1973 Mercedes-Benz 220 D 220 diesel from Costa Rica

Summary:

Excellent car, luxury, sharp with classic look and speed

Faults:

Valve clearance adjustment was out, so it was hard to start for almost a year. After the valve adjust, the car starts like new. Fast on the freeway, and very economical.

Seats all the family with confort, 5.

General Comments:

Fast on the freeway.

Handles very well.

Very economical.

Mine has minimal rust.

Suspension is like a tank - it will take a beating or two, and keep going.

Everyone admires it when you drive it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th July, 2006

31st Oct 2008, 03:48

Mine was a 1971 220-D and I lived it for many years.

The front seats are like plush business chairs - big and welcoming, comfortable and sustaining on long trips.

Paint quality was exceptional, as was overall fit and finish.

VERY low maintenance (forget spark plugs, timing and that sort of thing).

Mileage was super, especially when diesel was cheap in the 70's. It made a clatter at start up. Pick up was poor from a standing start, but boy it loved to fly on the highway!

I sold it to my brother in about 1984 who killed it by burning kerosene in it as a cheap (er) alternative to diesel.

I don't speak to him much anymore.

1995 Mercedes-Benz 220 E220 Cabriolet 2.2 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Excellent

Faults:

Antenna mast replaced. Nothing else I haven't had the car long, but this car is so well built I think it will out last me.

General Comments:

Very good on fuel and has more power than I was expecting.

The build quality is the best I have ever seen on a car no squeaks no rattles over engineered so as to epitomes the very best.

The seats are simply superb on a long trip they are large and supportive in all the right places and the fact they are heated is the icing on the cake.

This car has exceeded all my expectations.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th September, 2005

10th Sep 2009, 22:37

Agree with many of the positive comments, but do not find the seats on the E220 Cabriolet particularly comfortable at all. Yes the heating is nice, but they are hard seats with inadequate leg support, and no side support at all.

Cheers

J.

1995 Mercedes-Benz 220 Elegance 2.2 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Very good car for 3k

Faults:

Runner mark down drivers window.

General Comments:

Its reasonably fast, good motorway cruiser, gobbles up the miles no problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th August, 2005

2002 Mercedes-Benz 220 Classic SE 220 CDI from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good, but by no means brilliant; pity about the niggles

Faults:

Strange fault, yet to be rectified... it intermittently refuses to rev at more than 2,900 rpm (should go to 5,000 rpm), leading to occasional embarrassingly slow acceleration. When it does this, the auto box changes up through the gears very quickly and the kick-down won't work. Most odd, and quite scary if turning on to a fast road at the time with swift traffic coming up behind. Yesterday I was easily out-accelerated by a Ford Ka at 30 - 60 mph!

General Comments:

Comfortable and very economic on fuel. A fast motorway journey turns in 45 - 50 mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 31st May, 2003

1st May 2004, 15:56

I have the same fault and the car has been into the garage three times with this. It is there again with. The technicians know it is the engine management system preventing the turbocharger boost from operating, but don't know why, although they think this time to have discovered it, we shall see. Apparently there are bits of the catalytic convertor coming apart in the exhaust system which then block the rear of the exhaust, causing a build up of exhaust gas which the EMS picks up and then stops the turbo from operating. The only cure is a completely new exhaust system, which wasn't on stock, so we are waiting...

5th Jul 2012, 09:46

The 220 CDI, is from my experience, generally a reliable car and holds together well. That's probably its best attribute. Even after 250 k miles, it's still tight and rattle free.

It does require attention and upkeep like most cars do to keep it sweet.The difference is therefore good coach building.

Ease of servicing is another plus... paper filters and all work can be done without getting under the car.

Things do go wrong. I have had no air conditioning or traction control for the past 100 k miles. The lights on indicator are gone too.

I didn't bother fixing any of these, as the car can operate without them. Many of Merc's addons were junk in recent years anyway, but the basics of the cars tend to be OK.