Bought this to replace a Honda FRV. Tried all the usual suspects, A4, V60, 3 series & Passat. Neither the 3 series nor the Volvo have spare wheels so they were immediately eliminated from consideration as I travel long distances and have experienced punctures in the past (BMW ride is intolerable on runflats). The Passat was a bit boring and did not inspire me and the A4 I found cramped, especially for headroom. In contrast, I immediately liked the 3 series, especially after the 2011 facelift. I deliberately chose a model with standard 16" wheels as the optional AMG styling kit and 18" wheels ruin the ride which is firm even with the 16" wheels and 55 profile tyres.
The C class interior which is very practical and classy. There is plenty of rear seat room for the family and a decently sized boot. The diesel engine is a bit grumbly, but not offensively so and once up and moving is virtually inaudible. It pulls pretty well and has a decent turn of acceleration for overtaking. The 6 speed manual is really a 5+E box as 6th is useless below about 45mph. I am averaging about 55mpg and 60 on long motorway journeys.
The electronic menu system controlling the radio, sat nav and various settings is a bit confusing until you get used to it but with familiarity is pretty easy to use.
In terms of gizmos, even my "basic" C200cdi came with front & rear parking sensors, cruise control, electrically operated tailgate and integrated Becker Map Pilot sat nav. Dealer service has been excellent so far and even buying was painless from Mercedes at Erdington. Servicing is not as cheap as BMW although there is a monthly payment service package available. I've not needed any repairs yet!
In summary, this is a refined long distance cruiser rather than a "sports" car. It is really a "sensible shoes" option instead of a boy racer but feels like it will cover a long distance without any fuss.

Picked up the car in November after comparing against comparable BMW's and Audi's. Was won over by the looks which is a personal choice. Although the other makes offer marginal advantages in power and economy they just seemed to look average. It's been a pleasure to drive and the ride comfort is excellent. I chose a low powered petrol engine as I do not drive enough miles to choose qa diesel engine. Adequately powered and good return on MPH. Previously drove a Jaguar XJ Sports Diesel and have not been dissappointed with the down size.

Also worth a mention was that the local Mercedes dealership in Leigh on Sea were excellent and were much more friendly than BWM and Audi.

I recently swapped my 3 year old C250CDI estate Elegance for a low mileage pre-registered "facelift" one from my local dealer - because I like the power and pick-up of the 250 twin turbo engine, but don't like the brutally hard ride of the "Sport" models on rubbish English roads and Mercedes have decided that they will now only sell the C250 engine in the "Sport " trim.
As before, very comfortable and quick (although the engine feels rougher than the last one - particularly under hard acceleration, and the (7 speed) gearbox seems a bit uncertain about which gear it wants to be in at times). The real disaster is the cockpit ergonomics. It has bits of satin aluminium trim everywhere - just like the Lancia I had in the 1970's. Worst is the speedometer, which is the the most cluttered, distracting and potentially dangerous piece of design I've ever come across. Inside the speedometer outer ring is a multi-colour display - horribly cluttered - which , among other things, flashes copies of roadside speed limit signs at you as it passes them. Good idea - but far too bright. In full sun, the display isn't illuminated, and at night, although it's still too bright, you can adjust it to some extent with the instrument panel rheostat. At dusk, though, the inner display has a mind of its own. It lights itself up - fully bright, and it can't be adjusted. I can't find a way of turning it off, neither can my local MB main dealer, and the Mercedes help line - can't. I HATE IT! Completely ruins what would otherwise be a very good car. Far too clever for its own good. I was always a fan of the late-lamented Saab's "black panel" which allowed you to turn off all potentially distracting dashboard instruments unless something went wrong. This is the exact opposite. My advice is to test drive it at dusk before you buy one.....

I needed an estate car for transporting dogs with ease, and it had to be a mid-sized car as my wife is not happy driving large cars.
I opted for the petrol version as the engine is much smoother than the diesel versions and still provides acceptable economy with an excellent turn of speed and has no Diesel Particulate Filters to worry about and service.
SatNav is probably the best I have ever come across and it does now accept full UK postcodes.
The issue with the "foot handbrake" is no longer relevant as there is a brilliant system whereby the "handbrake" can be applied when you brake, and then fully depress the pedal. It releases as soon as you touch the throttle and is the equal of the electronic "handbrake" which I was so happy with on my Jaguar XF.
The Command system is intuitive and all encompassing and I am discovering new facilities all the time. There is so much to it that reading the manual results in information overload and so learning all about it in "bite sized" chunks does pay dividends and ensures it is remembered.
I have the sports pack and the suspension settings are superb and provides terrific road-holding. I have read comments about a "harsh ride" but I have the 17" sports wheels rather than the 18" ones and this provides both the comfort I require and the roadholding - in short the best of both worlds.
The all glass sunroof does compromise the headroom slightly but as a 6 footer it does not cause me any problems. The operation is exemplary and the feature whereby the roof will automatically close itself when parked if it starts to rain is brilliant.
The overall attention to detail within the car is exceptional and you can appreciate why it costs more than its so called competitors.
You get what you pay for.

Changed to the C class from a 2006 E Class 280CDi, wanted better fuel economy and a smaller car. Bought the face lifted C because they fitted the 7 speed auto and I liked the revised interior.

However I am very disappointed with the quality of the dashboard in terms of squeaks and rattles, it was in for two days at 3000 miles to have the dashboard stripped and rebuilt, including gluing the bezels around the instruments to stop them creaking. They did a good job and now there is only one minor rattle left. However I am very disappointed in the car as a result of this poor build quality.

At 4000 miles the parking brakes started to bind and car was off road for two days again as a result, seems it was to do with a faulty spring, have a feeling it was on the foot pedal but Mercedes dealer was unwilling to discuss when I questioned them on this. I suspect this is a known issue because they knew immediately what the problem was.

Why is it that the Mercedes dealers no longer hold spares? I had the same with the E Class whenever a part is needed 9 times out of 10 they have to order them in overnight.

Will I buy another Mercedes? No way

Decided to move away from 4x4 to estate for family duties - More than happy with the choice (we looked at Volvo, BMW and Audi as well)!! What is good; Space, comfort, the drive, excellent command system (Nav, Tel, Audio and Video), long distance cruising, feelgood factor. Not so good; Fuel consumption (32 so far) - We do mostly longish motorway based trips!! though we are usually fully loaded!!

I would highly recommend and am very pleased with our choice!!