Mercedes C Class S204 Goes for a Drive - Modern Mondays

[@3dge7]

This is a great review, I just bought a 2011 c220d sport Auto and I just loved it, pick it up tomorrow. The original owner didn't cheap out either, has all the features on it, Dual sunroof, Amg package, Nav, Parktronic and loads of other stuff. The body kit on the Amg version with the 18inch wheels look amazing. Managed to get it with 79k on it. Your energy and knowledge has hyped me up even more!

[@RichieRouge206]

Definitely prefer the W204 to the newer models! Glad they sorted the metal too. Good video Matt!

[@MattysCars]

Prefer the look of this (and the saloon version) to what’s currently on offer

[@jimmyj1969]

Latest MBs look like Hyundais or Kias!

[@fabianwinston7371]

instablaster

[@spainter1985]

I much prefer the W204 shape, the best looking C class so far I think. But prefer the facelifted dashboard, just wish they had a few more petrol engine options and the 4 cylinder diesels were a bit quieter - but they're certainly effective!

[@TomasWatchReviews]

beautiful car, aging nicely, just classic design

[@robc5955]

It is a nice car, personally I prefer the star on the bonnet and lose the tacky grill, mainly because I had a ride in a Mercedes years ago and loved looking down the bonnet at the star.

[@dcasteaux9181]

Thanks for the excellent review. I have owned both the S203 (C180K) and S204 (C350) from new here in the UK. I would add that my S203 after only 4 years had chronic underside rust and by year 6 all four wings had serious rust issues. The S204 is far better built and is totally rust free after 8 years of ownership. My S204 is the very rare C350 V6 petrol, 306bhp (one of only 20 in the UK so I am told) and it is more fuel efficient than the C180 Kompressor it replaced.

[@furiousdriving]

They are holding up much better than the earlier cars, the 350 must be good to drive

[@tramlad2]

My mate has one in white, great car, great road handling and a fabulous load lugger, looks classy ageless, one of Mercs best models, a brilliant looker, still modern today

[@cornishrider]

Yours in my opinion has the best colour/wheel combination so has aged very gracefully

[@Roadwarrior92]

My uncle had the c350 Pulled like a train!!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Cracking review on your own car, if it never had the 10 plate on it you would be hard pressed to say it was a 10 year old car! It's aged really well. And I love the sat nav screen that folds away much better than having a horrible touch screen on show all the time!

[@furiousdriving]

Sadly I might have to replace the fold out screen with a fixed one as thats the only way to upgrade the nav to one that works properly :-(

[@antwonefernandez7554]

When the rear seats are folded down the luggage net/dog guard will extend and clip into the b pillars to protect the front seat occupants. I loved my S204 maybe more than my W205. Looks so much better with the 18’s. Nice car. ***ah, you mention the net extension later! Apologies you got it***

[@VanDieselPK]

Great review! So many hidden compartments, it’s like a transformer. I imagine they had more than a few complaints about that e-brake. Love how you describe what makes it special.

[@tommyolsen8224]

I love that car 🖤 Had a W204 C250 CDi , traded it for a W205 C-Class but the W204 was my favorit! Have a B-Class now 😊

[@barfmeister8509]

As it happens, I’m looking at buying a 2012 w204 250cdi wagon. I had some slight reservations about taking the plunge but thanks to this video I think I’ll go for it! Thanks, this video has come at just the right time 👌

[@DavesIneosGrenadier]

My 2014 C250 CDI Coupe 200HP & 500NM has been fantastic to own for the last 2 years. It has the AMG sports pack including the sports seats, dynamic suspension, upgraded brakes and 18" AMG wheels. The full glass roof with the huge sunroof is also great. It has the updated interior without the popup display and the 10GB built in hardrive holds well over 1,000 songs. The voice recognition is a bit dodgy though. Great fun to drive on country roads and when on the motorway it get better than 55 MPG I wouldn't mind getting the engine tuned for more power and torque

[@rico4you]

A very complete review of the best C class to date the W204. Its April 2021 and love the this car...Mercedes nailed 👌 the bullseye 🎯 on this one. Thanks for video

[@chriswood1984]

My SLK has the same engine. It's pretty impressive and mighty, with its 500NM of torque and zero turbo lag.

[@btm9613]

What about the C250 petrol? Any Pro/cons?

[@shieldaigbencher]

We had a 2001 W202 200kom Sport Edition end of the line estate for 158000 miles and loved it. When it came to sell it was replaced by a 59 plate c180k with the 1.6 kompressor with a manual gearbox. The billions of euros invested were very apparent. These are great cars, for me better looking than the later c class and in every day use nothing at all was annoying everything just worked in this quiet, well riding ultra reliable and pretty economical car. I would absolutely buy another one. Only criticism is the faux leather trim. Avoid that, get cloth or real leather and there is nothing at all to worry about.

[@furiousdriving]

Id agree with all that, and am looking for a leather interior for this one!

[@shieldaigbencher]

The cloth trim is incredibly durable and comfortable and you don’t have to sit on a dead animal so that might be an option?

[@peteramberley9952]

The w204 chassis had a horrible gremlin in the rear subframe where they would rust out and fail. Mine went and nearly ruptured the fuel tank. Mercedes don't want too know but have changed a few on good will. But iv just changed mine and saved myself £2800, iv just uploaded a video on it

[@furiousdriving]

Id not heard of that and was searching for faults online, how do you spot that?

[@peteramberley9952]

@@furiousdriving I had mine moted a month befor, search on Google and you will find a lot of horror stories upto 2011, you can't really see it as its hidden under the car. Check out my video and see the state of mine

[@peteramberley9952]

@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj that's my one thanks,

[@spainter1985]

That's pretty shocking for a 10yr old car from a premium manufacturer. I thought they'd finally got to the bottom of their corrosion issues by then. Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@kirbyswarp]

6:09 So basically the seats just fold like my 1999 Saab 9-3...

[@fhwolthuis]

A lot of times you just have to buy the stalk and activate the software to have cruise control. It's worth exploring!

[@furiousdriving]

We've looked into that, the stalk is easy but Merc have locked out access to the software update

[@fhwolthuis]

@@furiousdriving so the dealer can't do it either?

[@alonzoharris222]

The W204 is a much better looking car and built to a higher standard than the W205. I also think the interiors are much better built in the W204s, and prefer the facelift-W204 interior style wise to the W205. The C, E, S and ML class from this era were pre Mercedes chasing the lease market, and accordingly the cars were much better for it.

[@furiousdriving]

I totally agree, their best in years as they tried to get their reputation back

[@maxidyne]

The S204 is the prettiest Estate compared to it's rivals the E91 Touring and B8 Avant. Side profile and rear are beautiful. Only thing I don't like is the screen of the multimedia. That cover looks so cheap when the screen is up. Really like this car, and you have a great spec. I would have retro fit a original cruise control, can't live with out it. Very nice detailed review, thank you!

[@furiousdriving]

Ive been trying to figure out out to retro fit it since Ive had it, we can figure out how to add the stalk (thats easy) but coding the computer to accept it is proving impossible

[@furiousdriving]

the whole sat nav/screen is the worst thing about the car!

[@erikgranqvist3680]

The 204 is also fairly easy to repair and mantain, with fairly cheap parts. A very good comprimise.

[@MeDicen_Rocha]

Man you just sent me on a trip down memory lane, specially when you mentioned the very odd and almost unique smell of the W204's. I can testify to it having it, and it always coming back. For instance once we took ours for service, and the dealer made the mistake of putting a cinnamon air freshener that covered up all the old smell, and was actually strong enough to make us dizzy. So we took it out, fearing that the old smell would never come back, and lo and behold, it did! The same MB Tex (I think it comes from that, specially since the one we had had the grey/white interior) smell. The same smell that brings me back to those family road trips, and my dad bullying other slower cars on the highway. Fun times, of a long gone era. I hope the day im finally able to drive again i can get myself one, ideally in the same trim, tanzanite blue with the classic grill, and the manual transmission that was the cause the first one had to be sold.

[@kristoffer3000]

I'd be furious if a dealer did that to my car

[@bednar23]

I just bought a 62 plate 250 cdi estate with the full AMG pack. I've only had it 2 weeks and I'm already in love with it. I totally get what you mean about the special feel to it. Its mpg cannot be praised enough, I did gloucester to Glasgow on half a tank of fuel. About 350 miles

[@bednar23]

@Jtd_RCZ no, sold it a couple of months ago.

[@MyJarrus]

the c250 cdi is the best engine choice and the besr part is you can get a manual with the engine

[@gosportjamie]

An interesting aside to the Blue Efficiency package on diesel Mercedes-Benz, it's been noted by quite a lot of people who should really know that those cars are quite a lot quieter in motorway cruising, presumably due to the smoothed air flow for increased economy, which makes one a very nice motorway mile muncher, especially if you have cruise control. Frankly I'm quite amazed yours doesn't as it seems to have been pretty much standard equipment on all but the most basic specification vehicles for a long time before yours was made. Maybe Merc were paying for the increased quality by cutting back on standard equipment, pretty much the opposite of what they started doing back in the mid '90s...

[@furiousdriving]

no idea, Id assumed it was standard when I bought it as all the others had it

[@gosportjamie]

@@furiousdriving It's definitely odd...

[@jonp5641]

Your Merc is an absolute weapon! A real class act. Love it.

[@simonburleigh1872]

Matt, I know what you mean about the smell of the car, my S124 has a particular smell unlike any other car that I have had. It also has the same load cover and dog guard as yours and surprisingly is similar external dimensions to yours.

[@jasoncornell1579]

And thanks for not even mentioning riots or viruses

[@Parknest]

Matt, I know you've long since parted company with this car but did you ever have any problems with the rear subframe? It is a common problem with the W204. My 2009 C200 was so bad that it was considered unsafe to drive by my local dealer. Fortunately, mine will be covered by the warranty. I urger all W204 owners to check their rear subfrme and to hotfoot it to the nearest dealer that will replace it under warranty. Not all dealers will cover the subframe under warranty. Other than that, they're great cars and I love my C200. I found out that cruise control was only offered on the automatic models although it is possible to retrofit it to a manaul at a cost.

[@GoldenCroc]

Beginning of video: I am sure you wouldnt park and do video shooting in the middle of an open road, but it gives me "vietnam flashbacks" to no end, since there are people doing just that over here. Will try to push through. Oh, and I like the car!

[@furiousdriving]

haha it was a dead end road..

[@johnedwards3198]

That Audi didn't look too pleased or maybe it was just confused what you were doing lol

[@seancooke4127]

Did I see you tailing a Peugeot 607 for a few seconds? More importantly, it was a joy to finally see this fabulous car reviewed. Maybe you could test a similar BMW Touring and show everyone that the difference is negligible and possibly nonexistent. Zero to 60 in under 7seconds, I remember that Ford Capri 2.8i advert that went, " It goes like lightning!", and it only did 60 in 7.8 seconds. Please don't park it in a barn and nick the headlight units, the alternator and the keys to torture some poor Soul's head in 2037.

[@furiousdriving]

You did, I didnt mention it as I didnt think it caught on camera. Yes an E46 and E90 3 Series would be good to compare to

[@louisjackson9220]

I would very much like to test drive one. I’m considering one as a daily next to my increasingly thirsty 5 Pot ST in the next year or two. That 369lbs/ft of torque is so appealing... Great review as always!

[@furiousdriving]

And they respond well to a remap apparently

[@rydermike33]

Very classy wagon. The quality shows in the way the doors close so easily with a solid clunk. I love three box saloons and Estates. Very nice indeed Matt.

[@chitpaul]

Had one on black AmG saloon diesel 2.2l. Very nice motorway car, had problems with the gearbox so it went. Very good car other than driving in the snow..

[@johnmower3509]

Just bought this car with 100000 on clock petrol, hope she going to be ok full history

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Ah, Mr Richardson! Good to see that driving my mother's car has inspired to you to do full review on the S204.

[@furiousdriving]

I thought Id done one when I bought it but that was only an into to the car, this was overdue

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@furiousdriving, indeed sir! You did well, though.

[@pards004]

I would get the facelift 2012 or newer just to be safe due to the common issue with the subframe corrosion. Nice car but I wouldn’t touch a 2010 model.

[@furiousdriving]

Ive only heard about this issue today, but looking at the forums, its seems like its the saloons that suffer?

[@pards004]

furiousdriving maybe it’s just the saloons I don’t know. I know the SLK’s suffer from it too.

[@stewartonwolf]

Great video, couple of points of note the 7-speed auto box was installed from around 2009, not 2011. Also some early BlueEFFICIENCY diesels had problems with the injectors, these should all largely be sorted now, but worth looking out for if you happen to drop on a low mileage example from 2009/2010.

[@frothe42]

I am always surprised when I see this, your vehicle, and not thinking this is an E-Class estate! Its look, its styling, looks so much like an E-Class! Shocked that it does not have cruise control; to me, that screams "cheap". I believe all US models have cruise control, have for decades! At one point years ago, Mercedes-Benz did import the C-Class wagon (Estate) to the US, of course, now most in this country want a fuel hungry OTT SUV, which I find not only to be hideous and wasteful, but so very, very common! Whether or not I like it (and I must admit that I do), you like it very much, and it shows by your enthusiasm, and I like that very much! Another very good, very nice video!

[@frothe42]

And I must also admit the instrument cluster looks like something from the S-Class. It seems that this vehicle is a mix from the range at Mercedes-Benz!

[@frothe42]

Another things: all equipment is in "packages" ; if you want a backup camera, you have to buy an option package that costs thousands of pounds (or dollars here in the US) ridiculous! I think that has changed, as modern Mercedes-Benz have more safety equipment standard, but for certain options you MUST choose a certain option package of stuff you might not want, or need. My only gripe!

[@jameslloydcole8783]

I’m 23, I’ve been driving various e92/e90 etc BMW 3 series, for me the same age bmw looks way more modern and youthful, also better to drive. The 3.0 diesel in the bmw is also more fuel efficient, manual 330d’s are so brilliant on fuel and they map to 300bhp perfectly. Can’t beat it for me 👌🏽

[@monkmodemalik8225]

It would be nice to see you driving through other countries post lockdown. I’ve watched the ones of you in France

[@furiousdriving]

We were planning to road trip across Europe in it this summer, hope we still can

[@Jonsk111]

I have the facelift coupe with this engine and the torque is immense

[@stevenjones19-m8i]

Hi Matt,nice review on your own car,it's a tidy car,so many hidden places,heated seats is a awesome touch.

[@pf2264]

excellent review, detailed but concise, everything covered in just the right amount of detail , you have a great looking car , thanks for the review , cheers

[@alchapman1052]

Certainly a nice car and looks good too, obviously given you good service too. Enjoyable review.

[@richardhowlett9424]

You can’t beat an estate car for practicality, I have a same age Accord Tourer which I like very much, with very similar needles for the speedo/ tacho . Why don’t you get the car re-trimmed in whatever colour leather you fancy ? I had it done in a previous car with great results. As always superb review.

[@furiousdriving]

Im hunting for a used interior, as the last re-trim I had done cost half as much as this car cost me!

[@EtoileBrilliant]

Love the Accord Tourer too - so does everyone else it seems. Every time they appear on our classifieds here in Sweden they are gone in minutes. Went for the S204 instead, will mod a little with a new Android host/head unit and back-up. If anyone knows how to feed the wiring for the reverse camera from the D pillar to the glove box please send link.

[@ifanbates]

I thought it was just me, but there is a 3 Series bias in the motor press to this day! Great review. I am trying to choose between the w204 and w205 estate. Just need the car to be quiet and smooth on the motorway really ...w204 styling is better though...

[@furiousdriving]

I prefer the 204, I like the looks more and I think better built, its just the dated nav and phone connectivity that I dont like

[@ifanbates]

Do you experience the ‘pull to the left’ Mercs are meant to suffer from in your C Class? I had it with my 2002 CLK. Thanks!

[@furiousdriving]

@@ifanbates no, its had a 4 wheel laser alignment and tracks straight on summer and winter wheels

[@adyscorner7513]

@@ifanbates Mine s204 also pull but to the right because we drive on the right side of the road. 4 wheel laser alignment but no improvment. Weird...

[@julianowens4071]

You are really selling this one to me, if I didn’t drive a van I think I’d be on the look out for one, yours is very nice

[@furiousdriving]

I started using estates as I looked at getting a van but preferred this option!

[@keithmatthews1673]

According to Wikipedia the OM651 engine was Euro 6 compliant from 2010 wheras the 3 litre diesels were not. Does it really say euro 6 on the V5 and is it therefore ULEZ compliant? You dont expect that for 2010 but Mercedes....

[@furiousdriving]

Just checked in the TFL website and it is LEZ safe, not ULEZ but almost nothing is. Not bad for a 10 year old car

[@marcinszelag1564]

great video! I have the same c class and I love it! if I could suggest something, maybe something about the safety of the car?

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Good review indeed I like this Mercedes-Benz wagon. I see Big Car has got a lot of hate over his supporting of BLM, you should always be about the car's not politics.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

I like these. A lot. If I hadn’t just bought my 3rd Alfa Romeo I’d have bought one. I think I prefer the pre-facelift models - especially the dashboard design.

[@furiousdriving]

I wanted to go for another 159 but the boot is bigger on these

[@LOTPOR0402]

Nice looking / driving estate car

[@trevorgilbert7284]

I'm thinking of buying one within the next couple of weeks .

[@wagenneunundvierzig]

don’t underestimate the 5 Gear Automatic Gearbox on a Sunny Day in S-Mode 💨

[@fhwolthuis]

Good review! Would be nice to do one on the W/S212 to see how they compare.

[@23dsin]

I have S204 350 V6 fully loaded ;D

[@ash7990]

Nice car. Can you get this engine in the earlier C class? I know the 2000-2007 C class was not the best lol.

[@ronmccullock1407]

Nice slick gearchanges

[@h2oaddict]

I've owned a facelifted c350 (petrol) for the last 6 years. If there's one complaint is the lack of steering feel compared to the s203 sport edition I had untill recently. I don't know if it's because it's awd but you can't feel the wheels going over bumps, or feel the tires sliding/running out of grip like in the s203. It's also very annoying that mercedes removed manuals from the 6 pot models. Is the lack of feel purely the fault of the magnetic suspection? I might just get another s203 sport rather than a s204 because of that.

[@sierrabravo.]

That s204 is very well looked after

[@furiousdriving]

Thank you, it really is

[@thawinr5382]

Hey there, just to let you know about the auxiliary input for the entertainment system, in my W204, it is located in the center “cubby” as you called it. However, it may be different from yours due to mine being a facelifted version. :)

[@furiousdriving]

Thanks, mine is meant to be in the glove box, Ill check the centre again in case through!

[@thawinr5382]

@@furiousdriving Hi. I talked to a friend of mine who owns a pre-facelift W204 and apparently on the 2008-2010 models the AUX is hidden in the left side paneling of the glovebox (can be seen by opening the door). If you pull that side panel out you’ll find a 3.5 mm female AUX jack lodged in there. Which you can then pull into the glove box. I hope it makes sense, it’s a bit confusing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZa8YapooNVklas (this may help you understand better)

[@AndyDento21]

A car built by engineers rather than accountants is always going to last!

[@golders99]

Nice looking Merc, especially with those alloys.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

Always quite liked these. I actually prefer them to the current model, even though I like those too. For me though, they both have the same problem. I prefer the equivalent Lexus.

[@pelikan909]

What about the steering lock that goes bad, can you prevent that

[@njgnjg1]

Does it have the brake hold function? (Not the brief hill hold, rather the function that is enabled after you come to a stop then jab the brake pedal further. Mine has this, but it is a phase 2 model) (Lovely car btw...)

[@barryjackson8512]

Nice review. Nice to see a prestige car with a manual box. 👍

[@furiousdriving]

makes a nice change!

[@Jam3sA]

Matt, hope you're running this lovely Merc on premium diesel & not supermarket stuff? My work colleague has a saloon one and I remember when he bought it that injector issues were a big worry?

[@furiousdriving]

only ever put supermarket in during lockdown as it pay at pump, never normally touch it

[@trmn311]

Love it! Beautiful car and beautiful styling!

[@TommySurfink]

Hi, thank you for a great and in depth review. It helped me pulling the trigger on a 11 plate C350CDI. I'm in love with that car now and besides two little things (audio streaming problems and fuel consumption) I couldn't be happier. Any chance you know which phone holder you used and also how did you mount it on the side of the gearbox tunnel? I take it you don't use a suction cup as the surface is uneven? Cheers, Tommy

[@furiousdriving]

Excellent! Mine is still going strong and trouble free, sat nav is still terrible! Heres a link to the holder, the sticky base clung on for 6 months then I used sticky number plate mounts amzn.to/2yTd9pF​

[@karlt10]

I'm ok with my 2011 sedan, but man I wish they had sold the wagon in the US...

[@Andybowers76]

A really excellent review. Thank you

[@Lasercapri]

Great video yes I can not stand the handbrakes on the Mercedes have just gone electric in the vito bus what is ace also the sat nav is bad .

[@dankbudwoi871]

What's best engine to get If u could (bar the c63)

[@markhurlin715]

Great review been thinking about getting the same car thanks

[@jasearon4532]

All AMG are best in everything. Thank You Mercedes 💎

[@lordrichy1065]

I own a W203 really enjoy it to be fair :)

[@FNUKSTER1366]

Great car , nice drive up bluebell hill also another great video matt

[@aidan.w.carolan]

Hey great video. Well done. I just bought a 2009 mercedes c180 kompressor. Not as fancy as yours but its the fanciest car ive ever owned. The seat is cracked like yours but otherwise perfect. Any advice on things I should watch out for?

[@aidan.w.carolan]

Keep up the good work, just subscibed. Looking forward to more videos

[@timothysimpkins3664]

Thank you for information about the Mercedes car.

[@SamuelTruman03]

Hi Does anyone know how much the Mercedes C250 4Matic 2010 S204 is priced at

[@rafalzdanowski]

Hi. Good review. Nice car. I was considering to buy a petrol version S204 with automatic gearbox 2008-2012 reg. Do you think it is worth to find one with that configuration or it is a little bit risky? What petrol engine could be the best if you have knowledge within that area too?

[@nikosuoa]

Thanks for the overview! Have you noticed any signs of emerging rust/bubbling paint (I noticed you said that it looks like new, just making it even more clear :) )?

[@furiousdriving]

none at all, it looks like new

[@nikosuoa]

@@furiousdriving Nice, I own a w203, so you know where I am coming from :). The E class may be a bigger car, but there are so much fewer stupid things to go wrong in a C class that makes it really more practical.

[@crusinclassicslucas6218]

12:04 honk! honk!

[@redriver15262]

ugh i REALLY REALLY wish we got the Estate Version in The USA or Atleast Mexico 😔😔 it looks SOOOOO GOOOOD but i guess thats why the GLK was such a huge success in The usa, cuz we tend to buy crossovers/SUVs a billion times more than estates 😔 (Edit: ANDDDDD ITS A MANUAL?!?!?!!! 🤯🤯🤯)

[@allanriches9381]

did you everhave any issuewirh the DPF

[@steveball1909]

Very nice car Matt, you should get one!😉

[@furiousdriving]

I think I just might!

[@PaulSGraham69]

thanks for another video......ps; the 8 dislikes were from BMW drivers cause they heard you talk about reliability..they don't know what that means or indicating when turning a corner...😂👍

[@furiousdriving]

Hahahaha!

[@PaulSGraham69]

@@furiousdriving after watching all your vids..my conclusion is 'dislikes' VAG group and BMW drivers don't like you....note: i can't work out who hates ian hubnut videos ....🚗🚗🚗🚗

[@stuarthall2180]

I'm glad they've greatly improved recently. I thought they were all Endless money pits lol.

[@louisjames1062]

Stuart Hall the model in this video improved yes. The current generation are rebadged renaults! Not an improvement. The one in the video is a far better car than the current generation

[@furiousdriving]

not really rebadged renaults as there are no RWD cars in Renaults line up and only the 1.6 engine shared

[@VenafTUT31]

@@furiousdriving The Twingo is RWD :D

[@mcmaskell]

excellent commentary

[@JaayPLP]

I love the parking break. Thats mercedes for me

[@bsantos791]

Hello I have a 2008 w204 estate 320 CDI if you want to do a review with it.

[@paulmckinder3082]

Prefer the estate version cracking looking car you have

[@christineayres5339]

guy in the Golf R just got his ass kicked by a big company car LOL