners, feels solid as a tank, and has a reputation as a rolling safety cage in an accident. Newer 124s are not as nimble or quick, but get better gas mileage. (Mine only gets about 20-22mpg) The W124 has older technology, and some issues that need attention: certain years have r12 freon (can't get it where I live); other years had wiring harness issues; etc. It is an aging design, and entropy always wins.

You are comparing 2 different classes of cars which were designed for different purposes. The only way to get both purposes met involves some compromise (petrol efficiency, power, room, etc.). If the W202 power is making you unhappy, maybe a 94/95 w124, would be the way to go - the AC and wiring issues should be sorted out, and even the 400E gets better gas mileage than the early 300s (won't have the handling, though). Or, my brother gets good performance and reasonable economy from his 2001 E320 - it depends on what you can afford. And you do know the strengths and weaknesses of your car, anything else is an unknown. You will have to decide if the extra cash loss from a sale of the C200 and purchase of an 300 are worth the performance gains.

For what it is worth, my wife commutes over very hilly terrain in her C, and grumbles about the lack of power in the C vs. the E. BUT, she loves the economy and utility: the C is the car we take on long trips or daily commutes, the E is mine for errands and fun touring on weekends.

Good luck

You have a fairly long daily commute. Are you sure you want to rely upon a 10-15 year-old car as a daily driver? I'm sure more than a few on this board do, but I would prefer a much newer car, with fresher, more reliable electrics, etc. for this purpose. If you go with the older model, be prepared to replace consumable components immediately upon purchase(radiator, radiator and heater hoses, battery, ALL fluids, brake hoses, etc.) and budget additional funds for unexpected repairs. Without trying to sound alarmist, be certain that your fire extinguisher is fully charged.

WOW......that was really informative, im glad to see your point of view when you drive both of them like I do...I can see where you are making a point. We have had the C200 since new and the car has started and stopped every single day since the day we bought it. We have only changed the tyres once and it has not ever needed any major repairs. It does use very little fuel which is great. The AC is excellent and is far better than in dads 300TE. The thing is, I can no way afford a 94-95 series model..(btw, im from Australia and the biggest engined car we got here was the 3.2ltr six). I cant afford any E-class other than a late, maybe updated 300E. So, I guess im going to keep this car and cherish it and look after it. Im glad to have this kind of car at all at my age...

Cheers,

Christian

89 300TE
97 C200 Elegance

[franj]

Hi Christian,

Good to see a posting from a fellow Australian. I think you have made a wise decision. As you do travel a fair bit, a newer car is the way to go. Hopefully you do mainly freeway driving, hence the lack of acceleration would be tolerable. From memory your C200 starts off in second, which is a nuisance and that dead feeling accelerator's no help either...BUT once it is moving it runs beautifully.

I too am contemplating if I should move to something newer, but I still can't decide. BTW I have a '93 E220. I think a 94-95 E320 would be a great replacement, but values are still sky high for a low mileage one, which is hard to justify (my brain talking here) but everytime I see one on the road, I just fall in love (XXX)!!.

Quite sure my accountant would say "NO" !

[Ken300D]

How popular and available are diesel Mercedes in Australia?

I have a 1982 300D and a 1987 300D, and my commute is something like 250km round trip daily. I have complete trust in either of these cars for the long trip each day. I probably trust the 1982 car more.

Ken300D

[franj]

G'day Ken300D,

Diesels are not yet popular in Oz as the fuel is more expensive than petrol or LPG. I can only think of two makes that have diesel powered variants....Peugeot 406 and MB 220CDI. I have recently tried the CDI and was extremely surprised at the pickup of that car. It was just a little noiser that a petrol version and you have used to the clatter at idle. Other than that I thought it was great. Beats driving around in a 4 cylinder petrol like mine!

If diesel was cheaper and I do more than my 10km trip each day (yes, I should be walking), maybe diesel would make sense. Then again, I should be driving an E500 as fuel is the least of my worries. If only we have the E500 in Oz.......sigh!!

hey there all and hey there aussie franj

yeah we dont get the E500 here oh well we now do thanks to mercedes changing their steering systems from recirculating ball to rack and pinion, we can now have a E430 or even an E55 woohoo....but yeah

most of my driving is done on a highway of speed of up to 110km/h so its not that bad...you cant drive really fast anyway..wrx's beat me at the lights but who gives 2 hoots really. ive decided to keep my C200 and just work on it and maintain it..

thanks all for the replys

Christian

89 300TE
97 C200 Elegance

also to add about diesels, there are alot more mercedes diesels out there now than there were before, even in the eastern suburbs where all the city people are.....ive seen alot of ML270 CDI's around and i think they are great...its 400nm of torque would make it a breeze to drive...but like franj was saying, diesels are not very prominent here at all not in passenger cars anyway

Christian

89 300TE
97 C200 Elegance

[Ken300D]

Can you upload a picture of your car, maybe with some of the local Australian scenery in the background? I don't have a clue what a 97 C200 Elegance is...



It would be fun to have a picture from Perth too.

Ken300D

[ymsin]

My first impression was to stick with the 200.

My second was a comparative in terms of maintanence cost where the 300E would win hands own with a much lower running costs.

All in all, it would be a difficult choice as you're really talking of 2 totally difference models. Its akin to comparing a Ford Laser to a Falcon?

I could stand corrected.

Well a falcon and a laser are TOTALLY different, the laser has a small 4 cylinder and is a small car whereas the falcon has a big 4.0L six and is a big car really....sorry i cant upload any pics my scanner is stuffed....... why dont u know what a C200 Elegance is? its a w202 model that looks like a small w140 s-class.... Elegance was just a different trim really with extra wood and chrome trimings on the outside......