Aoa everyone!
As the title suggests - I'm planning on purchasing a W203 as my daily driver. This will be the first German/Merc I'll be getting my hands on, have had local cars and mostly jeeps in the past. Reason for settling on the W203 is the benefits against the market price and options available in the same price range.
Just wanted to get better insights before going ahead with the decision, I have done some preliminary research and gone through some forums as well. Following are some queries in order of priority for my understanding:
First and foremost; Variants. The one I'm interested in is the C180, however I'd like to know the C180 in comparison with the C200 as well. Difference between the Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde. What's CDI and Kompressor? Generally what are the difference between variants in terms of performance and options/features, mileage in city and highway?
Which year vehicles are more reliable? Asking in terms of electronics as I read in a couple of places that some models are more prone to electronic malfunctions etc.
Maintenance and spares. How much generally does basic maintenance cost. e.g Oil, oil filter + air filter? any ballpark for other things such as break service, tuning and general things. How often does one need to visit the mechanic given that one gets nice and clean vehicle?
What things should be taken into consideration while inspecting a vehicle to get the best results of the condition possible? Do's and don'ts. Are there any known faults in the W203 that one should specifically look for? One of the things I've read is having a service history - unfortunately majority of the vehicles fail to have one regardless of being in good nick.
How much would a clean W203 cost in terms of the price bracket? the idea is to get a solid unmutilated vehicle so there's not much maintenance required.
First things to do after acquiring one.
Above things pretty much sum up points to make the decision and go for one iA. If there's anything besides the things I have mentioned, please feel free to educate.
TIA!
