Mercedes C-Class (2014-present)
The Mercedes C-Class is a is a luxurious and hi-tech family car
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
Mercedes-Benz C Class Diesel Saloon c300d 4matic amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
Total RRP £46,805
Your quote £37,633
You Save £9,172
The Mercedes C-Class, now in its fourth generation, sits in one of the most prestigious and hotly contested sectors of the car market – the ‘compact executive’ class. Its age-old rivals in the company-car parking lot are the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but more recently the Volvo S60, Lexus IS and Jaguar XE have joined the fray, raising the level of competition further.
Starting at just under £28,000, the C-Class is definitely among the more expensive of the bunch, but the prestige attached to its famous three-pointed star badge means the premium can be justified. The current C-Class also mirrors the styling of the larger and more expensive Mercedes E-Class and Mercedes S-Class, further strengthening its image.
Diesel is generally the engine of choice for C-Class buyers, although if you don’t fancy it there is one regular petrol, a plug-in hybrid and the high-performance C63 to choose from. The hybrid actually outstrips the already pretty frugal diesels when it comes to fuel economy, although it does cost a bit more to buy in the first place.
This is the smallest of Mercedes’ three main saloon models, so it’s not entirely surprising to find things are a little cramped in the back – largely due to the swoopy, coupe-like roofline. It’s not too bad, though, so as long as you’re not regularly carrying four adults on long journeys, it should be fine.
The latest C-Class is a very safe car – and it’s not just about protecting you in the event of a crash (although it’s very good at doing that). It also features a raft of technology designed to avoid an impact in the first place, such as Attention Assist (which detects if you’re getting sleepy at the wheel) and Collision Prevention Assist (which can sense nearby cars and objects and apply the brakes to avoid a crash). Higher-spec models also get lane-keeping assistance, which stops you unintentionally drifting out of your lane on the motorway.
Last Updated
Key facts
Warranty: Three years/unlimited miles | Boot size: 480 litres |
Width: 1,810mm | Length: 4,686mm |
Height: 1,442mm | Tax (min to max): £0 to £265 |
Best Mercedes-Benz C Class Deals
- Cheapest new
Mercedes-Benz C Class C180 SE 4dr saloon
Your price: £24,670 - Biggest reduction
Mercedes-Benz C Class C300d 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus 4dr 9G-Tronic diesel saloon
RRP: £46,805Your price: £37,633Your saving: £9,172 - Cheapest finance
Mercedes-Benz C Class C220d SE Executive 4dr Auto diesel saloon
Your price: £13,990or £183 per month
Best Mercedes-Benz C Class for...
Mercedes-Benz C Class History
March 2014: Fourth-generation C-Class saloon goes on sale in the UK
September 2014: Recall of 8,145 cars for potential steering column issue
November 2014: C300h 2.1-litre diesel hybrid engine joins the range
May 2015: Recall of 437 diesels for software problem that could cut engine
May 2015: Recall of 1,371 petrols for potential fuel pump problem
July 2015: High-performance Mercedes-AMG C63 and C63 S go on sale
September 2015: Recall of 5,385 cars for potential oil leak
Understanding Mercedes-Benz C Class car names
- C Class
- Engine
- C300h
- Trim
- AMG Line
- Gearbox
- Auto
- Engine
- Except the high-performance C63, C-Class engines have three-digit names, with the higher numbers indicating greater power. Petrols have no letter at the end of their name, diesels have a ‘d’, diesel hybrids a ‘h’ and petrol hybrids an ‘e’.
- Trim
- From least to most expensive, the different version of the C-Class are SE, Sport, AMG Line, C350e Sport, C63 and C63 S.
- Gearbox
- Mercedes offers a choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic transmission on the C-Class. The C63 gets its own seven-speed sports automatic.
Mercedes-Benz C Class Engines
Engines: C200d, C220d, C250d, C300h (diesel); C200, C350e, C63, C63 S (petrol)
Mercedes offers a wide variety of engines to C-Class buyers: there are three conventional diesels, a diesel hybrid, a regular petrol, a petrol plug-in hybrid and the hugely powerful AMG C63 high-performance models.
The most efficient of the three regular diesels is the entry-level C200d, but we’d recommend the C220d. It’s only slightly less economical than the C200d, but feels a lot smoother and quicker in everyday driving, offering the sort of swift, unflustered progress people associate with executive cars. The C250d is quicker still, but there’s a sharper drop in fuel economy.
The C300h diesel hybrid manages to beat both the C200d’s fuel economy and C250d’s performance – however it’s also around £5,000 more expensive to buy than the C220d, so it’s hard to fully recommend. Also, unlike the petrol hybrid discussed below, it’s not a plug-in, so it doesn’t have the ability to drive on electric power alone for a significant distance.
Turning to the petrols, there’s just one regular choice: the C200, whose fuel economy and performance numbers look a bit average next to the diesels. It’s the cheapest to buy and remains a good choice if you don’t do many long journeys, but residual values aren’t great.
Next up is the C350e, which combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and batteries that can be charged up by plugging the car into an electric vehicle charging point. It’ll travel for up to 20 miles on electric power alone, so if you have a short commute and somewhere to charge the car, you could do almost all your driving without using any petrol. Performance is impressive, too: the C350e takes less than six seconds to do the 0-62mph sprint.
Even that pales in comparison next to the Mercedes-AMG C63, which in standard form makes an enormous 469bhp and rockets to 62mph in just over four seconds. If for some reason that’s not enough, there’s an even faster C63 S, but even though the difference between them isn’t huge, it’ll set you back an extra £4,000 – and it’s not really worth it.
Fuel | Mpg | Bhp | 0 - 62mph | top speed | |
C200d | Diesel | 72.4mpg | 134bhp | 9.7s | 135mph |
C220d | Diesel | 70.6mpg | 168bhp | 7.7s | 145mph |
C250d | Diesel | 65.7mpg | 201bhp | 6.6s | 153mph |
C300h | Diesel | 78.5mpg | 229bhp | 6.4s | 152mph |
C200 | Petrol | 53.3mpg | 181bhp | 7.5s | 147mph |
C350e | Petrol- | 134.5mpg | 275bhp | 5.9s | 155mph |
C63 | Petrol | 34.5mpg | 469bhp | 4.1s | 155mph |
C63 S | Petrol | 34.5mpg | 503bhp | 4.0s | 155mph |
Mercedes-Benz C Class Trims
Trims: SE, Sport, AMG Line, C350e Sport, C63, C63 S
The SE is the entry-level trim – or version – of the C-Class, but it certainly doesn’t feel cut-price. You get 16-inch alloy wheels, a collision-prevention system, four driving modes (comfort, economy, sport and ‘sport plus’), rain-sensitive windscreen wipers, cruise control, a reversing camera, a seven-inch colour display, digital radio and a leather steering wheel.
Sport is the next model up in the range. As standard, it has 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and lowered suspension for a classier look overall. Other useful features include parking assistance, additional interior lighting, Garmin sat nav and heated leather seats. The C350e plug-in hybrid gets its own trim level, called ‘C350e Sport’. It has everything the SE and Sport have, plus very smooth air suspension.
The AMG Line is the sportiest of the regular C-Class trim levels. It’s not any faster or more powerful than the other versions, but it does have 18-inch alloy wheels and a bodykit that mimics the look of the high-performance C63 model. It also gets upgraded brakes, steering and suspension for a sportier driving experience – although the ride quality may be a bit harsh for typical UK roads. Inside, there are brushed-metal pedals and sports seats.
In the C63 itself, as well as that mighty engine under the bonnet, you get a special design of 18-inch alloy wheel, a beefy AMG bodykit and plenty of AMG lettering and sporty-looking visual additions inside and out. The C63 S is mainly about extra horsepower, but it does throw in even bigger 19-inch wheels for good measure.
Mercedes-Benz C Class Reliability and warranty
Having been introduced in the second quarter of 2014, this incarnation of the C-Class is a relatively new car, but its engines have all been tried and tested in other Mercedes models for some time. So it was surprising to see it ranked a disappointing 188th for reliability out of 200 cars looked at in Auto Express magazine’s 2015 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. The build-quality score was a lot better, fortunately: 44th out of 200. Also, if any issues do crop up, they will at least be covered by Mercedes’ three-year warranty (which, like BMW’s, has no mileage limit).
Used Mercedes-Benz C Class
Cars with a prestigious badge on the nose tend to hold their value well on the used market, and they don’t come much more prestigious than the three-pointed star of Mercedes. This version of the C-Class has barely been around for two years, though, so we don’t yet have a full picture of its long-term depreciation.
At the time of writing, the news looks better for new buyers than those in the market for a secondhand example. Dealers on BuyaCar were offering a significant discounts on all our recommended models, with the hefty savings on the C350e hybrid pretty much eliminating one of that car’s downsides: its high list price. And in the case of the high-performance C63 model, the available dealer discount was equivalent to the market value of a year-old car.
Value on the used C-Class market is most likely to be found in a low-mileage, two-year-old example, which will have a year of its manufacturer warranty still to run, but possibly be available for nearly 30% less than new.
Prices below show typical BuyaCar discounts for our pick of new and used models. Scroll down further for the very latest new Mercedes C-Class deals or search for all new and used Mercedes C-Class offers.
List price | BuyaCar new | 1 year old | 2 years old | 3 years old | ||
Best for performance | Price | £60,055 | £52,839 | £52,660 | N/a | N/a |
Save | 12% | 12% | N/a | N/a | ||
Best for families | Price | £31,675 | £28,113 | £25,705 | £23,315 | N/a |
Save | 11% | 19% | 26% | N/a | ||
Best for economy | Price | £38,270 | £31,514 | £34,690 | £31,300 | N/a |
Save | 18% | 9% | 18% | N/a |
Mercedes-Benz C Class Prices
Mercedes-Benz C Class AMG Line
c180 amg line 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 47.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,406
You could save up to: £6579
c180 amg line 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,798
You could save up to: £6787
c180 amg line premium 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,777
You could save up to: £7083
c180 amg line premium plus 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,144
You could save up to: £7436
c200 4matic amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,112
You could save up to: £7133
c200 4matic amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,091
You could save up to: £7429
c200 4matic amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,458
You could save up to: £7782
c200 amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,720
You could save up to: £6925
c200 amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,699
You could save up to: £7221
c200 amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,066
You could save up to: £7574
c200d amg line 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 68.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £28,834
You could save up to: £7866
c200d amg line 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,246
You could save up to: £8074
c200d amg line premium 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,225
You could save up to: £8370
c200d amg line premium plus 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,592
You could save up to: £8723
c220d 4matic amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,370
You could save up to: £8385
c220d 4matic amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,349
You could save up to: £8681
c220d 4matic amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,715
You could save up to: £9035
c220d amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,938
You could save up to: £8177
c220d amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,917
You could save up to: £8473
c220d amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,283
You could save up to: £8827
c300 amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,121
You could save up to: £7284
c300 amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,101
You could save up to: £7579
c300 amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 43.5mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,467
You could save up to: £7933
c300d 4matic amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,288
You could save up to: £8522
c300d 4matic amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,267
You could save up to: £8818
c300d 4matic amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £37,633
You could save up to: £9172
c300d amg line 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,856
You could save up to: £8314
c300d amg line premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,835
You could save up to: £8610
c300d amg line premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 57.7mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,201
You could save up to: £8964
Mercedes-Benz C Class SE
c180 se 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 47.1mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £24,670
You could save up to: £6170
c180 se 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £26,062
You could save up to: £6378
c200 se 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £26,984
You could save up to: £6516
c200d se 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £26,118
You could save up to: £7457
c200d se 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,510
You could save up to: £7665
c220d se 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,202
You could save up to: £7768
Mercedes-Benz C Class Sport
c180 sport 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 47.1mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £26,105
You could save up to: £6385
c180 sport 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,497
You could save up to: £6593
c180 sport premium 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,477
You could save up to: £6888
c180 sport premium plus 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,843
You could save up to: £7242
c200 sport 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,419
You could save up to: £6731
c200 sport premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,399
You could save up to: £7026
c200 sport premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 46.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,765
You could save up to: £7380
c200d sport 4dr
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 65.7mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,554
You could save up to: £7671
c200d sport 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,946
You could save up to: £7879
c200d sport premium 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,925
You could save up to: £8175
c200d sport premium plus 4dr auto
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,291
You could save up to: £8529
c220d sport 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,637
You could save up to: £7983
c220d sport premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,616
You could save up to: £8279
c220d sport premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,983
You could save up to: £8632
c300 sport 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 42.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,121
You could save up to: £7089
c300 sport premium 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 42.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,100
You could save up to: £7385
c300 sport premium plus 4dr 9g-tronic
- Doors 4
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 42.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,466
You could save up to: £7739
Other Editions
- Mercedes C-Class coupe (2015-present)Sporty, stylish and premium: The Mercedes C-Class coupe ticks all the boxes