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| Styling is more bank manager than cool cruiser. If bank managers still exist, that is... |
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"What's it cost?" asked a mate. "About £50 grand?" Nope - for once, the answer is less than that... far less. But it's an easy mistake to make. Everything about this very solid, very German C-Class Estate smacks of quality, refinement, and performance. From the moment you close the driver's door and hear that good, solid clunk, you know this is a Mercedes.
You don't need to struggle with troublesome adjustments to find the perfect seating position: it's all electric - from the multiple ways of adjusting the front seats, via the intuitively seat-shaped controls on the doors, to fine-tuning the steering wheel's reach and rake - which are controlled by an electric knob on the steering column. There are heated front seats to ensure the driver and front passenger are warmly comforted but, on a warm summer's day, you can slide back the smoked glass roof panels. Then again, if the sun's rays are just TOO hot, you can close the roof and use the sliding screen to protect your scalp. Whatever the weather, supreme comfort is a given.
The parking brake is applied via the foot control and released via a hand control. Pull off, and you're immediately struck by the smooth efficiency of the automatic gearbox. Mind you, with a 201bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine, 368Ib ft of torque and five speeds, the auto 'box can pick and choose its gears with ease. The estate is so quick, so smooth, with one almost seamless streak of acceleration up through the gears. Yet, despite all that grunt going through the rear wheels, there's an utterly secure feeling on slippery roads - the Mercedes seduces with the easy pleasures of driving. I tend to sing the praises of city cars and economical little motors but, just for once, I really revelled in the joy of a Mercedes.
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