The Mercedes Benz C-Class Estate
With airport security tightening along with the inevitable delays and general hanging around, us Brits are binning the plane in favour of, no, not the train but in fact the car.
Becoming more adventurous we are boldly going where no other Brit has boldly gone before. To the continent and beyond! Mum, Dad, children, dog and in some extreme cases the in-laws. Well they serve their purpose as reliable babysitters.
Now the biggest obstacle facing any family travelling with the car is its ability to accommodate not just all the occupants, but the suitcases possibly camping equipment and the multitude of in car entertainment gadgets to keep those little ones amused. So the car has to be spacious flexible and practical. The obvious choice would be an estate unless you have so much clutter you need to hire a transit. However estates are often regarded as the workhorse of the car industry therefore lack the glamour and sophistication other cars boast.
That is, unless you invest in the new Mercedes Benz C-Class Estate. Hot on the heels of the luxury C-Class saloon, this new estate range takes the same qualities as the saloon in terms of safety and comfort but with the added benefits of space plus versatility.
There are eight engines to choose from all with significant improvements to reduce fuel consumption in some cases by 12 per cent mated to various trims according to the engine size. Prices start from £24,630 for the C180 Kompressor rising to £33,265 for the flagship C320 CDI which will not tug on the purse stings too much considering what equipment comes as standard. Just be aware of the optional extras or packs that could send the price tag spiralling higher than fuel prices.
My test car for the week was the C220 CDI that stands in at £26,760 and came with the upgrade package SPORT that costs £2,895. This gained me Parameter speed sensitive power steering that was blissful, Sports Braking system that was reassuring, 15mm lowered Sport suspension giving a superb ride and handling in addition to little touches of elegance in the guise of Sports seats and Sports pedals.
The exterior styling will certainly cause a stir at the English Ports with 17-inch alloy wheels, body coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors that are electrically adjustable heated and folded. The front styling is so Mercedes with the long bonnet, huge grille and large headlights clusters, my car having the optional Bi-Xenon light with the enhanced cornering function that is fantastic when driving in the dark. Do not forget, the continent does not enjoy evenings where it is light up to 10.00 pm as it is here in the UK.
The long sleek lines extend across the length of the car and down into the all-important 1500 litres of luggage area that happens to be the largest in this segment. That is when the rear seats are down. For the family purpose 485 litres is available without dangerously piling the suitcases to the roofline therefore blocking all visibility to the rear. The C-Class estate comes with an Easy Pack automatic powered tailgate, which opens and closes at the push of a button and takes all the weight out of loading up the car. Any surplus luggage use the roof rails.
The spacious interior should keep in-car fighting at bay from the children that is with the added benefit of copious storage binnacles to put all their precious toys in. Parents - invest in the satellite navigation system to keep your arguments minimal. Failing that, plenty of CD’s or the MP3 player for the CD/radio with Bluetooth connectivity. The host of luxury on board toys is better than Hamleys. Ensuring no discrimination against any size driver is an electrically height adjustable with memory drivers seat plus lumber support coupled with height adjustable twelve button multi function steering wheel. Take some time to work out what button does what before embarking on your journey. Then there is automatic climate control, auto dimming rear view mirrors, electric windows with obstruction sensors, automatic headlamp activation, and rain sensing wipers to take some of the strain out of driving.
Drive wise; this is where Mercedes Benz excels. As soon as you accelerate off towards the coast, you know you are driving a car packed with technology giving a take off better than a leer jet. The 2148 cc litre diesel engine whizzes to 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds with the six speed manual transmission fitted to my car. Top speed is 130 mph yet fuel consumption a healthy 46.3-mpg on a combined cycle. Of course driving abroad the diesel is far cheaper meaning you could actually afford to venture further afield. CO2 emissions check in at 159k/gm and this model falls into insurance group 14E.
Then you have the icing on the cake. Mercedes Benz never ending list of exemplary safety features ensuring you all arrive home safely. The new bodyshell sees a 12 per cent increase in torsional stiffness, has four independently acting impact levels that enables forces to be distributed over a wide area and special struts in the wheel arches that prevents the passenger cell from dropping during a collision. Then there are deformation zones under the bonnet, multiple restraint systems including Neck-Pro head restraints that move upwards and forwards to cushion the heads of the front passengers while the two outer seats come with ISOFIX mountings. Airbags come in the shape of driver, passenger, side front, window and drivers knee with the optional side airbags in the rear.
Not hat this should be needed as the C-Class is fitted as standard with ABS, Brake Assist, ESP and Skid Control. However if an accident is imminent you can always rely on Pre-Safe that prepares the vehicle and occupants for a collision. If it detects emergency or panic braking, Pre-Safe will tighten the seatbelts, adjust the front passenger seat, corrects the backrest and seatbelts thus reducing the loads exerted on the passengers upon impact. Securing the C-Class is an alarm with immobiliser, deadlocks plus remote central locking.
So now we can all travel in style. That will annoy our overseas neighbours.
Happy Holidays
Jackie Violet - Female First
With airport security tightening along with the inevitable delays and general hanging around, us Brits are binning the plane in favour of, no, not the train but in fact the car.
Becoming more adventurous we are boldly going where no other Brit has boldly gone before. To the continent and beyond! Mum, Dad, children, dog and in some extreme cases the in-laws. Well they serve their purpose as reliable babysitters.
Now the biggest obstacle facing any family travelling with the car is its ability to accommodate not just all the occupants, but the suitcases possibly camping equipment and the multitude of in car entertainment gadgets to keep those little ones amused. So the car has to be spacious flexible and practical. The obvious choice would be an estate unless you have so much clutter you need to hire a transit. However estates are often regarded as the workhorse of the car industry therefore lack the glamour and sophistication other cars boast.
That is, unless you invest in the new Mercedes Benz C-Class Estate. Hot on the heels of the luxury C-Class saloon, this new estate range takes the same qualities as the saloon in terms of safety and comfort but with the added benefits of space plus versatility.
There are eight engines to choose from all with significant improvements to reduce fuel consumption in some cases by 12 per cent mated to various trims according to the engine size. Prices start from £24,630 for the C180 Kompressor rising to £33,265 for the flagship C320 CDI which will not tug on the purse stings too much considering what equipment comes as standard. Just be aware of the optional extras or packs that could send the price tag spiralling higher than fuel prices.
My test car for the week was the C220 CDI that stands in at £26,760 and came with the upgrade package SPORT that costs £2,895. This gained me Parameter speed sensitive power steering that was blissful, Sports Braking system that was reassuring, 15mm lowered Sport suspension giving a superb ride and handling in addition to little touches of elegance in the guise of Sports seats and Sports pedals.
The exterior styling will certainly cause a stir at the English Ports with 17-inch alloy wheels, body coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors that are electrically adjustable heated and folded. The front styling is so Mercedes with the long bonnet, huge grille and large headlights clusters, my car having the optional Bi-Xenon light with the enhanced cornering function that is fantastic when driving in the dark. Do not forget, the continent does not enjoy evenings where it is light up to 10.00 pm as it is here in the UK.
The long sleek lines extend across the length of the car and down into the all-important 1500 litres of luggage area that happens to be the largest in this segment. That is when the rear seats are down. For the family purpose 485 litres is available without dangerously piling the suitcases to the roofline therefore blocking all visibility to the rear. The C-Class estate comes with an Easy Pack automatic powered tailgate, which opens and closes at the push of a button and takes all the weight out of loading up the car. Any surplus luggage use the roof rails.
The spacious interior should keep in-car fighting at bay from the children that is with the added benefit of copious storage binnacles to put all their precious toys in. Parents - invest in the satellite navigation system to keep your arguments minimal. Failing that, plenty of CD’s or the MP3 player for the CD/radio with Bluetooth connectivity. The host of luxury on board toys is better than Hamleys. Ensuring no discrimination against any size driver is an electrically height adjustable with memory drivers seat plus lumber support coupled with height adjustable twelve button multi function steering wheel. Take some time to work out what button does what before embarking on your journey. Then there is automatic climate control, auto dimming rear view mirrors, electric windows with obstruction sensors, automatic headlamp activation, and rain sensing wipers to take some of the strain out of driving.
Drive wise; this is where Mercedes Benz excels. As soon as you accelerate off towards the coast, you know you are driving a car packed with technology giving a take off better than a leer jet. The 2148 cc litre diesel engine whizzes to 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds with the six speed manual transmission fitted to my car. Top speed is 130 mph yet fuel consumption a healthy 46.3-mpg on a combined cycle. Of course driving abroad the diesel is far cheaper meaning you could actually afford to venture further afield. CO2 emissions check in at 159k/gm and this model falls into insurance group 14E.