A bunch of the forums and websites state the W203 and W204 models will use the same rims and will fit perfectly… this however is not the case.
Yesterday I removed the rims off of a W204 and tried to put them on a W203 to find that not only is the offset totally out, but the bolts are a different size on the two models.
Although the length of the bolts seems to be almost the same, the W204 has a much thicker bolt as the hub has bigger holes. Granted this is not the end of the world since you won’t be using the bolts from the W204 on the W203, but that was the first noticeable difference that I bumped into.

The big problem between the two models is that the “new” shape Merc (W204) vs. The “old” shape Merc (W203), is the offset. This results in the rim not sitting on the car correctly and makes the wheels look sunken in the wheel arch. The offset that the W203 should be using is between 31 and 36 depending on the rim size and tyres (see below for full details), the w204 rims that I tried to install yesterday have an offset of 47 which is far too much of a difference to fit the w203 properly.

So, for those of you that are looking to get new rims for a W203 Mercedes, and more specifically, for a C180 or C200 Kompressor, here is what the handbook states the rims should be.

If you are running the Non Sports pack rims you can choose between either

Tyres – 205/55 R16 91v
Rims – 7J x 16 H2 ET31

OR

Tyres – 225/45 R17 91w
Rims – 7 ½ J x 17 H2 ET36

If you ARE running the sports pack, then firstly your front and rear wheels will be different, but you still have two choices.

Front Tyres – 205/55 R16 91v
Front Rims – 7J x 16 H2 ET31
Rear Tyres – 225/50 R16 92v
Rear Rims – 8J x 16 H2 ET32

OR

Front Tyres – 225/45 R17 91w
Front Rims – 7 ½ J x 17 H2 ET36
Rear Tyres – 245/40 R17 91w
Rear Rims – 8 ½ J x 17 H2 ET34

Any deviation from the above could result in problems with alignment which will cause vibrations and a horrible ride at higher speeds (60mph+ / 100kph+).

My last two bits of advice when looking to get new rims.
1/ Don’t buy something that is not mentioned above! (Buy the correct specs)
2/ NEVER EVER EVER use a spacer, they will cause you endless grief and a horrible ride, which is the last thing you expect and want from a Merc.

In summary the w203 and w204 don’t use the same size rims, so don’t try swapping them unless you enjoy stress and a bad ride, and additionally, get the rims that are supposed to be on the car in the first place.

City: All

Country: All

Related posts:

1. Hotel Credit Card Scam
2. Volvo C30 T5

In comparison to the GTI, the power delivery is quite different, but there is still plenty of grunt. In fact, it has 22Kw more. Strangely enough, despite having a larger engine, it feels less responsive at low revs. That is not to say that it is not responsive – however – far from it, but it is not like the GTI where the gas pedal is like an on/off switch.

Aside from that, I cannot decide whether I agree with car magazine on the fact that it is a miniscule 0.17 seconds faster to 100Km/h. I would have to put it to the test.

A major difference – however – is that where the GTI begs to be driven hard, the Volvo is a smoother ride, and is less effort to drive. This would probably have a lot to do with why my wife prefers it to the GTI. Don’t get me wrong, it is fast but one does not feel inclined to drive it at the redline as often.

They have much the same features with a few notable exceptions. Firstly, the GTI had heated seats as standard where in the Volvo it is an option. I seldom used the feature and hence don’t need it. Aside from that, the GTI had a very cool feature that is not mentioned in the brochure where it automatically activated the hazards under hard braking. The Volvo lacks that. However, the Volvo has an electronic driver seat with memory for three settings which the GTI lacks.

In terms with safety, both have 5 star Euro NCap ratings with 6 airbags so that is much of a muchness.

Overall, however, I have to say that I prefer the Volvo and consider it an upgrade from the GTI. It is more robust and feels like it is of a higher quality. Also, I trust the Volvo name, both in terms with reliability and safety.

And it is NOT an old man’s car…

City: Johannesburg

Country: South Africa

Related posts:

1. mmmm….PUDDING
2. DSTV Box Office
3. Internet Banking SCAM (Standard Bank, ABSA, FNB)