1994 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Pre-Owned

What about quality problems? First year models saw the only official safety recall for 1994 through 2000 model year C-class

The final C-class sedan of the W 202 series leaving the assembly line in Sindelfingen in May 2000. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

models, and it was a minor one. Basically if the area surrounding the hood latch were to get bumped in a frontal impact it potentially could stop working properly - annoying but not critical. No doubt, the problem would have been fixed long ago.

Despite the stellar recall record the cars biggest complaints come from overly expensive maintenance and repair costs and in some cases frequent reliability problems. From the reports I read it seemed people either bought a perfect example or a lemon, not much in between. Incidentally, the online bulletin boards where I derive my reliability conclusions seemed to be dead even between amorous praise and dubious disdain for the C-Class.

Used C-Class models vary in price considerably, which makes sense due to its long tenure and wide gap between vinyl seat base and luxury/performance features. At the time of this writing (April 19, 2005), prices ranged from

If you have leanings toward luxury but there's no CEO next to your name on your business cards, you still might be able to afford a C-Class in your driveway. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

just under $7,000 for a 1994 C220, all the way up to $44,000 for a 2000 C43. Like most cars, of course, it's best to spend a little more for a properly cared for example, with complete records if possible.

So, if you have leanings toward luxury but there's no CEO next to your name on your business cards, you still might be able to afford a C-Class in your driveway, especially if a 4-cylinder model will do. Just take into consideration repairs will be more expensive than the Honda Accord you're considering trading in and most likely will be needed more often.