Faults:

Leakage on from passenger side during rain storm that happened a day after I got the car from it's first Service B. (Carpeting torn at dealership during correction of leakage).

Jerk in gear changes from first to second, and second to third.

15 year old engine wiring harness and ignition harness insulation is worn.

General Comments:

The car is very reliable and comfortable.

Quite fast if you want to, I think 0-100 km/h in about 12 seconds, but a bit slow in urban traffic.

Good braking system and ABS.

Handling is very good, on turns, bends etc.

Firm on the road, solid suspension.

Ground clearance is quite good. Bottom of car not flat like newer models, so exhaust system not easily scratched when on poor roads. And the rubber sprayed base helps too.

Fuel consumption 8-10km per litre of unleaded. Now using V-Power, 3rd tank and consumption is equally good.

Consumption is best on re-fueling once the tank reaches 1/4.

Faults:

The shocks wore out.

The radio does not play all compact discs.

The engine is noisy over 105mph.

General Comments:

This is a very good car, but a little uncomfortable on long trips (over 2 hours or so).

It has a very spacious trunk (boot).

It is very reliable.

Faults:

Slave cylinder in the 1st month.

Broken bleed nipple on service, required new caliper.

The MB stereo cassette occasionally effects the functioning of the instruments, namely: fuel display, temperature display, rev counter and speedo. A new stereo has reduced this fault to just the speedo and this happens each time the stereo is used. Intention is to have Mercedes examine the wiring for a suspected short, meantime do not use the stereo.

General Comments:

The car has been superb, the build quality is as expected and the engine, although slow is excellent, I easily get 1100km from 60 litres of diesel.

The car drives well and has more room than the present generation C-class.

Running costs are very low except for the dealer servicing.

Faults:

I own the car for roughly nine months only, so to date no major faults occurred.

Windshield wiper (has that giant one-arm wiper) got stuck at around 160,000 km, which was a rather uncomfortable feeling, driving on the autobahn at about 80 mph. Good luck the rain wasn't that heavy. Roadside assistance fixed the problem quickly, as the wiper suspension just needed a little oil.

ABS warning lamp goes on when starting engine under higher outside temperatures. Probably has something to do with the sensors, since the ABS works perfectly well.

General Comments:

Those old C-class Mercedes are extremely reliable, compared to the current versions.

The 2.0 with 136hp is a little sluggish with the automatic transmission, but goes up to about 130mph. Acceleration at higher speeds is rather good.

I don't know if this is true for all C-classes with automatic transmission, but my accelerator is a little stiff, especially from standstill.

The trunk is huge for a saloon. The seats are as new, considering the age (11 years) of the car.

Faults:

When the car was purchased:

1. Mirror adjuster wouldn't work (faulty switch replaced)

2. Faulty headlight switch (crunchy rotation; pulling mechanism for fog lights would not stay pulled) - replaced

3. Minor oil leakage from engine - gasket replaced

4. Worn ball joints, tie-rod - all replaced

5. Engine cable harness diagnosed as faulty - replaced

6. Worn under body joints & parts - replaced, replaced and replaced.

General Comments:

I had always been fond of German cars before I bought my first one, which is the C180 I'm commenting here.

So far my choice has been a very wise one indeed, because she's proved herself as one durable, reliable, easy-to-maintain and comfortable ride. That is, after a big overhaul was done to sort all problems simultaneously.

Regardless of its age, it still gets the proper respect at certain places. And it holds its value well in the used-car market. Styling is still fresh after all these years; I've put 18" wheels and lowered springs which improved looks and handling significantly.

Handling and braking are slightly below BMW's standards, but they are still far superior too many others.

Acceleration is poor though. Fuel consumption is between 7-10 km per liter, which is acceptable considering Jakarta's traffic. Another complaint would be the lack of rear headrest, which apparently occurs only on early Classic models.

Spare parts are readily available at aftermarket shops and are not expensive at all.

In short, I'm glad I purchased a Mercedes and will always try to do so.