USED Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate (00 - 08)

My car

To be fair I have only just purchased a high-mileage version, but this will be my fifth Merc, including 220CDi, a C220CDi was also considered and test driven not an hour before and although crisp enough being newer was just nothing like as refined.

I had looked at a Volvo D5 and the C270 is in a different league. The things that you can take for granted like turning circle on a Merc is just unreal for its size. Obviously this is a facet of rear-wheel drive, but Volvo can't match it. It's really useful for parking and town work and certainly takes the stress out of U-turns.

The pick-up at junctions is smooth and predictable, which was one of the worst aspects of my old C220CDi, winding the torque convertor up first with 2-3 seconds delay could be scary when not ready for it, it seems to be a thing of the past.

The one I have just bought has been looked after being fleet but it just feels so much better than anything else with 80K plus on the clock. The Volvo D5 had 40k fewer miles and, although that can mean anything, it was also a year younger but felt 3-years older.

High mileage is a risk, but fingers crossed this one seems on the money. I've run Mercs past 200k before and will need to do 250k to make it pay.

My car

I have owned this car now for three years, and covered 60,000 miles. My version is the very first of the new shape C Class estates. The reliability has been excellent, the only problem being a faulty radio which was replaced under warranty. Generally, a good car which oozes quality and style. Two main gripes however:

- The seating position is dreadful. You cannot tilt the seat cushion, and I find that there is not enough upper leg support from the somewhat flat seats.

- The radio is probably one of the worst I have used in terms of user-friendly buttons, and the TA system is a mess.

If it was only the radio to gripe about, then that would be fine, but the seating position is a major turn-off for me, and will stop me buying another.