Faults:

Not much.

The A/C needed gas.

And the locks sometimes don't work. Just old age really.

General Comments:

Well in Dec my W211 E240 decided to leak oil from the rocker cover gaskets. So I needed a car to get around in as I fixed my W211.

A search later (had to be a Merc or a Falcon) and I saw this W203.

I know the W203 has a bad rep. But my one so far is a lovely lil thing.

Has GREAT A/C; it's smooth. The seats are harder than my W211. But not overly so.

The build quality is shockingly good. I have the pre-facelift version, which is the worst W203. But am still reporting no worries at this stage.

While this was meant to be a temporary car while I fix my W211, I think Coby (as I call it) is a keeper. With my old silver (my W211) :)

Faults:

Faulty tail light bulb and loose turn signal lever.

General Comments:

This vehicle is primarily driven by my wife as her daily driver. The car drives very well, handles very precisely and performs adequately.

Due to the small (2.6L) V-6 engine and transmission/rear end gearing, it revs on the high side at highway speeds above 65 mph. As a result, the best we can manage is around 26 to 27MPG on the highway, using premium fuel of course.

As far as comfort goes, the cabin is well appointed, but on the small side for folks like myself who are on the tall and thick side. My wife, who is not very tall, loves the way the car "fits" her, and she loves to drive it.

Mechanically the vehicle has been very solid with only routine oil changes (which I perform myself using the MB approved synthetic oil and fleece oil filter).

At 60K miles, I had the transmission fluid and filter changed at our local MB dealer ($365.00).

The only minor issue so far has been a couple of tail light bulbs failing.

Brake dust on the wheels requires that the wheels (especially the front) be washed weekly. Minor pain due to soft OEM brake pads.

Faults:

In 8 years, only replaced the battery.

General Comments:

Very impressive fuel economy - 5.1l/100km.

Quality finish, every knob/switch is still working.

Leather seats are still in very good condition after so many years of travelling.

Power of the engine is still high.

First time now, it seems the front suspension rubber mouldings could be shot... yet the driving comfort is still high.

Faults:

All electrical problems.

Voltage regulator went out at 32k.

All below at 54 to 57k:

Driver window motor bad.

Passenger head rest stuck.

Driver door lock won't open by keyless remote.

Brake light sticks.

Passengers head rest will not go down.

Alarm goes off for no reason.

Alarm horn needs to be replaced.

Pulsating brakes.

Oil fill cap impossible to remove without wrench.

Car has depreciated 10k in less than 2 years.

Mileage not great around town.

General Comments:

The car's electricals are not great, I seem to have an ongoing problem with this. The drive train is built well. Performance is excellent for a 4 cylinder motor. I can take most 6 cylinder cars with no problem.

Handles good. You have to be very careful as the visibility out the back and sides is not good. Also when parking, it is easy to hit the curb with your rims.