Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 01 July 2010
I HAVE a confession to make – I’m an Audi A4 Avant owner, so that might have clouded my judgement when test driving this very similar sized Mercedes-Benz.
It might have made me less objective than I normally am when testing cars – mainly because this model of Mercedes is everything I wanted but couldn’t afford when shopping around for a decent German estate car.
True, my Audi is a solid tank of a car finely crafted in Deutschland – just like the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT on test here. The difference is my car is a 2.0 litre, 130bhp petrol model on a 53 plate. It was all my wife and I could stretch to after deciding we wanted a premium brand car with the safety and practicality to fit two small children and all their stuff in.
This Mercedes does everything our car does and more – and obviously costs a lot more than a second hand Audi – as you’d expect. I would have bought it, but at this stage in my life a week behind the wheel was the nearest ownership experience I was going to get.
When I first had the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT delivered for my press write up, I could tell the model was going to live up to all my expectations.
First impressions have to take into account the length of the vehicle - it is long, but somehow manages to maintain a pleasing streamlined look with neatly-crafted curves.
Inside, surfaces with pleasant tactile qualities and precision edges set the tone for the cabin’s high-quality ambience.
The attractively styled dashboard, high-grade materials and appealing colour schemes go on to add what can only be described as a homely atmosphere.
For a large vehicle the C180 is deceptively agile in town and with outstanding all-round visibility and the added assistance of some parking sensors, it is a piece of cake to park. Out on the open road the 1.8-litre engine delivers power rapidly for a family estate and the car cruises smoothly through the five-speed automatic transmission.
This Mercedes isn’t just about performance though, it is also packed full with toys. There is a stereo system complete with eight speakers and iPod and MP3 compatibility. Then there’s the lockable glove box with cooling function, Bluetooth facility for hands free calls, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and the neat chrome ringed dials. The list just goes on.
All controls are ideally situated for ease of use although, at first, it is easy to operate the cruise control lever by mistake rather than the indicator stick. Just like my Audi, the rear bench is more than adequate for fitting two child seats in securely.
I was particularly impressed by the load space. Luggage capacity expands from a thoroughly practical 485 litres behind the seats – 690 litres to the roof – to a cavernous 1500 litres (loaded to roof level) with the rear seats folded down.
For those with a golfing bent, that means the C-Class Estate can swallow four golf bags and four trolleys. For everybody else, it is perhaps best to imagine two and a half washing machines!
Safety features are all-embracing with anti-lock brakes, plenty of airbags and a tyre pressure warning system.
The environmental side of things are just as comprehensive; the BlueEFFICIENCY model uses weight saving measures, energy management and enhanced aerodynamics to improve fuel economy and to reduce CO2 emissions.
When you take into consideration the excellent fuel figures (combined mpg 38.2), as well as the performance, practicality and prestige of the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT, it really is a fantastic car all round.
FAST FACTS
- Mercedes-Benz C180 CGI BlueEfficiency Estate SportPrice: £29,235 on the road
- Mechanical: 156PS, 4-cylinder, 1,796cc petrol engine driving rear wheels via 5-speed automatic gearbox
- Max speed: 132mph
- 0-62mph: 9.2 seconds
- Combined mpg: 38.2
- Insurance group: 29
- CO2 emissions: 179g/km
- Warranty: 3 yrs/unlimited miles
