Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI Estate 2010 Review
It looks like a $150K AMG but costs half as much and uses about a third of the fuel -- the ultimate family touring wagon?Road Test
Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $63,590
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Avantgarde trim $6250, AMG Sports Package $6250, Vision Package $4920, EASYPACK Tailgate $1100, Dynamic Handling Package $2460, reversing camera $1200, Intelligent Lighting $440, protective undershield $330, rear sunblinds $440, heated front seats $770 (total price $87,750)
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 169
Also consider: Audi A4 2.0 TDI, BMW 320d
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0
As Mercedes-Benz's top-selling model, the C-Class is often the initial port of call for many first-time Benz buyers, offering quality German engineering that won't break the bank. The current C-Class is about three years into its life-cycle. Though still a relatively handsome vehicle in sedan form, the wagon looks a little dull -- until it's up-specced with the AMG kit that is...
Sporting larger 18-inch wheels, a body kit and stiffer suspension, the AMG upgrade is the way to go if you want your Benz to standout. The AMG bodywork, including lower front and rear bumpers and side skirts, adds machismo to what is normally a placid-looking family wagon. And you know what? It makes a big difference to the driving experience.
Granted, it doesn't go any faster, but it steers a little more crisply and handles better thanks to suspension tweaks, a 15mm lower ride height and the bigger rubber -- up from 17-inch wheels to 18-inchers, shod with 225/40 R 18 front and 255/35 R 18 tyres at the rear. Our test model was fitted with Continental tyres and they delivered good levels of grip with only minor road noise when cruising at freeway speeds.
Yet beneath the AMG augmentation remains a very capable and practical car. Powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, the C 220 CDI is effortless to drive, the five-speed automatic transmission matching well with the engine's surfeit of bottom end torque.
Squeeze the throttle and you feel a refined surge of torque. Indeed, with 125kW and 400Nm of torque on tap from just 2000rpm, the Mercedes C 220 CDI Estate doesn't take long to build steam. Benz claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 210km/h.
The AMGed wagon has excellent road manners and even with the sporty AMG suspension its composure is challenged only by serious ruts in the road. The steering is quite light, which takes the difficulty out of parking and slow speed manoeuvres, but this does mask feedback somewhat if you decide to turn up the wick for a spirited drive through the hills or along the coast.
One of the things that make modern diesel cars so practical is their fantastic midrange torque -- great for overtaking. One of the few downsides to the engine is NVH -- the diesel powerplant gets a little rattly and loud when revved hard. Anything under 4000rpm and the engine is very quiet however.
The five-speed automatic delivers smooth shifts and shows a fair bit of aptitude for which gear is most suitable to the situation. I rarely needed to use the tiptronic override to select a lower gear. Indeed, the overall powertrain of the C 220 CDI makes for very a pleasant driving experience.
In terms of economy the Mercedes-Benz was showed a very clean pair of heels, with an average fuel consumption figure of 7.2L/100km over the 504km we covered in a week, comparing relatively favourably to the claimed 6.4L/100km.
The Mercedes-Benz oiler ticked over at 1750rpm at 100km/h in fifth gear, giving the vehicle excellent highway mileage, and at those speeds the car felt settled and was very quiet.
Inside, the C-Class takes a lot of what makes the top-range Benz models so luxurious and applies it on a smaller scale. While the basic comfort features such as the steering wheel and (especially) the seats are well designed, ensuring a good driving position, the centre stack is a little busy. While the ventilation controls are intuitive, the plethora of buttons for telephony et al are confronting.
The instrument cluster features large, simple dials for the speedometer and tachometer which offer excellent at-a-glance information, and de rigueur single side stalks sprouting from the steering wheel columns left will take a little getting used to for first time Mercedes-Benz drivers, but ultimately the simplicity of the system works in its favour.
Another thing I found perplexing was the lack of incidental storage. Apart from a small area in the centre console to put two beverages or a mobile phone, there's nowhere to store odds and ends. For instance there are no bottle holders in the doors, which doesn't bode well for long drives on hot days, and I struggled to find a place to put my iPod and wallet.
There is, however, plenty of storage space in the boot, which is one of the drawcards of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class estate. It's large cargo area comprises a 485 litre expanse, which increases to a capacious 1500 litres with the rear seats folded down. That's enough room to fit a decent-sized BBQ and plenty of camping gear, should you be so inclined.
Ultimately the C-Class Estate is a well-made load lugger with excellent comfort levels backed up by a capable diesel engine -- one that delivers good performance should the driver decide to turn up the tempo.
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