Hi everyone,

I am back with a new video series about buying a second hand car.

Together we will look at some desirable cars that are now 10 to 15 years old and that could be interesting for you to buy.

We discuss cars that were out of reach when introduced, but that now have become affordable, and more importantly, that are still desirable today.

In this video we will look at the Mercedes Benz C-class, the model W204. This car was produced between 2007 and 2014. I already made a video about its predecessor the w203, check out that video as well.

Mercedes fixed some of the flaws of the predecessor with this w204 model. W203 and W204 are internal codes for the various Mercedes models.

This car is positioned at the entry level of the luxury segment of the market.

The C-class was available with a wide variety of engines, from petrol to diesel and let’s not forget the c63 AMG that had a 6.2 liter v8.

C63 AMG

The AMG is well on its way to become a modern classic. V8 engines are becoming more rare since the car industry is obsessed by reducing co2 emissions,also a v8 in a relatively small car is quite unique.

The c63 AMG is one of a kind, sort of like a European hot rod.

The w204 was produced as a sedan, a wagon and coupe. The car was a huge success for Mercedes all over the world. It was awarded car of the world in 2007 in Australia.

Competitors

Competitors for this car are the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Lexus IS220. All small luxury cars from premium manufacturers.

There are several reasons to pick up a second hand w204.

• The car has great handeling
• Wide variety of engines
• High quality materials used in the interior
• Classic yet representable car

But there are also several issues that you should know about.

Issues

Sometimes the electronic key is not recognised, this results in not being able to start the engine. So when you go away on holiday, bring the second key with you just in case.

The keys work with an unique code that works only with your own car. So basically the key consist out of software and some electronics, this small piece of technology can break, without the key the car will not start.

Replacing original Mercedes keys is expensive and can only be done at the Mercedes dealership.

C350 diesel

For the diesel engines, you have the common issues that most diesel engines can suffer from. With the CDI diesel engines the injectors can break.

Usually it happens with one injector at a time, so theoretically this can happen four to six times.

The c350 with the M272 engine until 2009 had some balance shaft issues. These kind of repairs are quite expensive, so know that before buying the c350. Check the service history of the car.

Talking about the service history, it is very important that the car is well maintained.
Mercedes engines can handle astronomical mileages as long as the maintenance is done regularly.

Some c-class cars suffer from corrosion on the aluminium rims, most of the time the bolts on the rims cause corrosion.

Gearbox

Then the automatic gearbox, like the 7G tronic. They are quite reliable, but if you feel that shifting is not going that smooth anymore, it can be useful to flush the transmission.

This will flush out the dirt and little pieces of metal and can prevent small problems to get out of hand.

Then there are reports that the door handles of the car are fragile and can break.

To repair these door handles might be more expensive than you think. So treat your Mercedes with some respect in that regard.

Some people complain about cheeques and rattles in the dashboard, so always test drive your Merc to find out if your car makes unwanted noises as well.

About the tires, check the front tired for unnecessary wear and tear.

When you go for the extreme powerful C63 AMG, you better buy some goodyear stock since this car eats away your tired. If you like to drive the car hard from time to time, your rear tires will last only about 10.000 KM, sometimes less.

Unlike its predecessor, this car has no major rust problems, Mercedes fixed the flaws off the old generation.

I think in general this is still a very desirable car, the early production models are now 10 years old, the newest ones are now 3 years old for the facelifted w204’s from 2014.

Of Course Mercedes is not a cheap car, but if you tread it well, give it good oil, try to drive long distances most of the time, this car can last for the next 2 decades with no problem.

This car had manual transmissions, but also a 7 speed automatic gearbox.

If you have any questions about this car, or you want to share your own experiences from owning this car, please leave a comment.

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Drive safe, see you guys in the next video.