Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £19,672 to £52,675
Robust quality, reliability, good secondary safety, comfort.
Value for money, equipment levels, high servicing costs, awkward parking brake.
Good, but a bit stodgy - lacks all-round excellence of 3-Series, liveliness of Alfa 156.
Contrary to popular myth this Mercedes does not hold its value better than any other in the class, being outperformed here by both Audi and BMW. However, it is above average overall. Servicing costs are high, and the smaller-engined models aren't noticeably more economical than the more efficient V6s. Insurance premiums are reasonable. Not the dead certainty it used to be. The C-Class is now looking old and a little tired, and resale values have been badly affected by the numbers of new buyers opting to buy at a substantial discount on the continent. Diesels with healthy Elegance specifications are safe buys, however, and estates remain very sought after. The C-Class is thousands more expensive than its rivals, yet its interior is pretty spartan. You certainly pay for the name. However, all the key equipment is there, including copious safety equipment, electric windows, remote central locking and on all but the 180, air conditioning too.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes C-Class
wrote on 14 11 2006