Diff went at 70,000 miles.
Water pump at 73,000 miles.
Take all clichés about old Mercs (excellent build quality, "clunky" doors etc) as read, they certainly apply here.
It was the best C180 (W202) I could find but unfortunately it came with a nasty, dealer fit rear spoiler which was attached to the boot lid with 3 screws (I am not kidding here). I've removed the offending article and filled in the holes as best I can, but may have to get a new boot lid.
The interior will outlive me. The seats are comfortable and supportive (more so in the back than the front, strangely) and there is plenty of room. The dash is the dash of an old Merc, which you either like or you don't. The windscreen demister is asthmatic and I find I have to wipe the thing with a cloth in winter the way my father had to with his Hillman Hunter. Americanised foot operated parking break and dash mounted light switches are just things that you have to adapt to. The lack of a folding rear seat is irritating.
The 1.8 litre engine is enough, it's not a huge car. Fiddle about with the gears enough and you'll get as much forward momentum as you need. Any kind of meaningful overtaking needs to be done in third. This you will find to be a raucous experience that tends to unsettle the car's otherwise dignified approach to things.
Handling is in keeping with the over all theme of the car. I tend to average late twenties MPG in town and mid thirties otherwise. It will happily cruise all day at 150km/h (90mph).
If you are buying one (and I recommend you do), go for the Elegance spec for the alloys, metallic paint and classier interior. Get one with automatic transmission, and if the car also has air conditioning, the gods have smiled upon you indeed.
Hi, broadly agree with you, the w202 c180 is a classy act, with a chain timed, tough motor - with regards to the asthmatic demister, have you changed the cabin air filter recently? If old and blocked, air flow will be severly restricted and little demisting will occur, remove and renew.
The gearboxes, manual and auto, need fresh oil every 36000, dexron in the case of the auto, as do the diffs(gear/diff oil), which will ensure long service. The diffs can and do leak a little, but you can just top up as you go along, not worth trying to repair, unless leak is severe.
Once fresh oil and coolant are stuck in the motor as required, the 4cyl engines do not have a service life, they go on and on almost forever. And when servicing, it's better to use genuine Merc parts, they are actually not a lot dearer and are a safer bet long term. Just my two-pence worth.
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