With a 30-60mph time of 12.7 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz was one of the quickest cars in this year’s tests. No wonder, with 168bhp and 295lb ft of torque to call on. What’s more, an automatic transmission and a strong parking brake made hill-starts a breeze.
Yet the C-Class isn’t perfect. The engine was strong, but it was noisy at high revs. The ride was the firm side of comfortable.
In the lane-change test, the back of the car was pushed around by the van. The ATC unit recorded a peak force reading of close to 1G as the van snapped back into line.
The C220 CDI’s boot didn’t swallow as much luggage as we expected, but it does have a 12V socket. There’s also a well-written manual.