• Summary
• What's Good
• What's Bad
• On the Road
• In The Cabin
• Prices and Specs
• Owners' Reviews

Latest Update Mercedes Benz C-Class: Uresolved dashboard rattle irritatijng some owners. Apparently MB is aware and is developing a kit to fix it?

16-1-2013: On post 2012 facelift C-Class the COMAND satnav accepts 7 figure Post-Codes.

14-9-2012: Strange problem of indicators flashing the wrong side. Might be due to moisture ingress to one of the side repeaters.

Image goes a long way when it comes to selling cars. Just ask Mercedes-Benz. The famous three-pointed star still holds immense stature among the public and remains one of the most desirable brands to own. Stature doesn't last forever though and in the 1990s Mercedes-Benz was in danger of losing its reputation for build quality and solid engineering with various rust problems and electric issues.

All credit to Mercedes-Benz though because the firm identified the problems and has come back brighter and better. And most crucially, it's image hasn't been seriously damaged, although that said, there are still plenty of former Mercedes-Benz owners who won't be buying another one. Which is a shame because as the C-Class shows, the brand has gone back to its roots and is once again producing cars that are well built and robust.

The styling has improved too and the new Mercedes-Benz design has a far stronger identity to it than previously with sharp lines and neat angles. The same goes for the interior with a robust and solid touch to everything plus a logical layout, although it's perhaps not as appealing as other executive models like the Audi A4. But it does feel it could go 500,000 miles in 10 years without anything going wrong.

Where the C-Class doesn't quite live up to expectations is the handling and steering. For all the Mercedes-Benz talk of dynamics and agility, it's not as sharp as a you'd expect and the steering is too light and artificial. But when it comes to ride quality, the C-Class is incredibly accomplished and refined. And it's these two words which really sum up this high quality saloon beautifully.

In March 2011 the C-Class was facelifted with a sharper look on the outside plus interior upgrades. However the biggest changes came under the bonnet with an improvement of up to 31 per cent in fuel consumption and the addition of an ECO start/stop function as standard. The most economical model - the C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY - was made even more frugal and now averages a claimed 58.9mpg with CO2 emissions of 117g/km.

Mercedes Benz C-Class 2007 Road Test

Mercedes Benz C-Class Estate 2008 Road Test

Mercedes Benz C-Class C220 CDI BlueEfficiency 2011 Road Test