This car seems to sit in size somewhere between an Audi A3 and Audi A4. Certainly there is more boot space. The driving position is higher than other cars of the same size, but the rearview mirror is a big object in your eye-line looking left.

The build quality of the cabin is exactly what you would expect from Mercedes with a better level of equipment in the B180 Sport than the equivalent German counterparts (compared to a Golf and Audi A3 Sport). Mine includes auto-dipping rearview mirror and Bluetooth phone integration as standard and I couldn't find that in a Golf or A3. There is no iPod dock, but an aux input jack is in the glove box.

Steering is very light, which is excellent for manoeuvring at low speeds (which pretty much covers every road in the UK these days). There is nothing dynamic about the handling, but it's a competent road handler on the UK's poor quality roads.

The 109PS (107.5hp) engine is sluggish at best. The 7-speed automatic gearbox perhaps steals all the punch from it, but it's fine for a well-planned overtaking manoeuvre. The engine is noisier than others you might find but the car is quiet enough at cruising speeds. There is comfort and sport mode available, but sport simply holds the revs steady at the limiter until it needs to change up while the torque converter slowly accelerates the car. The effect is not sporty. I've not yet seen the claimed 50.4mpg - my last fill-up was 395miles from 40.72litres of diesel (44.1mpg with air conditioning on) mostly on the motorway, but with some shorter countryside journeys too.

The boot is a good size, with extra depth available by lowering the floor. Beneath is a space-saver wheel. I'd prefer a full-size spare at the expense of the extra 3 or 4 inches of depth, however. There are isofix connections on the rear seats, which split 1/3:2/3.

There is nothing wrong with this car. It's a very well-built, comfortable family car that offers a bit more size than a standard hatchback. The disappointment for me is the engine which needs an extra 40hp in my opinion, but the whole package offers more class than you'll get from Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and the rest.

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