Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2014 - present review

If you’re in the market for a petrol-engined car, your options are really limited to the C200 – a 181bhp inline four-cylinder unit whose low-speed poke next to its diesel stablemates feels a little weak and whose refinement is not strong enough to make it recommendable over the diesels. The C43 and C63 AMG cars are high-performance and hard-riding examples calculated to appeal to those after supercar-baiting speed and handling. They cost a large sum to buy and will cost even more to run and maintain.

The 1.6-litre engine in the C200 d gives the car considerable virtues: it’s frugal, relatively refined and reasonably smooth, but it’s short of the power needed to push the C-Class around adequately. The 2.1-litre C220 d is a much better bet, being almost as efficient and cheap to run but with some added shove. It’s the version we’d choose. The C250 d has plenty of go but sacrifices economy. The C350 e is a diesel-electric hybrid that has a claimed economy of 134.5mpg and CO2 emissions of just 52g/km. Some versions cost more than £40,000, however, and those registered after April 2017 will attract a higher rate of road tax.

Trims range from well-equipped SE, with climate and cruise controls, a DAB radio and a reversing camera, through Sport, which adds parking sensors and an uprated interior trim and is our pick of the trims, and up to AMG Line, whose add-ons are largely cosmetic and we feel are not worth paying the extra for.

Our favourite Mercedes-Benz C-Class: C220 d Sport

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