This was a mere 150 km after a full service and it only needing a top up once in the previous 15,000km. To make matters worse, I performed an oil check and the car needed a litre of oil. Same fault as the first time it broke down - running on three cylinders, then on four but in limp mode and only capable of about 90kph with the engine warning light on. I got about 25 out if 40km on the way home and it broke down again. Being late in the day I decided to continue on home and go back the next day. The first thing I noticed immediately after driving away was a horrible rattling in the front suspension. $2000 later I picked up the car, having had the front suspension repaired, some pulleys and belts replaced and the reason it broke down in the first place diagnosed as wet spark plugs and rectified. Therefore I need a vehicle that is completely up to scratch. I gave clear indication that I didn't want it back unless it was 100% mechanically as I live 40km out of town in a rural area. I decided to have all recommended repairs done to hopefully sort it out for once and for. That's unfortunate I thought, so I had it towed back to the workshop. In its last episode I took it in for a service (Cost about $1000) On the way home it broke down. To make things worse the Mercedes dealership charges a fortune for half pie jobs that achieve very little. It went well for about three months and since then I have had nothing but issues with it. Price: £30,220 Top speed: 139mph 0-62mph: 8.8sec Economy: 38.I came to own this car 6 months ago and I have never been so disappointed in a vehicle.
Low mileage drivers in less of a hurry and on a (relatively) tight budget should find the C180 acceptable, but that acceptability stems more from the excellence of the car itself rather its motor. You need not much more than £2000 to turn this C 180 into a C 220 CDI, and if you can make the stretch, you’ll turn the least impressive C-Class Coupe in the range into the best all-rounder, the cheapest diesel version a good mix of poke, parsimony and refinement. And unnecessarily so in the case of this more languid Coupe, which is not about outright dynamism, even if the excellent seven-speed auto makes the best of the engine’s efforts. The ride of the test car was good too, but, UK models with their lowered suspension and bigger wheels may turn turbulent. The engine’s lack of truly solid shove means that the excellent chassis is rarely taxed, although you will discover satisfying chassis balance, strong grip and better-than-average steering feel. In fact, the C 180 isn’t so slow, but it’s definitely at its best as a cruiser. So does the engine itself, whose slightly diesel-ish torque delivery means that there’s little point in revving it. So it’s practical, and comfortable too with excellent front seats and very impressive refinement that has the slightly unfortunate effect, in the case of this entry-level engine, of making this coupe appear rather languid. It’s very well finished, roomy up front, adequately spacious in the rear, has a decently big boot and folding rear seats. This is a svelte, civilised coupe whose interior is inviting even in the car’s least expensive guise.
And to induce them into showrooms over here, all UK C-class coupes get an AMG body kit, 18-inch alloys and a 15mm lower ride height as standard to counter the M-Sport and S-Line offerings of BMW and Audi.
That gives Mercedes a direct rival to both the BMW 3-series coupe and the Audi A5, and a car it believes will appeal to younger buyers.