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Mercedes-Benz models, news & reviews
4
Handling
Performance
Usability
Feelgood factor
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3
By Glen Waddington
First Drives
07 January 2008 09:00
Four cylinders? A manual gearbox? Not traditionally attractive territory for a Mercedes, especially if you’re talking petrol rather than diesel. But Mercedes hopes you’ll go for this car rather than BMW’s 318i ES, and pay a couple of grand more for the extra 12bhp and 14lb ft afforded by the Merc’s supercharged engine.
Times have changed. The base-model Merc is no longer poverty-stricken. Of course, you’ll pay extra if you trawl the options list for sat-nav, leather seats, park assist and so on, but the SE runs on attractive alloys, wears pleasing cloth on its seats, plays your CDs, controls your cabin climate and even tempers your over-exertions in corners.
And over-exert you may, because 154bhp is enough to make the baby C-class feel brisk. And there’s just enough feedback through the controls to make exploiting it all worthwhile.
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Mercedes C180 SE (2008) CAR review
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joe-hxc says
RE: Mercedes C180 SE CAR review
yeahhh phjlo but take this situation your in the pub and you meet an old friend from school hes asks so phjlo what are you driving these days you reply ohh a Volkswagen . See what i mean ? you'd much rather say i drive a Mercedes-Benz...
30 March 2009 21:29
jer says
tangent
At last a BMW manual gearbox described not like a rifle bolt or a knife through butter but as hefty. You could also add long travel, slow, occasionally obstructive. Now other sacred cows: BMW non comfort seats are coccyx killers VW Audi make the worst diesel engines in Christendom and average handling cars that should be cheaper Porsche are skillful thieves supported by cartel of accliam from mortor industry hacks. If governments intevene when phone, oil, supermarket, computer companies make vast profits why not motor companies?
24 January 2008 09:17
phjlo says
I agree with Honest Bob's last comment - the Passat/Mondeo class has caught up wih the C-class. I had a Passat temporarily while waiting for my C-class, and I wouldn't say the C is so much better as to justify the higher price. The Passat had a smoother, torquier diesel and the C has more wind noise. Okay, the interior's classier, but the Passat's isn't bad either.
15 January 2008 21:06
Honest Bob says
Its OK but.........
The C-class is a nice car but up the spec and go for the sport (half leather, new grille, etc). Its better value for money and watch what it will do to the resale values in three years time. Or save some money and look at the VW passat personally I think its a much better car, and costs less!
14 January 2008 20:43
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