Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon Review 2023
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon is a luxury four-door saloon car known for its elegant design and refined performance. Now in its fifth generation, the latest model comes with a high-quality interior, advanced technology, and a choice of hybrid engines.
Rivals to the C-Class Saloon include the BMW 3 Series Saloon, Jaguar XE, Audi A4 Saloon, and Volvo S60.
Our Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon review covers:
- Large front grille with big Mercedes emblem
- Premium interior
- 455-litre boot
- Petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid engines available
- Three trim levels: AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus
Pros:
- Lots of choice with the engines
- Pretty good fuel economy
- Premium cabin quality
Cons:
- Smaller boot than its rivals
- Ride quality could do with improvement
- Interior not particularly spacious
The C-Class Saloon's exterior is what you'd expect from Mercedes; it's modern, slick, and has an executive feel. It has a large Mercedes emblem on the front grille, LED lighting, and clean lines that flow elegantly from front to back.
The C-Class Saloon has a spacious and comfortable interior, providing plenty of head and legroom for front and rear passengers. It's worth noting that in the rear, there is a hump on the floor, and as a result, it's not as accommodating for three passengers as the cheaper Skoda Superb.
Boot space comes in at 455 litres for the standard C-Class Saloon. On the plug-in hybrid, luggage space decreases to accommodate the battery. The standard boot space is better than the Jaguar XE but falls short of the BMW 3 Series Saloon and Tesla Model 3.
The cabin of the C-Class Saloon is one of its standout features. It showcases a premium feel with soft-touch surfaces, elegant trims, and classy seating upholstery. It's massively improved since its last generation.
The dashboard is dominated by a massive 11.9-inch infotainment system. The screen is rectangular and similar to a tablet and comes with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, voice control, sat-nav, and a wireless smartphone charger as standard. It's a good system but falls short of the iDrive in the BMW 3 Series Saloon.
There's also a 12.9-inch digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel, which displays sharp graphics that complement the interior very well. On the AMG Line Premium trim and above it comes with an augmented reality feature to help with navigation.
The C-Class Saloon has three trims available: AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, and AMG Line Premium Plus.
AMG Line comes with 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, AMG body styling, two-zone automatic climate control, ambient lighting, brake callipers with 'Mercedes-Benz lettering', high-performance LED headlights, a reversing camera, and traffic sign assist.
AMG Line Premium adds to this with 19-inch multi-spoke light alloy wheels, digital light LED headlights, a 360-degree camera, heat and noise insulating acoustic glass, keyless go, augmented reality for navigation, a dash cam, and illuminated door sills.
AMG Line Premium Plus completes the trims with 19-inch 5-spoke light alloy wheels, four-zone automatic climate control, digital light LED headlights with projection function, a panoramic electric glass sunroof, a head-up display, and Burmester 3D surround sound with sound personalisation.
There's plenty of choice of engines in the C-Class Saloon. Mercedes offers two entry-level petrol units, two diesels, and a plug-in hybrid. There are also two performance-based AMG engines, the C43 and C63 Se, the former being a petrol unit and the latter a plug-in hybrid.
All units are 48-volt mild-hybrid (apart from the plug-ins) and are paired to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
Kicking off the range is the two petrol units. The entry-level version is the 1.5-litre C200; it has a power output of 204hp and achieves 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. The C300 ups power to 258hp while decreasing acceleration to just six seconds.
The diesels return pretty similar performance to their petrol counterparts, with the less powerful C220 d having a power output of 197hp and the C300 d with 265hp. The main pull of these units is that they have greater fuel economy, both returning an mpg that's above 50.
For those who want to keep up with their emissions, the C300e plug-in hybrid is a good enough alternative. It combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 129bhp electric motor to allow 0-62mph in just 6.1 seconds and a claimed fuel economy of 470.8mpg. It can also charge up to 55kW using a rapid charger, meaning a full charge takes 30 minutes.
The performance-based AMG engines are worth the extra money for those who want the most fun on the road. The petrol C43 has 408hp and achieves 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, while the plug-in hybrid C63 S e has a whopping 680hp and achieves 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds!
On the road, the C-Class Saloon is pretty good. The steering is accurate and gives you more confidence than the Audi A4 Saloon, and there's also not much body lean. However, it's not that sharp, meaning it can be a bit disengaging to drive.
In terms of comfort, the C-Class Saloon absorbs bumps and cracks okay. However, as you increase the wheel size, you feel the road much more. This is frustrating because the adaptive suspension is only available on performance-based AMG engines. With it equipped, ride comfort is excellent as you can change the mode depending on your environment.
Prices for the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon start from £43,715.00 OTR* or to lease from £294.18 per month.
Looking to get behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.
Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.
*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change, always check with your nearest retailer.
