In-depth reviews
Mercedes C-Class Estate owner reviews
"The Mercedes C-Class Estate is a stylish, comfortable and practical family car"
by Carbuyer
19 May 2020
Carbuyer Rating
4.3 out of 5
Owners Rating
3.1 out of 5
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Reviews
Owner Reviews
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55%of people would recommend this car to a friendCommon Problems
- Electrics (4 cases)
- Brakes, Other (1 case)
- Electrics, Engine (1 case)
- Electrics, Engine, Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
- Engine, Gearbox / clutch, Other (1 case)
- Electrics, Gearbox / clutch, Other (1 case)
- Brakes, Electrics (1 case)
- Brakes (1 case)
- Other (1 case)
Review 1 of 20
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220 cdi AMG sport
Year
2014
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
New
Tell us what you think about your car?
I purchased this used with less than 30k on the clock. It looks great and drives very well indeed. The interior looks good - solid, well designed, classy, and the car has plenty of gadgets.
The car is incredibly comfortable and fun to drive, with plenty of power, especially in sport mode. It handles well with minimal lean on the corners. The 7 speed auto gearbox is very smooth and makes for a fun, pleasurable drive. It's quiet inside, especially on the motorway, with minimal road noise. The Diesel engine growls a bit when you put your foot down, but I kind of like that.
Space wise it feel a little pokey compared to my old Passat estate but in fairness, we haven’t had trouble fitting everything we need in it when going away for a week with a family of 4 - as my kids are still fairly young there is enough room for them in the back - probably wouldn’t be as comfortable with 2 adults in the back though. I like the retractable net that clips to the ceiling so the boot can be stacked to the rafters without anything protruding into the cabin (useful when shoving duvets in on top of everything !)
All in all I absolutely love driving this car - it is a practical family car and it very much lives up to Mercedes-Benz reputation for classy, comfortable, solid, powerful cars.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
220D SE Exec
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
More than 20,000
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
58
Tell us what you think about your car?
I have had the Meredesc for nearly two years. Its a manual, as I am not senile enough yet for the carpet slipper and zip up cardigan automatic. It sees typical repmobile usage, mostly on motorways.
I'm not particularly badge conscious, I only chose it because the BiK and HMRC mileage rates made sense. The fuel economy is pretty good but ride comfort is astonishingly bad, the worst car I have ever had in that respect. A Hyundai i40 blows it out of the water in the comfort stakes.
As mentioned by so many others, the infotainment and sat nav system is overly complicated, very slow and incredibly random. The voice recognition only functions with the sat nav and not telephone ( why?). Lets face it, all voice recognition (with maybe the exception of Parrot systems) are pretty ropey, but this one seems to be determined to come bottom of the class.
The diesel engine, whilst economical, is noisy but will show a fair turn of acceleration when asked. Interior space is poor, and quite cramped in the back even with the front seats pulled forwards. There are lots of annoying squeaks starting to creep in now after two years and 40K miles. The alarm system went haywire a few months ago and would refuse to reset. On one occasion even starting the engine and driving off didn't stop the sounder, I wasn't exactly popular with the local community at 5am in the morning.
It is also the worst rear wheel-drive car I have ever driven in snow and ice, absolutely abysmal. I have driven a lot of rear wheel cars in my time and I can say without hesitation that this is the worst in bad weather or on a greasy surface. It is Biblically bad, an old 1980's Skoda Estelle is better in the snow.
Simply put the C class seems to be built to a price and then they lob 10K on for the badge. Would I have another one, no not really, not unless it was an S class.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No 
3 out of 5
Car Details
Model
250D Bluetech
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
48
Tell us what you think about your car?
I bought this to replace a 2010 E Class 250D. Big mistake. The 7 speed auto kills the performance compared to 5 speed in my old E-class, and changes up too quickly. In Sport mode you have to listen to a growling diesel engine. The car is economical, but the suspension is crashy on 17 inch wheels. The sat nav has a crazy address input via a wheel. There's no spare wheel and the load capacity is poor. It's had lots of problems with warped discs (all replaced) and the engine management light, too.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220d Bluetec AMG-Line
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
40
Tell us what you think about your car?
I bought this car in June, trading in my Kia Sportage for it. First impressions: gorgeous car, great engine, fast performance, loads of space and loads of gadgets. Impressions after 4 months? Not so great.
Even running in ECO mode all the time, the car barely gets above 40mpg on average for a tank of fuel. You have to trick the car into activating its ECO-Stop function - I can do my full 20 mile commute and only have the system activate at the end of the journey, literally as I'm about to get to work. The car is twitchy on UK roads - it feels slippy slidey on B-roads and A-roads that aren't in top condition, and coming off a roundabout on a dual carriageway that has a small hump i.e. not totally smooth exit, is enough to make the car momentarily lose its footing.
The interior is great, but the black finish really picks up scratches. I have had to take car back to the dealer because the touchpad crashed and would not reinitialise - it turns out a software update was required. I am currently experiencing excess engine noise in the cabin under acceleration - a small flap under the top mounted dashboard vent seems to be permanently stuck open and the effect is the same as that oddly hollow sound you get from a engine when it echoes off the walls in a tunnel, except inside the cabin with the windows closed.
When this car is good, it is really good. However, it gives the impression of being over engineered with too many failure points. I will keep it for a few months more and then change it - considering I'm paying £359 a month for it, I'm really not impressed - the Kia had a much better infotainment system and more comfy seats, and as a petrol car seemed to only be a couple of mpg worse than this supposedly much better car from a bigger and more established brand.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220d Bluetec SE Executive
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
52
Tell us what you think about your car?
Purchased to replace a BMW 318d GT. Far superior in most respects. Whilst it doesn't handle as well (to be expected) it is better equipped, far more refined, exudes a more luxurious feel and ultimately is more practical. A very easy car to drive, very comfortable and to date hasn't missed a beat. Motorway driving is best described as serene. The infotainment system is not as immediately intuitive as BMW's iDrive but covers most of the important functions and becomes more useful as one becomes familiar with the menus etc. The GARMIN map pilot navigation is perfectly functional if not perhaps the most modern design. The basic sound system including the DAB radio is excellent. Rarely see anything below 45 mpg even on short runs and have comfortably seen high 50s in motorway use. Performance is more than adequate and the gear box changes almost indiscernible. Purchased with 3 years of free servicing, £30 a year road tax and doing everything I ask of it. What's not to like? If it keeps this up Mercedes will have gained a convert from a previous BMW and Audi owner.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C300 Petrol
Year
2018
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
36.8
Tell us what you think about your car?
Before the C-Class, my previous cars were BMWs; 520d and 330e, both from new. I should have stuck with BMW since the quality, road noise, mpg and “bells and whistles” were so much better and they were cheaper!
The reason I bought this and not a 3-Series? This has more usable boot room for two large dogs. Apart from the issues mentioned above, the central LCD has failed to come on twice (which also takes out the front parking sensors) and you have to be a contortionist to get behind the wheel. This is my first and last Mercedes.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C200
Year
2016
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
2 - 3 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
41
Tell us what you think about your car?
Trims are falling off, the turbo failed and took ten days to fix, the gearbox failed and I'm waiting for its return for return. The COMAND system's live traffic system has been 'fixed' unsuccessfully four times. It's ridiculously loud on motorway. Mercedes' recovery service doesn't seem to work on Saturdays, either.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
c200 se executive cdi estate
Year
2010
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
2 - 3 years
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
43
Tell us what you think about your car?
Excellent equipment - COMAND satnav, pre safe, reversing camera... too many more to mention. Great acceleration and handling. Came with 1 yr warranty and 5 yr service contact so costs are fixed for another 2 hrs or so. Good value estate with long load space when needed. Changed 2 bulbs (as recommended to change both sides at same time, cost £12. Cheaper to run than either my previous car or than I expected - big surprise
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220 d Sport
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
More than 20,000
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
50
Tell us what you think about your car?
I lasted 5 months with the car. I previously had an Audi and was wooed by the new, much more modern-looking interior of the Merc. It's good to drive, very fuel efficient and looks pretty good, but there are too many cons for a car of this price range. The automatic gearbox is awful. Gear changes are slow and can be jerky, especially when going up hills. The engine of the 220 diesel is very gruff. The whole touch pad system and general media music system was even complicated for my kids! The main issue with the car is the massive omission of voice activation calls for the phone. You can make calls, but you have to do this manually through the touch pad or little hand wheel. It's the same for music. It's not only distracting, but dangerous. I just cannot understand why Mercedes would not have voice activated calling as standard in 2015 on their new model, which is standard on all the competition. You can have it, but it's expensive to add! Oh, there is voice activation, but only for the sat nav, and it didn't recognise a single place I spoke! I became fed up with the car, it's omissions and over-complicated systems, and have gone back to an Audi.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C300 Sport hybrid diesel premium plus
Year
2015
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
47.8
Tell us what you think about your car?
My C300 seats must be the most uncomfortable I have ever had in any car. I have never had any back problems and have driven and owned many cars in over 30 years of driving. This is a company car and the thought of driving a further 70k miles fills me with dread. I am about to get a knife to the backrest and cut out the offending padding in the upper back area or send the car back.
The gearbox jumping problem has come back despite being reprogrammed twice. Rears seats still squeak. Traffic reports have just stopped working again and the MB info button has stopped functioning again.
Economy is poor at 47.8 on average, which I think is poor given it is a hybrid and the lesser models seem to be better.
Probably the last MB I will get.
Dealer has had the car back twice.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220 Bluetec
Year
2015
Bought Car
New
Tell us what you think about your car?
I use contract hire for my vehicles and decided to try a Mercedes. Big mistake. Car managed 350 miles before the collision avoid / traction control failed, meaning the car decided to apply the brakes and go from 5mph to 40mph and back again, the apply the brakes then the throttle didn't work, oh there we go, working again....brakes on....brakes off.....etc etc. Luckily I was driving to work on a deserted country road and luckily my wife and children weren't in the fast lane of the motorway ! Needless to say car has been returned and agreement cancelled. If zero stars were available thats what I'd award the C Class Merc.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C250 Sport Premium Plus
Year
64
Avg annual mileage
15,000 – 19,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
46
Tell us what you think about your car?
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the car and it lives up to most of the reviews I've seen. The air suspension is great on motorways, apart from an S-Class hire car I drove earlier in the year, it's the most comfortable ride in any car I've been in, much better than my previous E-Class. But you do occasionally get a loud crash over potholes on A-roads as reviewers have pointed out.
The C250 engine is very quiet most of the time, apart from when going from a standing start and really flooring it when it is a bit harsh, especially in Sport+ mode. But on normal motorway or A-road driving, its barely noticeable.
The one big let-down though is wind noise from the front where the A-pillars meet the front doors. I noticed it as soon as I go over 40mph. The car has been into the dealers, who have tightened up the doors and this has alleviated the problem somewhat. But the wind noise is significantly more than my E-Class was, even though both are supposed to have the same drag coefficient. I've complained to the dealer again and apparently quite a few owners are having the same problem and the dealer has raised an issue with Mercedes.
Again, as many reviewers have said, this is not a 'drivers' car, it is not for throwing around country lanes, its for wafting along as if riding on air. It's not sporty, even in Sport+ mode it rolls in corners much more than my E-Class sport did. If you want a stiff harsh uncomfortable sporty ride, buy the C63.
Trusting the distronic+ to brake when the car in front brakes is a little disconcerting the first few times, especially when the car in front brakes to a standstill, but then you get used to it and wonder how you ever lived without it (although when cars undertake and jump out into your safe braking zone, the system does over-react a tad, but I guess it's doing its job).
The reversing camera is great, never dirty because it pops out only when needed, and the auto-parking works well. Again disconcerting the first time when the steering wheels starts moving on its own. The led lights are fantastic and the comand-online system is great (although be aware it does not currently work with the O2 network, I know, I've tried and had an O2 guru try to get it working for an hour and fail, but it does work on EE, other networks are available).
The interior of the new C-Class is second to none, much nicer than anything BMW or Audi or Lexus currently has on the market.
I'm currently averaging 46mpg , but I expect this to rise as the car gets 'run-in' . My E220 Sport was the same, the first 10k miles I got around 42-43mpg, after 10k miles I got 48mpg on average, split 70% motorway, 30% A-roads.
My rating loses 1 star because of the wind noise around the A-pillar plus two of the door-handle LEDs failed in the first 3 months, although both have been replaced at no-cost under warranty. Again the dealer said they'd had a few cars returned with this problem.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C350e Estate
Year
1996
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
2 - 3 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
62
Tell us what you think about your car?
Great car for a short commute and occasional long journeys. Very comfortable ride, especially after my BMW 3 Touring. Very fast when you want it to be and option of sports mode suspension for windy roads.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C250D AMG premium plus
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
45
Tell us what you think about your car?
Brilliant car, brilliant customer service, plenty of performance - but it loves eating Continental tyres!
The car is my partners car and she drives it the majority of the time, it has enough space for our small family, enough performance for my partner to tootle round at her usual 40mph everywhere and anywhere and it looks the part too! It also is good fun when I get my hands on it with just over 210 horse power.
I work for one of the VAG brands and have been faithful to them over the past 10 years with both my partners car and all my company cars have always been VW. However we fancied a change and a rear wheel drive (drivers car). What a car it is I would never look elsewhere for the family car now and that says a lot because there isn’t many makes and model of car on the planet that I haven’t driven or experienced due to the job i do. The balance, the power, the steering, the power delivery and the gear box are spot on. Did I mention it was also rear wheel drive so you can also have some fun (when the wife isn’t in the car of course).
We had a problem just after we purchased it (second hand had, it done 12,000 miles when we bought it, I took it in part exchange at work). Now take into account I didn’t buy it from the garage I took it to in Stafford and had no loyalty with them. It was that awkward time of year between Christmas and new year when nowhere is really open and operating at full tilt, I rang them in the morning and that same day they fitted me in, diagnosed the issue, fetched the parts, fixed it, cleaned it and lent me a car and had my car ready for 3pm. What more can you ask for really? Great service!
The only gripe I have and it’s a small one is that the car loves to eat the outer edges of the front tyres and neither is it to gentle on the larger rear tyres. That’s partly to do with my energetic style of driving and hard braking when I get my hands on the car but partly down to the set up of the vehicles camber and toe! Small price to pay for a Great car! Just don’t get tempted to put cheap tyres on as it ruins the drive and the ride for these cars!
I do drive it hard and it responds very well, would recommend to anyone - the premium plus pack is also worth its money all day long, it adds sun roof, electric seats which adjust to every position you can imagine, rear camera, heated seats, electric boot and keyless entry and start. it also will add a huge amount to used sale value in years to come!
All in all I would buy again!
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C180
Year
2016
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
6
Tell us what you think about your car?
My wife wanted her car after getting tired of my 'sensitive' Jaguar x-type. I went alone to test drive this car, but the sedan. I was impressed. Just knew that I would prefer a light interior. We were lucky to get it in white, light interior and panaramic roof. Overall, it is a beautiful car. Lovely place to be in. Easy to drive and extremely light.
The cabin has a bit of squeaks whenever going over humps - must be the rubbers that keep interior insulated. It is quite light on fuel. I think we underestimated the warmth of African sun going through the roof. But, it is not a deal breaker. Insurance is a bit high, but we live in Johannesburg. Having travelled over 20 000kms in 5 months, I am confident this car will treat us well for next 10 years to come.
She loves it. I am at peace knowing that she is driving it.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
250 amg line
Year
2014
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
40
Tell us what you think about your car?
Great car but after 1,500 miles on the French autoroutes at legal limits returning 46mpg I was disappointed.
Worse still is the Garmin sat nav fails to work --no data available and will not initialise.
When you try to enter a town beginning with saint it won't recognise the address!
Not good Garmin and Mercedes.
Worse still is the dealership.
Good car.
Bad sat nav.
Too stuffy dealership.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C220 AMG Line
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
53
Tell us what you think about your car?
Very comfortable, quiet & relaxed. Looks good outside & in, high quality feel to everything. Auto gearbox smooth & effective, learning style of driving. Rock steady on German motorways when taken up to 115mph, with no appreciable change to wind noise or feel of car. Excellent overall economy, average to date just over 53mpg. I find the controls effective, including Garmin sat-nav. The control wheel, buttons & pad give multiple choices of how to operate stereo, satnav, phone etc, which you can then choose your preferred method of operation (as with a laptop). No problems with build or reliability. This has been my first Mercedes & definitely a great choice.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
250 amg line premium
Year
64
Avg annual mileage
0 – 4,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
60
Tell us what you think about your car?
Stunningly beautiful car. A bit expensive, but so is the opposition in this level of executive estate car motoring. The 2015 refreshment of this model leaves the rest looking old and boring! The new C Class is the new benchmark.
A critisism - it's over-complicated now in the electronic equipment level but again it's where everything's going and I am getting used to functioning of the 'toys'.
Can't fault this stylish feel-good-factor car and in all departments it's very well built - I just wish I was not talked into ordering it in the new Hayacinth designio colour - navy blue metallic would be favourite or the old classic colour of Palladium Silver, though my partner loves the colour - mmm.
Looking forward to the C63 replacement and I will probably upgrade when these are more available. I own and drive 4 other Mercs and very loyal to the brand, and my flagship is my 2013 SLK 55 in diamond white.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
plug in hybrid
Year
2016
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
1 - 2 years
Bought Car
New
Tell us what you think about your car?
Like the style, comfort and driving of the car, but have huge issue with mileage from plug-in. Never more than 13-14 in the summer and 8-9 miles in winter. Batteries were replaced after 2 years but performance is no better. Contacted Mercedes UK about the issue - they took details but did not get back to me. Contacted them again and was basically told that was all I could expect. Must be one of the worst performing plug-ins on sale!
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
3 out of 5
Car Details
Model
C200 Sport 2 litre petrol
Year
2015
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
38
Tell us what you think about your car?
I have stepped up to the Benz from Japanese cars owned previously - Mazda and Nissan - so above all else, this is far and away the best car I have owned. It looks great, drives well, has all the bells and whistles I might want and is beautifully smooth and quiet.
But, it isn't perfect, and there are a couple of areas where I have been left disappointed. Firstly, the combined mileage I have been achieving is nowhere near the 50 mpg that is advertised. So far, I haven't even managed 40 mpg, and the driving I do is a very fair combination of long motorway drives and short trips to shops and school. Secondly, there isn't a great deal of space for my left foot, in the footwell, and my feet are not massive (size 10) or particularly wide. It gets quite uncomfortable, I find myself fidgeting a lot, especially on long journeys.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
