Review: Mercedes C Class W203 ( 2000 – 2007 )

Mercedes C Class W203, Mercedes’ brown stain. Mercedes C Class W203, the official car of “it can happen at the bigger houses”.

 Launched in 2000 to replace the old and legendary W202, the Mercedes C Class W203 was already a typewriter in a laptop world. It came in an era when Mercedes decided to cut back on quality and try out new technologies. If the BMW E90 was the transition from analog to digital in a good way, the Mercedes C Class W203 was the transition from analog to digital in as good a way as when you lose a poker match at the last hand.

What innovations did the Mercedes C Class bring in 2000?

The Mercedes C Class W203 didn’t come with a lot of standard equipment, but it came with everything you needed. It came standard with electric windows, air conditioning, radio, and steering wheel controls. It may not seem like a big deal now, but in 2000 iTunes had just launched and Bill Clinton was the president of the US. Still, it was an attempt to move from the rugged simplicity of the old Mercedes to something a little more modern.

Maybe the Mercedes C Class W203 didn’t come with a lot of comfort stuff in the basic equipment, but it certainly came with a lot of technology in the safety area. That’s because at the time Mercedes was a brand generally restricted to people past their prime who didn’t put so much emphasis on the latest technology gadget craze and who didn’t care about having 5000 horsepower under the bonnet. No, white-haired people who wanted something comfortable and safe. And did the Mercedes C Class W203 formula succeed? No.

Mercedes C Class W203 Engines

Petrol

• 1.8 Turbo M271 with 120, 143, 163, 170, and 192 horsepower – The legendary M271 1.8 supercharged petrol power unit which came in C160, C180 Kompressor, C200 Kompressor, C200 CGI, and C230 Kompressor form in 2002 and retired in 2008. A walking meme, this original engine was famous for its questionable reliability but especially its astronomical fuel consumption. Plus this engine also suffered from timing chain tensioner issues. A 4-cylinder torpedo that takes both performance and expenses to the next level.
• 2.0 MPI M111 of 129 horsepower  – The old M111 launched in 1992 as the Cold War was officially ending, this antique is for the sort of person who wants a basic, robust Mercedes C Class W203. Devoid of performance, devoid of issues. If you’re not rushing anywhere and want reliability, then this engine is for you. Somewhere in your old age it can develop an appetite for oil and spark plugs.
• 2.0 Turbo M111 of 163 horsepower  – Petrol Mercedes engines of this era are notorious for their worrying gas mileage. Whether you’re driving a C200 Kompressor, a C23 Kompressor, or a Saviem, the consumption is the same. But at least it’s easy on taxes and big on noise.
• 2.3 Turbo M111 of 194 horsepower – Here you’re entering the fuel economy for which supercharged Mercedes’ from 2000’s are famous for, so the rest of the maintenance is irrelevant. But at least you’ve got the ancient M111 so you won’t have too many niggles on the reliability front.
• 2.5 V6 M272 of 204 horsepower – Here we have the smallest M272 available and I’ll talk about it under general issues.
• 2.6 V6 M112 of 170 horsepower – A classic engine, bordering on the tax bracket between 2001 – 2600 cc and 2601 cc – 3000 cc. Apart from the 8 liter oil capacity and the fact that it’s a V6, you really have the most balanced engine in terms of performance – economy – reliability on the Mercedes C Class W203, even if it’s an engine rather adequate for the W211 E Class.
• 3.0 V6 M272 of 231 horsepower – The same 3.0 V6 M272 found in the W221 S Class and W219 CLS and W211 E Class and still kicking, this dysfunctional torpedo somehow snuck under the hood of the Mercedes C Class W203. Probably to get you to the service station faster.
• 3.2 V6 M112 of 218 horsepower – The M112 engine was taken from the W220 S Class, robbed of about 6 nice horses, and thrown under the hood of the C Class. No particular issues with it, but you have the same issue as the Passat R32 and R36. Big, heavy engine put on a car with a standard suspension. That leads to understeer, even with rear-wheel drive cars.
• 3.2 Turbo M112 of 354-horsepower  – Known as the cheapest AMG thoroughbred to date, the Mercedes C32 AMG is a rare monster on the streets of Europe. 
• 3.5 V6 M272 with 272 horsepower – Same M272, brought to final form at 3500 cc. Good thing this is where the M272 madness ends, I need a beer after writing so much.
• 5.5 V8 M113 of 367 horsepower  – How did the C Class get to be one of the first cars in the “55 AMG” program, it crosses me on a double yellow. However, the Mercedes C55 AMG gets its genesis here and it was so exquisite that everyone went for the C32 AMG. In fact, it’s so exquisite that if it were a person, it would wear sunglasses and a mullet.

Diesel

• 2.2 CDI OM611 and OM646 of 102, 115, 122, 143, and 150 horsepower – Bolted on everything from the Vito to the S Class, here we have two engine families, and the pre-facelift is the famous 1 million km engine. The facelift version is also capable of a billion miles, but the pre-facelift OM611 made the Mercedes diesel famous.
• 2.7 CDI OM612 of 170 horsepower – Essentially the 5-cylinder version of the OM611 2.2 and is considered one of the best diesel engines ever built by Mercedes. Made famous on the E Class and ML for its reliability, and it’s so cheap to buy with the W203 C Class that it’s worth it.
• 3.0 V6 OM612 and OM642 of 231 and 224 horsepower – Actually, there are two engines here. The first is the same OM641 inline 5 cylinder and increased from 2700 cc to 3000 cc which isn’t necessarily bad, and the other is a 3.0 V6 that was to power the W221 S Class, Chrysler 300C, and obviously the Mercedes Vito. Excellent on the long haul, but very poor in town in the sense that it clogs up more than a toilet in a student dorm with a shared bathroom. And has the classic oil cooler gasket issue. And the “Black Death”.

Mercedes C Class W203 General Issues

• The parking brake is the third pedal if you have an automatic gearbox and the fourth pedal if you have a manual. Basically, you have as many pedals as the truck has gears. I would have said he has more pedals than Her Majesty had days to live, but we’re clearly exaggerating too much.
• Rust on fenders, chassis, boot, joints, steering wheel, seats, ceiling, wallet, and everything that is a part of the Mercedes C Class W203. Rust forming everywhere is a testament to the lowest point of Mercedes’s quality.
• Premature wear to the front tires is common on engines larger than 2 liters so you’ll have to budget specifically for that. Basically, you change tires more often than Billie Eilish changes the name of her band.
• Issues with diesel turbines, spark plugs, and air flow meter. Special mention for spark plugs that have a habit of frying themselves. 
• Starter motors and air compressors are one more reason to buy a bigger engine, so you have time to get to service faster.
• You know we were talking about the M272 engines, the facelift V6 petrols. The issue here is the camshaft is wearing out and needs to be replaced. A decent operation, if it weren’t for the engine which should be taken out and rebuilt.
• The SBC pump is a cool thing in Europe and a serious issue here. Essentially, this braking system versus a classic one is like comparing the air suspension versus the classic coilovers. The SBC pump on the other hand has a limited lifespan and costs 1000 euros to replace. A lot of people have complained about this, so the facelift version no longer has the SBC module.

Mercedes C Class W203 Verdict

We’re in the zoster zone…sorry, twilight zone in terms of Mercedes product quality, but at least it’s cheap. Or is it cheap because it’s of dubious quality? Either way, as with any Mercedes it’s worth buying the facelift version and there you have a decent Mercedes for beginners. Or you can buy what’s left of an C Class for 1000 euros and #yolo.

Which engines do you recommend? For almost-budget-conscious petrolheads I recommend C180 Kompressor with 143 hp and for the rest, I recommend C240 2.6 V6 with 170 hp. As for diesel, if you care about pollution standards, C220 CDI 150 hp. If you don’t care, 122 or 143 horsepower C220 CDI.