Mercedes-Benz C250
25-June-2012
- Vital Stats
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$65,000
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Unleaded
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Not bad for a small sedan
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4
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The 5-seater Mercedes-Benz C250 is all class. Slide into the smooth leather seats and run your hands over the leather-bound steering wheel and you’ll immediately start to feel like a more superior being.
Style & Drive
Though the C250 is one of Mercedes-Benz’s lower-end cars, you’d never know it from the refined luxury both inside and out. Everything about the sedan is understated, yet beautifully appointed. It’s also a tiny bit of a bargain, relatively speaking. Thanks to its new four-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged ECO start/stop engine the C250 now comes in under the 7.0L/100km fuel-efficiency threshold and is exempt from Australia’s luxury car tax, saving buyers $2,300.
The C250 is quick off the mark and has enough power to get you up to speed in no time at all, yet it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly fast as some sports cars can do – you know, the ones that are suddenly whizzing along at 130km/h when all you meant to do was cruise down the highway at the speed limit. It responds well, and is a pleasure to drive both in the city and on the open road. The clever car is a breeze to park thanks to Mercedes-Benz’s PARKTRONIC system which helps you find a parking spot that fits by measuring the spots you pass with its ultrasonic sensors, and then guides you into the space via visible and audible instructions.
The C250 also boasts a COMAND APS, which includes a 7-inch colour screen, HDD navigation with RDS-TMC, a 10GB music register, a CD/DVD player, MP3/WMA/AAC compatibility, AM/FM tuner, LINGUATRONIC voice control operation, Bluetooth connectivity, and a telephone keypad for phone operation and internet connectivity. All these things are awesome, but I will admit I spent quite a while trying to operate what I thought was a broken touch screen, only to find (after I had finally admitted defeat and dug out the instruction manual) that the whole system operated from a little knob located behind the gear shift. I’m sure after you get used to it, the system works just fine, but for a first-time COMAND user, it was all a bit complicated and clunky.
Safety
The Mercedes-Benz C-class has been awarded a five-star safety rating by ANCAP, and it’s not hard to see why. As well as featuring seven airbags -- driver, front passenger, front side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags, the C-class comes with the brand’s latest and greatest safety equipment. To keep you from wandering out of your lane, there’s Active Lane-Keeping Assist, which vibrates the steering wheel when the car senses it has drifted from its lane. To make sure you stay awake on long journeys there’s Attention Assist, and Active Blind-Spot Assist will tell you if a car is lurking in your blind spot. Most impressive is the PRE-SAFE protection system that kicks in if a critical driving situation is detected (basically when the car thinks you’re about to crash). Motor-driven belt tensioners are activated, the electrically adjustable front-passenger seats are moved to a more "favourable" crash position, and the side windows and (optional) sliding sunroof are closed automatically.
Eco
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
CO2 emission: 168g/km
Describe the car in 3 words
Refined, Classy, Superior.
What are the best things about this car?
The eco-friendly stop-start engine is a great fuel-saver.
What are the downsides of this car?
The satellite navigation system is a bit clunky.
What kind of petrol does it use?
Unleaded.
Liked it?
Sliding into a sleek, sexy Mercedes-Benz makes you realize just how nice it is to drive a luxury car. If you can afford it, flaunt it!
If personified, who would this car be?
Diane Kruger.
Interested in buying a Mercedes? Check out Poyser Motors at http://www.mbpoysermotors.com.au/