C-Class right on the money

Make:

Friday, October 21, 2011

In fairness to Mercedes in Ireland, the company has been quite radical — some might say realistic would be a better word — in terms of its pricing structure over the past few years.

The cost of owning a Mercedes has come down substantially and we have recently become used to the previously unheard of situation where new model Mercs are coming to the market at prices which are the same, or lower, than those of the models they replace.

Now some would say that it is about time those in charge of the brand here got real and stopped fleecing the Irish customer — an allegation many would maintain has been going on for generations.

They would also maintain that this seeming largesse comes too late and is too little.

That’s a point the Mercedes people would no doubt defend themselves against, but the bottom line is that is that it is now more attractive than ever to own something produced by the great German marque.

That change has been seen in the pricing policy Mercedes has adopted, and it has to be said that this was not just because of the economic crash, but because the main opposition were also offering a lot better value for similar product.

And this week’s test car is a case in point because the latest version of the C-Class, introduced here earlier this year, has come to the market at a cost which is relatively unchanged from the previous model, despite being more comprehensively specified.

The car we tested recently was the model which will undoubtedly be the main seller in the range here — the C200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY.

Admittedly, the version we had our hands on was the one with automatic transmission and it also came in Avantgarde trim, which adds some 10 grand to the baseline price, which means it will not necessarily be the bestseller.

The most recent revamp of the range — described by Mercedes as a “comprehensive modernisation” which has seen the exterior and interior look being revamped; ‘fine-tuning’ of the exterior look has made it more appealing, not to mention svelte, while the interior has been boosted by a complete dashboard redesign and an upgrading of the materials used.

On the engine front, the car is powered by the same 2,143 cc engine utilised in the C180, but this time with an output of 100 kW (134 bhp).

I have to say that this is not the engine I would choose from those available, preferring either the excellent 220 or 250 CDI versions, but that is not to dismissed this unit out of hand.

In automatic guise the engine will speed from a standstill to 100 kph in 9.1 seconds and has a top speed of 215 kph.

Neither figure is particularly awe inspiring, but the engine does have plenty of motivation and if you keep it in its sweet zone it will perform very nicely indeed.

Worth noting too is that it will return 4.8 l/100 km on the combined cycle and will only cost €154 a year to tax — at least until the budget in December.

On the road the C-Class is the essence of comfort — even though the seats might be a little on the firm side for some tastes, they are supportive in all the right places — and it offers an agile and supple ride.

Grip levels are impressive and the adaptive suspension reacts automatically to differing road conditions.

The interior is as ergonomic as can be and the traditional Mercedes single-stick operator for indicators, headlights and wipers is very driver friendly.
The single rotary dial which controls most of the other functions is also a doddle to live with.

Space-wise the C-Class will hold four adults in comfort, although a fifth will have to contend with a bulky transmission tunnel. The boot is big and very well shaped.

In terms of specification there is a lot on offer here — what with air-con, central locking, automatic lights and wipers, while the test car added LED intelligent lights, a stowage pack, full leather upholstery, a black interior trim and metallic paint.

All told the Mercedes represents a very decent ownership proposition; it is a quality product and resale values will reflect that when the time comes to move on again.

And worth noting too is that after a fairly torrid time of it in various customer satisfaction surveys, the C-Class has been performing much better in this regard lately and that will add to the overall comfort level of prospective buyers.

It is very tight in this market segment — especially when you consider the qualities of the main opposition — but the C-Class is right on the money these days by comparison with its Audi and BMW, rivals and now that the distributor has decided to make the car a very much more reasonable buying option, then there is no doubt it will make a lot of sense for many people.