1.8 Stats
Top speed: 139mph 0-60mph: 9.7 seconds Economy: 35.8 mpg NCAP: 4 stars, 5 stars from 2001
Why Buy: What you get is a car that is good to drive, comfortable and refined. Unlike previous models the specification is very high and the styling is baby S-Class, so you not only feel important, you look the part too.
Equipment: There is no shortage of standard equipment. Every car comes with climate control, electric windows and mirrors plus a fully adjustable steering wheel and part-electric front seats. The sports pack added 17 inch alloy wheels, low suspension and sports seats.
Driving: This new generation of C-Class models was much more fun to drive, with sharp steering and sporty handling. There are some very responsive petrol and diesel engines and the manual gearboxes have six speeds.
Marketplace: No shortage of models, although the V6 petrols are the best value because they struggle to find buyers as so many go for diesel now. There are hard used models around and without history they are not good value.
Best Buys: If you can afford the petrol, then the V6s are cheap, while the low output 1.8 (143) is the cheapest way into a well equipped Mercedes. Otherwise everyone wants a 40 mpg, plus diesel as either a 2.2, or 2.7.
Sum Up: Whereas the previous C did seem a bit cheap and underwhelming, here is the best small Mercedes for over a decade which delivers real driving pleasure and a sense of luxury-car-well-being. The best reason for not buying a BMW 3 series.