Mercedes-Benz C-Class C250 CDI W204 (2011-2014)

Who needs a Hybrid – A rocket ship fantastic acceleration ,very economical getting 4.7ltrx100 great driving experience amazing engine Show details

Truly the best car I have ever owned in 60 years of driving – Truly the best car I have ever owned, of a long series of Mercedes including the C250 CDI coupe which was excellent but difficult for grandparents and dog owners. So I swapped it for this one-owner 4-door sedan. This car is fast, with terrific acceleration thanks to its torquey 2.1 litre diesel. It is amazingly economical at 6.1/100km, superbly… Read more

comfortable with excellent safety, handling and road manners, unbeatable reliability and once a year servicing for my 12,000 kilometres a year. Who could ask for more? No mechanical issues in 54,000 kms.

Luxury is expensive? – Bought my C250 CDI in 2013 as a demonstrator model with practically all options and 4K on the clock. "Car of the year" sounded good and it was for a few years. Lovely car to drive. Now after 7-8 years and only 92,000 km of conservative driving , Mercedes advise that it needs new engine mounts, steering rubbers cracking and engine needs new seals.… Read more

All up around $5000 for repairs. I did not expect such problems to develop in a "luxury" car brand famous for good engineering. What's going to drop off it next?

Not what you expect from Mercedes badge and a $77k price tag – It is our first Merc experience and ownership, and we are left out of pocket and disappointed overall. Pros: diesel motor is very efficient, as long as you don’t drive aggressively. Expect about 8~11Lts per 100km depending on your driving habits and use of the Stop/start function, which can be a nuisance in heavy traffic. The 500nm of torque is… Read more

amazing and can be testing on the gearbox. Road handling is tight and precise. Ride is great, expect on rough roads. Cabin space is adequate but can be a little tight in the rear. Instrumentation and equipment is adequate and easy to use. The Vision pack we added, is a bonus. Sunroof is very good and functional. Boot is a good size.

Cons: Stop/start function, can be annoying in traffic conditions, and its delayed start is dangerous if you need emergency or instant power. It will also stop working, when the battery starts to get old, and a special new battery is approx $500 and upwards to replace. Ouch! Replacement of tyres are a timely requirement at approx 15000kms or less. Expect approx $1000 per set. Balance on front tyres will be required every 5k or less. A nuisance and un-necessary cost. Otherwise, expect excessive wear on the front tyres and an early new set. The rear tyre wear issues, are no better. You don’t have alternative tyre brand options as they either don’t exist or they will change the dynamics of the car. It’s Continental tyres or nothing. The gearbox is not suited to the diesel motor and a times can be clunky and lacking in grace for a Merc badged car. Cabin noise due to the diesel motor is excessive and can be annoying, until the gearbox changes down to the higher gear range. And it get’s worse as the car gets older. Car service cost by Merc dealership is brutal. Expect at least $800 for minor and $1550+ for a major. A fuel filter alone is a whopping $500. And don’t even mention the brake discs. The leather seats are hard and uncomfortable on long distance drives. There is no electrics for seat to go back/forward, but up/down exists. How Cheap. It’s an Option. Engineering and quality is good, but lacks real polish.

Would I buy another Merc. Probably not. The maintenance, hidden costs and upkeep are too brutal. All because you have a Merc badge on the front. Hopefully they have fixed all the technical issues on the next models, but hold your breathe and wallet on the maintenance costs.

Mercedes engineering disappointing – The automatic inlet cam adjuster after 6 years only at 71'000km 10 hour repair job, cost $3625 Paid it unhappily Sent an official complaint to Mercedes Australia - how can a Mercedes engine have such a huge engine repair after only 71'000km? Mercedes Australia responded and after a series of calls they agreed to refund… Read more

the cost of engine parts

I ended up payiing for labour only $1100

Some months later surfing the internet, I picked up other Owners with the same issue and discovered that it was an engine design fault.. The sprocket cam adjuster was made of cast iron driven by a steel chain

The steel chain wore down the teeth of the sprocket. Clearly a case of bad design metallurgy.

I understand Mercedes have rectified this from 2012

If I had known this I would of tried to get a full refund instead of compromising

I will never buy a Mercedes again - overrated

Rather by a Subaru or Honda

Good car but reliability – I bought this car in 2016 and it was 41,000km on the clock at the time of purchase. The car was in a good condition and I fell in love with this car rapidly for its power and refinement it has a very silky engine and gives a smooth riding. For the engine size (2.1litre), it feels almost like car with 3.0 engine 150kw power and 500 newton metre… Read more

torque is truly highlights for this car. It's very punchy while driving this is the most part that I like about this car.

Overall this car is very good to drive but very expensive for the service.

Also there were some issues that I had to go fix on top of the regular maintenance in 2years time.

1. Electric power steering wheel fluid leakage: had to replace O-ring which was not covered by POV Warranty appx $280 paid out of my pocket

2. Coolant leakage is probably the known issue

Had to fix the water pump that was cover by POV Warranty

Hopefully nothing more than these to be happened again but I don't feel very secured with this car

Still I love this car as every car makes some issues anyway but I may no longer fancy this 3 point star... better be back to the reality. Don't dream it's over...

Flawed perfection – Beautiful car to drive. Very expensive car to own. I have a Kia Sorento of the same age, the Kia servicing costs around 1/3 that of the MB C 250 CDI we have. With only 50,000km the front brakes are worn out, the Kia's are still like new, and some of the MB interior has not worn as well as the Kia. Both cars are used similarly and garaged. The Kia… Read more

is a better car for long trips, it has a higher driving position and takes more stuff. While the MB performance and handling are well ahead of the Kia at legal speeds this is not an issue.