Mercedes-Benz C 250 Estate 2015: Long-Term Test Update 2

Of course there's the three-pointed star in the centre of the lavishly crafted steering wheel – a globally recognised corporate icon and a visual tie that unites the company's many product families, from passenger cars to light commercials to heavy-duty trucks. There's also the heavy emphasis on safety, with myriad technologies all aimed at protecting occupants from harm – a facet that's as prevalent in Mercedes-Benz's commercial offerings as it is in its passenger-car products.

Differentiating the C 250 Estate from the maker's commercial lines then are the rather more intangible qualities of luxury and prestige. Not so easily defined, the C 250 Estate has both in spades – as you'd expect of a family wagon with a price tag that, once loaded with options, nudges $85,000.

To that end, grabbing the C 250 Estate for a weekend was a real treat. Certainly for the wife and kids it was a step up from the usual take-home offerings of dual-cab utes and other assorted LCVs. But how would it stand up to the usual family abuse?

Certainly it passes the comfort test without any problem. The electronic adjustment offered on both the driver's and passenger's seats allows a tailored setting to suit just about anyone, and the ability to store a number of profiles is just one convenience feature among many – and far too many to list here. It's a part of the optional Seat Comfort Package, which also delivered electric headrest adjustment and seat heating.

The leather upholstery front and rear is sumptuous and inviting; while the optional Cranberry Red AMG scheme in our test vehicle may mark more easily than darker tones, it certainly adds a touch of extra class and the leather itself should prove easy to maintain.

The driver ergonomics are difficult to fault, with the many controls logically placed and close to hand. The wheel itself has electric adjustment for tilt and reach and with a degree of familiarity the large and attractive multimedia display can be managed with ease via the touchpad and wheel mounted in the middle of the centre console. It's highly functional, highly intuitive and all very slick in its operation.

We do have one gripe in this area, and that concerns the location and format of the shifter for the seven-speed automatic transmission, as noted initially by Bruce Newton in his introductory piece on this model.

It's a right-hand stalk off the steering column and it's very similar to the left-hand stalk, for the C 250's lights and indicators. If you regularly swap between vehicles with reverse formats getting the two confused can cause issues, in this case accidently selecting neutral instead of indicating for a left-hand turn. At least it's an issue that should dissipate with familiarity…

Dynamically the C 250 Estate offers an engaging, enjoyable drive. It might only be a modest 2.0-litre four-cylinder beneath the bonnet but Mercedes-Benz has extracted plenty of poke regardless, with a decent low-down hit off the line quickly giving way to a strong and insistent urge that doesn't let up until 6000rpm, just shy of its indicated redline.

For those after more involvement the paddle shifters offer incredibly refined gear changes, while the seven-speeder in general is a pleasure to use. While we appreciated the simple adjustment of the optional Airmatic suspension in our test vehicle, with its stiffer AMG Line set-up the C 250 Estate is a little harsh on less-than-ideal roads. It clings tenaciously through the corners, however, and the responsive and beautifully weighted steering adds to the confidence and security. It's no truck, that's for sure…

Speaking of trucks, while we had no cause to shoulder a decent load the C 250 Estate does have a generous amount of space up the back – and for bigger jobs the second-row seating folds flat in an instant, ramping the storage capacity up from 490 litre to a massive 1510 litres. There's plenty of room for extended family holidays although, as previously noted, the load area is on the narrow side, even if it is long.

The radar cruise control deserves special mention. Equipped with Mercedes-Benz's 'Disctronic Plus', the C 250 Estate will follow the vehicle in front up at a set distance and up to a set maximum speed. It's not just for fast-flowing motorways, either. In stop-start traffic, if the vehicle in front stops, the C 250 stops. When it moves off, the C 250 moves off. The driver need only steer and the car takes sharp deceleration in its stride.

It's something of a leap of faith for the system to win the driver's trust, but a 50-kilometre peak-hour commute without touching an accelerator or a brake is window to the future of autonomous motoring.

It is genuinely difficult to find fault in the C 250 Estate, and that's borne out by the nit-picky nature of our modest list of gripes. The mirrors, while technologically advanced and incorporating blind spot assist, offer a distorted view of a vehicle once that vehicle is positioned near the limit of the mirror's field of vision, at its outside extremity. We found this distracting and mildly annoying, although again greater familiarity has a role to play.

The head-up display is a nifty safety feature but it's not compatible with polarising-lens sunglasses – at least it wasn't with mine. Like viewing an LCD display, the HUD effectively vanishes when viewed with sunglasses of this nature.

Those small foibles aside, life's exceptionally good in the C 250 Estate. There's a significant degree of comfort in knowing your family is protected by some of the best automotive safety systems available, while the comfort, the high construction quality and the C 250's addictive performance will ensure that peace of mind is complemented by no small degree of driving pleasure.

There are very few manufacturers who play in all three major automotive spheres: passenger cars, LCVs, and trucks. For this scribe, a weekend in the C 250 Estate amply demonstrates how Mercedes-Benz truly excels in each.

What we liked:
>> Superb cabin comfort
>> Comprehensive features list
>> Lively, engaging engine

Not so much:
>> Auto shifter location/format
>> Can't see HUD with polarised sunglasses
>> Fairly harsh ride

Related reading:
>> Mercedes-Benz C 250 Estate Long-Term Test (Introduction)
>> Mercedes-Benz C 250 Estate Long-Term Test (Update 1)