Thinking of a Mercedes Class C

Hi,

Why diesel? Ford V-10 is more or less bullet proof, and inexpensive to repair compared to diesel.

Mercedes RVs are expensive...new and used IMO.

Also take into consideration if you plan to tow a vehicle behind it. The Mercedes only has around 190 horsepower.

smsmith wrote:
We are thinking of selling our TT and purchasing a used “C”. Anyone have an opinion on a used Mercedes class C? We think we want a diesel.

Excellent choice. They have superior fuel economy to the V10, typically twice as far on a gallon of fuel, and diesel still hasn't risen to twice the price of gasoline. They're quieter up front, no doghouse, and can tow up to their GCWR of 15,250 lbs, minus the the Sprinter's loaded for travel weight. You can get up to 4 times as far on an oil change as with a gasoline engine, by design. They can be maintained in a DIY manner after the warranty expires, albeit a little differently than a gas engine.
Search these forums for diesel versus gas topics, as there are a gazillion of them, all pretty much as inconclusive as this one will be.
Cue Ron Dittmer......

I owned a C on a Ford chassis and now own a C with the MB Sprinter chassis. They are both good, in their own ways. You can't directly compare them to each other as they are apples and oranges. It's up the individual to determine which is one is best for his/her needs. Many of the Sprinter mohos can tow 5,000 lbs.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Why diesel? Ford V-10 is more or less bullet proof, and inexpensive to repair compared to diesel.

I met a Canadian couple, that had traveled extensively in a Sprinter based rig, when I was in Mexico a couple of years ago. They loved it.

They had traveled all over the US and Mexico and had averaged around 20 mpg.

Regarding longevity, I have been watching sprinter based box trucks and see quite a few with over 300k miles listed as "runs and drives great".

My V10 didn't do quite as well.....

Having had both a diesel class C and a gas, I can safely say I got only 25% better mileage on the diesel. I can also tell you that maintenance costs on the diesel were about 400% more than on the gas unit. For example an oil change is more than triple on a diesel.

The scary part on the Mercedes is the fuel system where some folks have had problems that the warranty did NOT cover.

our MB is getting up in years its a 2007 with the MB 5 cyc diesel. have no complaints ,more leg room in the drivers seat , I,ve had big A,s and tc and tt. I,ll keep this one. don,t need a big rv only if your going to live in it. look at LTV leisurevans.com. p.s and we can camp for the night or along the beach most any where. it don,t get stuck when its off the blacktop.

pianotuna wrote:
Having had both a diesel class C and a gas, I can safely say I got only 25% better mileage on the diesel. I can also tell you that maintenance costs on the diesel were about 400% more than on the gas unit. For example an oil change is more than triple on a diesel.

The scary part on the Mercedes is the fuel system where some folks have had problems that the warranty did NOT cover.

Oil change is 13 quarts but you should only have to do once a year unless running tons of miles and nothing special you cannot do yourself. Really surprised that you can get over 13 mpg on the gas unit.

Hi EV2,

The diesel was joint ownership and being driven over 60,000 miles a year. On a GOOD day it would get 15 to 16 mpg US.

I'm not prepared or willing to change my own oil. The most I paid for an oil change was at a truck service center in Ontario where they fleeced me for $190. plus tax. More often it was about $145.

Diesel fuel was, at the time, cheaper than gas in Canada. But by the time I paid for fuel treatment, was more or less the same price.

The V-10 gets about 12.5 MPG, again on a "good day".

I loved both units.