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our test drives or view them all

Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport

IT wasn’t just chance that made me chose the new Mercedes C-Class as my overall 2008 North of Scotland Car of the Year – nor to follow it up this year by awarding my 2009 Estate Car title to the C-Class 220 CDI cargo carrier.

Mercedes is coming out of a terrible few years which it largely brought on itself after getting tied up with a weak American manufacturer.

But those days are behind it. Quality is back as the benchmark at the sign of the Three Pointed Star – and it’s not before time.

The C-Class is a remarkable model and that’s no better illustrated than at modest turbodiesel level with a BlueEFFICIENCY C220 CDI automatic in Sport trim – a car that squeezes every ounce of efficiency from its engine and construction.

As soon as you climb behind the wheel or occupy a passenger position there’s a feeling of solidity, a feeling you’ve come home. Comfort, materials, layout and switchgear are superb and backed up with a sound automotive design that says "integrity".

I spent a few days with a C220 CDI automatic saloon from Highland dealers John R Weir of Inverness and couldn’t help but hark back seven years to my last experience with a C220 CDI saloon – a disappointing one which involved me spending my own money!

Like the 170bhp test car it was a 2.2 turbodiesel, a saloon and automatic. It was new in Elegance trim and though it was prior to the facelift that so improved the previous C-Class range and delivered a modest 122bhp, I was confident I’d bagged myself a first class four door.

I’m afraid it was a curate’s egg of a car. We spent nearly three reasonably contended years together – but a heater that refused to deliver any heat until the car had covered 15 miles and dashboard plastics that looked like rejects from a Ford parts bin eventually got to me. I traded it in and bought a five-year-old SL280 – a Mercedes from the late 1990s that was impeccably built.

My car fell into Mercedes’ "dark period" when quality was still an issue and it struggled through its unwise tie-up with Chrysler.

The first thing I checked on my test car was the heater performance. From cold, the new car’s fine climate control delivered heat in just over a mile – it had passed the first test! Next trim and fitting. Again, the return of Mercedes’ quality is clear – excellent materials, tight panel gaps inside and out and a tactile feel to switches and other touch surfaces that mean so much to a car buyer seeking elusive quality.

Where the C-Class falls down is with dash design. I can forgive its hard feel, but it’s too angular for such a classically inspired sophisticate. The dash needs to move away from its straight and sharp edges and inherit some softer curves.

But there’s nothing else to fault. Even on my Sport model with £509 optional 18-inch AMG alloys and lower-profile tyres that offered just 40 section at the front and 35 section on the rear, the ride quality was superb.

Road noise was up on the standard C-Class, but nothing to worry about. This is the benefit of a properly engineered suspension – one that Mercedes’ engineers have developed for the new C-Class that eclipses the competition and makes driving long distances a real joy.

My personal choice would have been to stick with the standard 17-inch alloys with 45 section fronts and 40 section rears – they would have lowered any road noise and helped make this car even more comfortable. But this is a Sport where big wheels and low profile tyres are a must.

Combined with the industry’s best seats, a fine chassis, outstanding noise insulation, excellent speed-sensitive power steering and a responsiveness that justifies its Sport badge, the 220 CDI was a delight over Moray roads from A96 cruising to the twists and turns of the Spey Valley and Dava Moor single trackers.

But what made this car even better was its transmission – an optional five-speed adaptable system with paddle shift. The autobox comes with cruise control and a speed limiter and is £1458 well spent. Mercedes’ manuals are far better than they were – but its automatics are supreme. Order a C-Class without one and you blunt the car’s refinement and injure its resale appeal. The same can be said for the £606 optional metallic paint – omit this extra at your peril. Full leather upholstery on the Sport is expensive at £1267, but desirable.

Mercedes is all about prestige and it’s these features that seal the deal. That makes my "ideal" C220 CDI Sport run out at £31,089, some £3331 above list. But it delivers a perfect executive four-door saloon.

Pushing on over narrow upland roads underlined the model’s ability. Grip for a rear-drive car is exceptional. The CDI tracks accurately with no sign of rear-wheel bias – just 100 per cent confidence-inspiring neutrality. Gear changes were smooth in Sport or slower-changing Comfort setting while Manual allowed direct ratio control using the steering wheel paddles. Either way the automatic option was the icing on the cake.

Powerful headlights with incredible range and spread are another feature of the car. Sweeping over moorland roads late at night the C220’s excellent main and dip system illuminate the surface well and help pick out wayward deer contemplating a roadside dash.

This is a car worthy of the Mercedes badge – although in Sport guise the traditional bonnet-mounted star is replaced with a large emblem in the centre of the grille.

If you want the bonnet-mounted star as standard you need to order an SE or Elegance model – or pay extra to have one fitted on your Sport.

Being behind the wheel is a satisfying experience. Mercedes’ fine take on BMW’s complicated iDrive and Audi’s excellent MMI makes managing the radio and other in-car media intuitive and easy while the screen can be tucked out of site behind a fascia panel when you don’t want the visual distraction. Satellite navigation uses the same screen – but it’s an expensive £1150 extra at its most modest and a whopping £2128 if you go for the full-house COMAND system.

Standard equipment includes a foot-operated parking brake that is released by pulling a lever buried low on the right-hand side of the steering column. The parking device works well, but you can leave it on inadvertently and need to respond to a red dashboard warning light and soft gong if you are not going to drive off with the brake partially engaged.

You also get advanced ABS, outstanding electronic stability programme, remote central locking, four electric windows, powered folding door mirrors, auto dim rear mirror and climate control.

The standard car also has seats covered in an attractive mix of cloth and artificial leather.

It’s a spacious saloon with comfort for five and a reasonable boot that will swallow 475 litres of luggage. Sadly the rear seats don’t fold as standard – a split and fold function is an extra costing £220. Heated seats will set you back £313 while useful front and rear parking sensors are an expensive £592.

The C220 CDI Sport is a premium saloon. It’s a heavyweight that tips the scales at more than 1.6 tonnes – but it feels lithe, averaged 34mpg around town with an impressive 48mpg overall and emission of 161g/km that drops it into Band G and an annual Road Tax fee of £150.

If you are in the market for a quality booted turbodiesel saloon with some sporting pretensions that is blessed with one of the finest ride qualities on the market – it’s here.

Rating: 9/10

FINAL THOUGHT: The latest Mercedes C-Class is spearheading the return of the Three Pointed Star to the quality stakes. From the lows of the past decade Mercedes-Benz is emerging with outstanding technical expertise and high quality that translates into efficient and satisfying motoring. The C-Class 220 CDI is an example of one of its finest – a comfortable and frugal sporting express.

Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport

• Price: £27,758 (£29,216 with automatic)
• Capacity: 2143cc
• Power: 170bhp
• 0-62mph: 7.6 seconds
• Maximum speed: 143mph
• Economy: Combined 48.7mpg; Urban 34.9mpg
• CO2 emissions: 161g/km
• ESP: Standard
• Insurance: Group 14