1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Reviews

One broke spring at 120,000 miles.

One broke spring at 160,000 miles (£200 fitted).

Windscreen winder mechanism at 155,000.

Cat converter broke up at 120,000 miles.

This is without a doubt, one of the most solid cars ever built.

Basically just as reliable as any W202 C-Class, but with 300 BHP and touring car handling.

Sharp looking car. Lovely AMG wheels are very strong if you are unlucky and hit a nasty pot-hole.

Barely any rust after 17 British winters.

Everything is over-engineered for reliability and durability. Nothing major mechanical has ever gone wrong.

Chain driven cam never needs attention, and saves the costly replacement of cam belts.

Parts are however cheap. Pads, discs, wheel bearings etc are very cheap.

Hardly any servicing needed. Just oil and pads.

The engine is still as sweet as a nut.

Very fast at 155mph electronically limited.

Just under 300 BHP.

Mine has run happily on LPG since it was fitted by the previous owner at 80,000 miles.

Ride is very firm.

Leather seats are very comfortable and very hard-wearing. Still not through the driver's bolster.

Handles very well. Never close to swapping-ends.

Kicks ass at the lights. Has beaten a few M3s.

A bit thirsty around town on petrol.

A few common wear and tear components, which needed immediate attention; water pump, poly v belt, tensioner and pulley, ball joints, shocks, power steering fluid hose, PCV nipple, and performed scheduled service maintenance.

The headliner is starting to sag in the rear due to the age, and few minor interior accessory components may need attention, but not urgently. "Common wear and tear".

The engine still runs strong and the transmission shifts smooth with no slippage. Excellent fuel efficiency.

The rear passenger seats do feel comfortable, but are tight when getting in and out of the car. The front head and legroom is adequate.

The original factory Bose stereo system still has excellent clarity sound after all these years of use.

For this age and high mileage, which is nothing on Mercedes, it still runs like it did whenI got it in 1997 pre-owned.

Actually nothing serious, but a small rubber ring next to the back right wheel which cause the leakage of fuel, I fixed it for $10, so it wasn't a big deal!!

The car has a very good acceleration that when I bought the car it had 15 inch rims, and if you pressed the pedal half way, you must be ready for some fun! Yet in most cases this is very annoying. So I changed the rims to 17 inch and there was a great improvement in the handling without losing much power, moreover, with 17inch rims it looked gorgeous!!

The V6 280C rides much smoother than all the V4 in its class (a friend of mine has a 230C kompressor)!!

It is good a car that you can drive every day without hurting your pocket much because the fuel consumption is fairly good!!

Water-pump, oxygen sensor, poly v belt with pulley, PCV nipple hose, 2 remote keys, high beam combination switch, passenger side power mirror, rear window lockout switch, engine mounts, broken center cassette storage console, front passenger tie-rod, and 4 gas pressurized shocks.

Those all went out and been replaced between 115,000-120,000 miles.

Overall the 4 cylinder engine is very reliable and I have never stalled on the road as of yet. The acceleration lags from the beginning, but drives well at over 40 mph. At 80 mph+, the car makes a loud revving noise since it is a 4 cylinder engine. The brakes feel spongy when the pads and rotors are very hot. Turning performance on the C220 is excellent at all levels. The rear doorways are cramped for passengers to get in and out, but the legroom is average. Fuel efficiency on the C220 is beyond excellent.