Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £19,672 to £51,570
Baby Benz looks, much-improved driving experience, sumptuous cabins, smooth ride, refined engines
Still rather conservative, still not as sharp to drive as some rivals
C55 AMG apart, the C-Class isn't the most involving drive for high-performance enthusiasts, but it's a class act
Residual (resale) values should be rock-solid, if the quality proves up to scratch and you pick a desirable specification. Manual models should be easier to sell on than before, however, if word spreads that they're much-improved, though we suspect that comfort-seeking buyers will still prefer the autos. Fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions are as expected for cars this powerful and this heavy; M-B hasn't published a full set of figures for the auto models yet, but we can assume that they're not super-thrifty. Still, as top-end company cars go, the C-Class will make a very solid investment. Don't expect any bargains for a long time; estate models and diesels in particular won't come up cheap. Top-priced Mercedes dealers will hold all the best stock, and only ropey high-milers will be in any way affordable to secondhand buyers for a long time to come. Sport Coupes come up a bit cheaper compared to their opposition - they have never caught on in quite the same way as BMW's Compact. Expect, however, for these C-Class saloon and estate models to remain a prestigious purchase for decades to come - after all, nice examples of the Eighties 190-Series still command good money, which suggests that Benzes this size are a safe option both in terms of durability and desirability. No, it's not cheap, and bear in mind that the auto gearbox, essential for many buyers, is now a £1000 option when pricing out the possibilities. By the time you've added SE packs (electric folding mirrors, auto dimming rear-view mirror, metallic paint and, on Classic models, even alloy wheels which aren't standard-fit), the Sports pack (17-inch alloys with wider rear track and tyres, lowered suspension, sports seats, perforated front brake discs, oval stainless steel tailpipes) or the AMG pack (body kit, AMG alloys) the prices start totting up, and that's before you've added the audio/navigation upgrades, bi-xenon adaptive lights and so on. But it feels worth the cash, and as they say in the shampoo ads, you're worth it.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes C-Class
wrote on 14 11 2006