charliefarley
New Member
Hello all,
I received my new Company Bus on 3rd January and have now put 2k miles on her. It is a C220D Sport Estate 125 Ed. in black. Due to being frankly a little tight (and approaching the upper limit of company car band), I have specced no extras- so I actually run a manual Mercedes!!! Having said that, the standard spec is pretty damned good. As a guide I specced up an A4 Avant on-line with all the same kit and it came in @ £3.5k extra!
I have been running an A4 TDi Avant S-Line 140bhp for the last 3 years. Whilst it is undoubtedly a good looking car and VERY well built, I was never really a fan. Standard equipment on a so-called 'Hi-spec' model was limited- the interior, whilst actually spacious- felt cramped; the boot was tiny (we have a lab & baby on the way)- and most significantly, the ride was absolutely shockingly harsh!!!! By far and away the best thing with it was the level of service from our local dealer, Shrewsbury Audi- they really went above & beyond the norm.
So, in choosing my new one, I looked at C-Class, Volvo V60, Beemer 3-Series Touring & Mazda 6 (The 6 was from the band below whereby I would have been paid an extra £100/month).
The Beemer was nice to drive- but I was also conscious that there is a new model on the way, so would soon be dated. The Volvo was nice to look at and be inside, but dull to drive & with a smaller boot than the V50. The Mazda was nice to drive, huge & well-specced- but the interior finish was incredibly plastic and filled me with worry as to the level of rattles and squeaks after the first year. The Merc impressed me on demo as a good all-rounder, though not excellent in any one area (bar the bigger boot). However it was comfy, came well specced as a 125 Ed. and looks good in my opinion.
After ordering, I spent a lot of time lurking on here and gradually getting excited. On the day, I was actually like a child at Christmas. Initially, however, I was a little underwhelmed with the refinement, Economy and bizarrely the quality of the stereo, (which had impressed on demo).
However, after loosening up a bit, the economy is picking up (42 actual on last tank), I am beginning to appreciate just how much more refined it is to drive than the Audi & the speaker sound quality improved dramatically at about 650 miles! As I spendf more time in it, the more I appreciate it- for me the biggest difference over the Audi is how nice it is to be pushed along rather than pulled- being Rwd really does make it much more of a drivers car in my opinion.
Highlights:
All in, I reckon I am a Merc convert already.... No regrets, though I almost wish that i'd opted out of the car scheme, taken the cash alternative and sourced my own ex-demo... C250D Sport 125 with 7G, leather, metallic & heated seats.
Sorry for rambling on, but thought I'd share the loss of my MB virginity!
I received my new Company Bus on 3rd January and have now put 2k miles on her. It is a C220D Sport Estate 125 Ed. in black. Due to being frankly a little tight (and approaching the upper limit of company car band), I have specced no extras- so I actually run a manual Mercedes!!! Having said that, the standard spec is pretty damned good. As a guide I specced up an A4 Avant on-line with all the same kit and it came in @ £3.5k extra!
I have been running an A4 TDi Avant S-Line 140bhp for the last 3 years. Whilst it is undoubtedly a good looking car and VERY well built, I was never really a fan. Standard equipment on a so-called 'Hi-spec' model was limited- the interior, whilst actually spacious- felt cramped; the boot was tiny (we have a lab & baby on the way)- and most significantly, the ride was absolutely shockingly harsh!!!! By far and away the best thing with it was the level of service from our local dealer, Shrewsbury Audi- they really went above & beyond the norm.
So, in choosing my new one, I looked at C-Class, Volvo V60, Beemer 3-Series Touring & Mazda 6 (The 6 was from the band below whereby I would have been paid an extra £100/month).
The Beemer was nice to drive- but I was also conscious that there is a new model on the way, so would soon be dated. The Volvo was nice to look at and be inside, but dull to drive & with a smaller boot than the V50. The Mazda was nice to drive, huge & well-specced- but the interior finish was incredibly plastic and filled me with worry as to the level of rattles and squeaks after the first year. The Merc impressed me on demo as a good all-rounder, though not excellent in any one area (bar the bigger boot). However it was comfy, came well specced as a 125 Ed. and looks good in my opinion.
After ordering, I spent a lot of time lurking on here and gradually getting excited. On the day, I was actually like a child at Christmas. Initially, however, I was a little underwhelmed with the refinement, Economy and bizarrely the quality of the stereo, (which had impressed on demo).
However, after loosening up a bit, the economy is picking up (42 actual on last tank), I am beginning to appreciate just how much more refined it is to drive than the Audi & the speaker sound quality improved dramatically at about 650 miles! As I spendf more time in it, the more I appreciate it- for me the biggest difference over the Audi is how nice it is to be pushed along rather than pulled- being Rwd really does make it much more of a drivers car in my opinion.
Highlights:
- Comand, which is absolutely fantastic- especially Linguatronic & Ipod compatability
- The intelligent light system
- Ride comfort despite being on 18 inch wheels
- Torque levels- esp vs. 140Bhp Audi
- Engine Refinement (once warmed up)
- Electric Tailgate & boot size- our lab looks much happier in it!
- Looks- I do actually turn around when I'm walking away.
- Hill assist (genuinely works and crucial on a manual with foot park-brake)
- Parktronic- the lights system rather than just bleepers, is very effective.
- Build quality- solid as a brick ImO
- The steering wheel obstructs the view of my speedo in the critical 60 - 90 sector.
- There is not a full-time temperature reading
- The glovebox is rather small & fiddly to close with booklets etc in it.
- Nowhere to put a water bottle > 330ml
All in, I reckon I am a Merc convert already.... No regrets, though I almost wish that i'd opted out of the car scheme, taken the cash alternative and sourced my own ex-demo... C250D Sport 125 with 7G, leather, metallic & heated seats.
Sorry for rambling on, but thought I'd share the loss of my MB virginity!
