Merc CLC - Advice on which car to buy - please help!

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Fri 13 Jun 2014 17:41
Merc CLC - Advice on which car to buy - please help! - judi_coven

I have to admit, I am ignorant about cars and models. I just want something safe and comfortable and of good quality.

I am currently driving an MG ZS which as been really good, reliable etc. But it's getting old and I'd like to get something a bit newer, maybe 3 years old or so.

I recently drove a friend's Mercedes CLC and really liked it, so I'm thinking of buying a 3 year old one of them, but I'd like to look into other options too. Can anyone tell me what would be a similar level car that sells at a similar price? Just so I can test drive a few and see which fits me best. I don't often have passengers, so although I want a back seat, it doesn't have to be spacious. I'd prefer a 2 door over a 4 door, something a bit fun, not too utilitarian but still practical. I'm very short so I don't need a lot of head room or leg room.

I have about £15K to spend, which would buy me a low mileage 2011 CLC. Anyone got any suggestions about what else I might try? I don't have a lot of spare time, so I can't manage to test drive every car I see. I'd really like a short list of similar cars that will meet my needs.

Many thanks, Judith

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Sat 14 Jun 2014 15:46
Merc CLC - Advice on which car to buy - please help! - barney100

If you like the CLC go for it, I know quite a few people with Mercs and they are all happy. I run a 14 year old one and it's fine still. you could look at the BMW 3 series which apparently is more of a driver's car.

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Sat 14 Jun 2014 22:37
Merc CLC - Advice on which car to buy - please help! - gordonbennet

If its not terribly sexist to say so, the CLC does suit a lady well (not that a chap shouldn't have one if he wanted), chic quality sums it up for me, suggest not to buy a manual though, MB auto boxes are one of the very best but the parking brake whilst simple and trouble free for eons doesn't lend itself to manual gearbox comfort.

BMW 1 series coupe is a possible, but many of us here would advise getting a petrol version due to BMW's extended servcing schedule, which we won't bore everyone to tears re-iterating.

Remember both of these are RWD, so if you need to use the car in severe winter conditions, tyre choice becomes an issue, no worse than a FWD car on wide low profile summer tyres (don't expect a modern FWD coupe to be as winter friendly as your Rover on standard tyres) but some people would have you think RWD's cannot move in the winter, that couldn't be further from the truth if shod correctly...and whilst on the subject of tyres BMW will almost certainly be on expensive runflats and no spare wheel, i'm assuming that the MB does have a space saver spare.

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Choosing a child seat can be a quite baffling experience – there are so many sizes, types, brands and price points available that you might not know where to start.

How to choose the right child seat