I’ve ordered a Maptun stage 1, but mainly so I can run it on E85 which is less than half the price of unleaded or diesel over here, as far as I can tell it will only add about 15hp, but as I say the main objective is for it to be flex fuel. Still after a 150hp Saab 2.0t, a 265hp Aero should be a riot 😁
No where near as good 😆... Not saying it’s a bad car at all. It really isn’t, but it’s no comparison for this Much newer Mercedes. Enjoy it though. Sounds a bargain.
At 18:17 I thought i was on a salvage rebuilds video, Rob and Chris test cars on that same road, i recognize the roundabout and the bridge :) Thus, an honest review and it was a nice time watching !
It's so strange seeing this, as last time it was a full Furiousdriving review on an S205, it was the C200 my mother owns. The lack of spare wheel came to bite me in March last year when I had a puncture, and the inflation kit didn't help at all, so I had to be recovered on a flat bed to the tyre bay... Very comfortable to drive, got surprisingly good economy on a few long runs recently. Was interesting parking them both side by side last month! That stereo in yours does look very impressive.
car share with 2 of guys, 1 had a diesel estate. my word was it a seriously comfortable place to be, and well mannered on an A or B road. The case for a SUV / CUV looks decidedly ropey with such an accomplished all rounder. Good choice
Extremely detailed review Matt. I bet most owners would not have a clue on most of that stuff. Nice to hear that a modern car, on low profile tyres, actually rides well.
It's a gorgeous car, shame it's not much cop to drive. At least it's a nice place to spend time, and it'll encourage you to get out in your classics more on the weekend!
The cabin does look very nice and it's good to see so many physical buttons remain. I'm surprised that Mercedes have made the car lighter as that's a very rare thing with the changing in generations of a car. I was keen to see if you were warming to the car with the issues you mentioned pretty much from the point of collection. I suppose the fact that you still have the car is a good sign.
I've spent 14 happy years with my S204, covering 73k miles. My original intention was to trade it in when the S205 was announced, then it changed to trade in when the S205 facelift was released and then when the S206 came about. None of these have happened and now I am leaving the MB stable. This has come about because the UK importers haven't allowed me the choice of configuring the model I require with the engine spec. Perhaps I will enjoy the next car as much as the Merc, only time will tell. At least it conforms to the spec I required.
more and more makers are locking in trim levels and engines so finding your perfect car is much harder than it used to be. I did 70k + miles in my 204 as well, great cars
Very nice interesting indeed as I have a very late 2014 S204 250 AMG Premium Line and have been wondering what to replace with (apart from a 340i Touring) and now I've no doubt the S205 maybe in C300 or C43 spec would be perfect, so thank you.
Does this one have the 7G or the 9G gearbox? My aunt has the E350CDI with the 7G and the engine is really strong, but the gearbox is definitely sluggish from a stand still. I've heard you can get this mapped out in the software as it is a fuel saving/emissions reducing effort.
such a great review of your own car matt it’s a lovely looking car and well specced as well i can see evolution from the s204/w204 i remember when i worked for mercedes’ that the manual gearbox models were far outsold by the automatic manual tended to be low spec models as you said and increasingly now they are not offered at all. it’s good to see the gearbox reset is helping
I prefer the interior and exterior of the W204. Mercs always look better with straight, muscular lines to me. I've had both models and I genuinely think the W204 was better built too. Also, I really don't think the window and seat controls are metal. They will be aluminium coated plastic. Still a nice car though.
I have this car and its brilliant. I think tbh why it doesnt feel so nimble to you is that you got winter tyres on as well as 4matic. The way I dive into the apex sometimes suprises many including myself. Get ps4 on low fuel tank in sport+ it goes man. Diesels have that intial torque as well. Its a lot of a car for the money is what I always say about my wagon.
It is astonishingly comfortable, and great for long journeys. I was going to fit a set of Conti Sport Contact 7s but think I might have left it too long as the weathers getting cold now, so will want the winter tyres now!
I really like this generation of MB C class (as well as the 204). The bonnet on the 205 looks much longer than the one on the 204 (in picture at least). While this makes it looks very elegant, I'll be worried when pulling out from a blind junction. Over all, a very nice car and very likely a future classic. Hope you enjoy it for years to come.
I assume by now you have found the “mini player” for changing tracks / radio station whilst in nav? If not, press the pimple in the touchpad to bring it up.
I find I hate the way manufacturers just take a screen and just "bung" it on to the dash, rather than integrate it. They look cheap and home made. They can make them fold into the dash, like on the Lucid EV.
@@furiousdriving I think a parking symbol and a direction arrow shows up in the digital display in the instrument cluster when it senses a parking space it will fit in. It's only active below a certain speed.
I have the facelift and im with Matt on the autobox, it's really bad if you don't come to a full stop at a junction it really laggy. It performs well at everything else, perhaps not the mpg
I think you have hit the point, where the technology is so good that as an enthusiast, you don't enjoy it. My Dad has a modern Passat. It's a fantastic car but I've always found it boring. It's too smooth and well insulated. I can't ever remember driving it! 😴 your head says it's got a beautiful interior and it's comfortable over distance but your heart wants fun and a engaging drive. Guess you will have to see how you get on. If you accept it for what it is. You'll probably learn to enjoy it more. 🙂
Great honest review Matt, I really like the look of the Merc and looks a nice place to be in for eating up the miles, I would have thought the infotainment system might have been more integrated into the dash for a Mercedes, but aside from that its a nice car to be in.
Very classy car, especially the interior. Normally I don't like dark interiors, but this one is perfect. Front end really has presence, only downside in my opinion: no more classic Mercedes grille with the star on the bonnet. Hope you enjoy it for many years, even though you don't like the slush box. Great review Matt!
Its looks sell it well, and the interior is sublime, its just whether Im willing to pay this much for a car I dont love when there are so many others to try
The digital display really lets down what is a lovely interior, just looks a complete after thought. Wouldn't be so bad if they designed it to slide away but it's just there all the time.
Most of the switches, certainly the window and centre console piano key are plastic but the metal effect is very very convincing. The steering wheel from the 2018+ model is a big upgrade. The cruise control lever is removed and the controls go to the left hand side of the wheel. each side also has a little thumb pad also. The centre console controls are of course on the wrong side for RHD models. The driving mode should be nearest the driver.
I like the various levers to flip the rear seats down for loading, smart touch. There are definitely a number of comfort and refinement elements to it all. I hope you can come to peace with the gearbox at some point!
These are very hard to get the unicorn spec in if you are picky, I love heated seats but my 204 doesn't have them but has full electric memory seats go figure.
I had the preface lift C300h w205 estate. Same spec as yours except I see they deleted the leather stitched dash and door tops as standard. But mines didn't have the clock, and frustratingly because it was the hybrid, didn't have the outside temperature. I had to convince a Mercedes tech that it could be coded.
It was because one of the driver information display locations had the hybrid battery percentage and mercedes instance that km/h always be displayed (even though there was an option in the menu to turn it off). I trawled through the forums and found that it could be done with some coding and found a Merc engineer who would do it for me, but it wasn't perfect, it wasn't permanently visible.
I have a 2016 c220d with the horrible plastic. Looking to see if I can swap it out for the wood effect. I didn't like that l the car at first but it's a grower:)
You can change the trim, I looked at that before buying as I couldnt find a manual with wood, but then could only find the trim for the auto version. Its about £450 - £500 on ebay for the parts
Tavarish changed the steering wheel on his AMG saloon, because of "the clown": The chrome rings around the dials are the clown's eyes, the horn is the clown's nose, and the chrome spokes on the bottom of the steering wheel make up the clown's open mouth. Once you see it you can't unsee it. ;)
Hate the Fake.. had a 2010 c 350 .. quality had dropped but then..cheep plastic flex around the instrument cluster.. still was a lovely car. Hellish thirsty
The screen was one of a number of features that put me off from changing my s204 to the S205. To me it looked like a tv attached to a chimney breast. The piano black plastic was another.
Good thorough review of a very nice desirable Merc c class estate which I’m interested in too….although most popular are c220d…is it worth the extra for the c250d?? Liked & subbed👀😎👍🏼
I think its worth it as you get a bit more power from the same engine, you could remap a 220 but this is factory so included in the price and wont affect your insurance
@@furiousdriving think of it being an auto this way…. It’s your daily cruiser and when you want your play time you have the rover 200 vi, the Tomcat, and your other manual cars can’t exactly say the Volvo is a sporty car haha. I personally have an automatic c class now for only one reason and one reason only. I’m a mechanic and I drive manuals every single day and it’s a commute to work and back and the last thing I want now as I’m 35 is to be at crawl in traffic clutch in and out after a hard days work just climb in put in D and Waft home 🏠 🤣
Nice test. You in Kent??! Looks like i seen that bridge in the Salvage Rebuilds UK lol. Regarding the gliding function, unless the engine goes off disconnecting the the transmission is like coasting in neutral and will not save fuel as the engine needs fuel to turn instead of using the power of the wheels for that, but you already know that hahH
yes, this was up in Sheppey, much be close to them there. Things have moved on with engine management so it is idling but as lean as possible, not like the old mechanical injection days
Wow here in Australia Mercedes is considered a luxury brand & as such we don't get a manual option at all. In fact we haven't had a manual Mercedes for at least 25 years in Australia. All of what is your car is standard equipment for us. We pay extra for Nappa leather and different wood trim But a C250 4Matic is top line & comes with All the bells & whistles as Standard.
Just a sidenote, but I doubt it comes with literally "all" equipment, if you have looked at a merc, bmw, audi true options list, at least for continental european market, they got options avalible out the wazoo. Most people that arent really super interested in optioning their cars havent heard of half of whats availible and even mr furious example have many options missing in that regard.
@@GoldenCroc we still have option packs in Australian cars just a lot less. It seams the euro & UK cars need to have umpteen boxes ticked to get a nice one.
@@anakinskywalker4113 Yep, thats very true about the boxes, especially uk cars are very bare bones compared to many other places. Still I doubt that even with all the packs optioned in, you get all the continental "a la carte full option cars" just by ordering packs, even in Australia. No expert about the australian market at all, but that is the case for every place that do "packs" that I know of. Sometime, many options just plain arent avalible in a certain market, not at list prices anyway... My car (BMW) for example, has stuff from what they call "individual", a separate option list that very few buyers even know it exist. Pretty sure Mercedes and audi has something very similar.
Far too many gadgets and gizmos for my liking, a car is just a means to get from A to B in comfort or to take part in motorsport. Who wants or needs a flappy paddle gearbox in a road car? I think you may have to acquire a normal road wheel and fit it with a non directional tyre for a spare and keep in the back if will not fit beneath the boot floor. A ring around some breakers may be cheaper than the Mercedes dealers.
I'm slightly surprised by the fuel economy figures. I have the very smallest C180 petrol engine in a moderately well specced post 2018 car. I had previously owned diesels but diesel is as good as dead in the Swiss market and has been for at least 5 years now. I had been warned the performance wasn't great but TBH a family car that does 0-60 in 8.4 seconds is perfectly OK with me and I know it'll top 200kph on the autobahns which is about as fast as I want to go (the official figures say 140mph/225kph tops). If you say you are getting 49MPG on a run, that's surprising poor in my book - I'd expect mid 50s with the transmission and aerodynamics. At motorway speeds here the petrol engine gets about 46-47MPG. So barely any difference and basic science says there should be. The secret of course is the 9 speed auto which is perfectly matched to the motor - it does a fair bit of swapping around of the top 3 ratios while cruising depending on terrain and the load that puts on the motor. I remember reading at the time these were first introduced Mercedes claimed it was worth up to 16% better economy which no engine tweak is likely to deliver. Of course around town economy dips to middle 30s and even below 30 for short journeys but as a distance car the gap to diesel is much smaller than I would have expected. I absolutely love my 205 C wagon and the best bit is the transmission!
Well my 1995 Peugeot 306 saloon with a 1.4 petrol gets about 50 MPG on the highway while my parents' brand new Opel Crossland with a 1.5 diesel gets some 43 on the highway... To be fair my old Peugeot is an actually well designed car while the Opel is one of those crossover monstrosities so I have much better aerodynamics and half a ton less weight in my car that's 26 years older.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge Indeed. You can't help conclude that it's all gone horribly wrong with SUVs and crossovers these days. I have no idea what the appeal is and what annoys me with the move to electric is Tesla aside the choice not to own one of these monstrosities is slowly being taken away. Other than the MG, electric choice for a proper estate is pretty minimal. If someone made a c-class estate at no more than a 20% premium to the petrol, then I'd be all over it (minimum range 400km). But diesel in the same chassis should give a noticeable step change in economy and certainly a 306 equivalent would be up around 60mpg.
@@peterbroad1772 The 306 would get better mileage but it's geared so low it's already at like 3000 RPM in 5th gear at 100 kph. That too, aside from slowly not actually owning your own cars, electric cars are pretty underwhelming, especially in places where there is zero infrastructure. And also for people like me, I don't really drive that much, I live in a small city so I don't have any need for a car every day, and I have no garage so it stays on the street. With an electric car this would be a nightmare, I get like an emergency and need to start the car after sitting for a month or more and then what, battery is drained or will be drained very soon. With my old petrol car it can sit for nearly a year with a good battery.
Consumption differences between petrol and diesel have lessened over the years, since modern petrols use a lot of clever technology that makes it behave like a diesel in many situations.
What are you doing going onto Sheppey? Was watching thinking I recognised the roads 😂😂 I think I feel the same way about my V90 as you do about this. Nice, comfortable and modern, but the 94 960 I have is so much more comfortable and nicer to drive so I actually like it more as a car...Despite the fact that there's always something broken on it 😂
A Twin Turbo Diesel will give you stump pulling torque and flexibility with very good economy that a petrol powered equivalent can only dream of. The petrol may be able to keep up easily enough but the range will be a third less, at best. Above All, It's a Mercedes Benz.
Lol, an Alan Partridge moment with the "nice action" comment about the door switches. Watching that made me realise that cars have changed somewhat since I made my last automotive purchase, a Skoda Fabia with 16K on the clock in 2008 (still driving it with 182K on the clock). Basically I am your alter ego, a bloke who has a monogamous attitude to car ownership. Yes, I know I belong in the fifties but that doesn't mean I'm not up to speed with modern tech, I am a computer geek, I love it. However in the world of cars the tech is still ridiculously non standard, with short term obsolescence purposely designed into every motor so it is no longer supported 5 minutes after it leaves the factory. So I'm curious, with so many buttons and stalks in a car like that how long does it take with the owners manual before it feels intuitive and you know what every button, stalk and dial does? Got to be at least one long evening? Or is it 5 minutes cos you have grown "organically" with the tech over the years?
@@furiousdriving Fair play, I've just had a new clutch put in the Fabia, so I'm not going to buy new/newish for a year (or so). Looks like I will have a cosy evening with an owners manual when the day comes!
A proper station wagon (estate car) has all the toys lots of metal and wood in the interior but no spare tyre my toyota hilux has a full size spare wheel what a luxury item that is a lot of tech but 40mpg very good our Suzuki Beleno gets an average of 42mpg from 1.5 litre petrol engine but at least it has a space savour spare wheel
I still don't get it, so you're destroying EXPENSIVE winter tyres :D and sacrifice handling & safety, I would definetly buy some cheap used summers just to save on those winters (or sell them and buy decent summers) but hey, it's not my car and decision, and it would make sense only in the long run. Cheers
@@furiousdriving Just get whatever used tire you can find...... it will still be better than a winter tire in summer....... and you're just destrying the winter tires... so you have to buy those instead... How is that cheaper?
When I had my 2016 Ford CMax 2.0TDCI Titanium parked in the car park with my Dad's Focus beside mine this guy parked his Mercedes C class on the road ,well the C class took itself down the road&just missed crashing into our car's.
Am I wrong, or is the 4-matic 'option' really about M-B doing the same as BMW (with their X-drive) and secretly moving over to front-wheel-drive architecture, but then having to admit that FWD doesn't provide the expected dynamics, hence strapping on a traditional RWD addition? 4WD in the UK is a complete vanity red herring anyway unless you live in the remote wilderness, although I entirely agree that RWD is hopeless on icy / slushy roads in winter. I have to drive over at least one hill on my daily commute and I sometimes wonder how embarrassed are the BMW/M-B drivers stuck pointing uphill (and holding up traffic) because they can't get traction on slippery days. You pays your money, you gets what you deserves, hehe.... I'll live with my FWD peasantmobile.
I have to say, as a Mercedes owner this shows all which is good about them, but sadly what is lacking. I guess you expect something special for the cost, and the badge. This is just not any more ‘special’ to me than what the likes of KIA are brining out at less cost. Mercedes over did it with the chrome effect, but it keeps it a more stylish proposition for the US and Chinese markets. The screen looks awful, massive bezel, lacks really anything special [no Apple Car Play for example]. This was no cheap car to buy used either, I’m selling mine and going to Volvo which has come on leaps and bounds in quality and status.
I think it's a fabulous car and would be very happy to waft about in it, however, you're never going to be happy with it because it's an auto. Despite all the things that are great about it you always return to the same "Grrr it's a dam auto Grrrr" Get rid of it!!!
Fortunately the a and b class are being discontinued in 2024 because Mercedes are concentrating on quality over quantity . The a and b class tends to attract the wrong kind of Mercedes owner ie folk who wanted a Mercedes but really couldn’t afford to maintain a Mercedes’ and should of brought a budget friendly car
@@bmwman1981 that's the problem when people who are used to driving cars that can handle not being serviced and not being maintained properly then jump to cars like Merc and BMW thinking the that they can do the same thing.
God modern cars are BOOORING. Sorry! I class myself as an long time car enthusiast but todays modern car just turn me completely off. They just don't interest me in the slightest, they don't even look particulary appealing. Much to over complicated, stupid money, often iffy reliability, cost an arm to service and maintain. Narr. I would like to go in the other direct please. A good condition 40 year old plus everyday use classic is going to be the next vehicle for me. Sorry furious driving.
Nice. But I think I’ll stick to the 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero I just bought for… £1150.
Proper car those, pre Merc I had many Saabs...
I also drive a 2006 9-5 Aero 250bhp, look into "Noob tune" by a Saab expert called Karl, mine now has 280bhp and 420nm and is absolutely bonkers fast!
I’ve ordered a Maptun stage 1, but mainly so I can run it on E85 which is less than half the price of unleaded or diesel over here, as far as I can tell it will only add about 15hp, but as I say the main objective is for it to be flex fuel.
Still after a 150hp Saab 2.0t, a 265hp Aero should be a riot 😁
No where near as good 😆... Not saying it’s a bad car at all. It really isn’t, but it’s no comparison for this Much newer Mercedes. Enjoy it though. Sounds a bargain.
@@jameshunterford4099
Either of them is better than an SUV!
At 18:17 I thought i was on a salvage rebuilds video, Rob and Chris test cars on that same road, i recognize the roundabout and the bridge :) Thus, an honest review and it was a nice time watching !
Ah, the old Kingsferry bridge - must mean Matt's been to the Isle of Sheppey and therefore has my deepest sympathy!
Damm mate, you beat me on that i just said that hahahaha
I was just thinking the same thing.
@@organiccold funny thing we all watch the same YT channels haha
@@alexnagel1580 that means we have good taste lol
It's so strange seeing this, as last time it was a full Furiousdriving review on an S205, it was the C200 my mother owns. The lack of spare wheel came to bite me in March last year when I had a puncture, and the inflation kit didn't help at all, so I had to be recovered on a flat bed to the tyre bay... Very comfortable to drive, got surprisingly good economy on a few long runs recently. Was interesting parking them both side by side last month! That stereo in yours does look very impressive.
Im dreading getting a puncture, and quite annoyed as I thought I could add a spare to it
I used a Holt's tyreweld foam tin years ago worked a treat left it in for life of the tyre only £3:50 a few cans are light to carry.
@@furiousdriving , I don't think you can get a spare, sadly.
car share with 2 of guys, 1 had a diesel estate. my word was it a seriously comfortable place to be, and well mannered on an A or B road. The case for a SUV / CUV looks decidedly ropey with such an accomplished all rounder. Good choice
Thanks
Thank you, much appreciated!
Extremely detailed review Matt. I bet most owners would not have a clue on most of that stuff. Nice to hear that a modern car, on low profile tyres, actually rides well.
It's a gorgeous car, shame it's not much cop to drive. At least it's a nice place to spend time, and it'll encourage you to get out in your classics more on the weekend!
The cabin does look very nice and it's good to see so many physical buttons remain.
I'm surprised that Mercedes have made the car lighter as that's a very rare thing with the changing in generations of a car.
I was keen to see if you were warming to the car with the issues you mentioned pretty much from the point of collection. I suppose the fact that you still have the car is a good sign.
A very well specified car. Would be interesting to know what its initial "list" price was when new.
When you look at those dials and that wheel, do you see Roland Rat too?
It will be interesting to see whether this model is as reliable as the previous version long term, there are some articles that suggest it isn’t.
This car has 100k on it with no issues, so its doing pretty well so far!
I've spent 14 happy years with my S204, covering 73k miles. My original intention was to trade it in when the S205 was announced, then it changed to trade in when the S205 facelift was released and then when the S206 came about. None of these have happened and now I am leaving the MB stable. This has come about because the UK importers haven't allowed me the choice of configuring the model I require with the engine spec. Perhaps I will enjoy the next car as much as the Merc, only time will tell. At least it conforms to the spec I required.
more and more makers are locking in trim levels and engines so finding your perfect car is much harder than it used to be.
I did 70k + miles in my 204 as well, great cars
Very nice interesting indeed as I have a very late 2014 S204 250 AMG Premium Line and have been wondering what to replace with (apart from a 340i Touring) and now I've no doubt the S205 maybe in C300 or C43 spec would be perfect, so thank you.
We got a new 2022 Toyota Camry SE earlier in the year, great car but seems so much smaller than previous generations especially the cabin space.
Does this one have the 7G or the 9G gearbox? My aunt has the E350CDI with the 7G and the engine is really strong, but the gearbox is definitely sluggish from a stand still. I've heard you can get this mapped out in the software as it is a fuel saving/emissions reducing effort.
such a great review of your own car matt it’s a lovely looking car and well specced as well i can see evolution from the s204/w204 i remember when i worked for mercedes’ that the manual gearbox models were far outsold by the automatic manual tended to be low spec models as you said and increasingly now they are not offered at all. it’s good to see the gearbox reset is helping
I prefer the interior and exterior of the W204. Mercs always look better with straight, muscular lines to me. I've had both models and I genuinely think the W204 was better built too.
Also, I really don't think the window and seat controls are metal. They will be aluminium coated plastic.
Still a nice car though.
I have this car and its brilliant. I think tbh why it doesnt feel so nimble to you is that you got winter tyres on as well as 4matic.
The way I dive into the apex sometimes suprises many including myself. Get ps4 on low fuel tank in sport+ it goes man. Diesels have that intial torque as well. Its a lot of a car for the money is what I always say about my wagon.
It is astonishingly comfortable, and great for long journeys. I was going to fit a set of Conti Sport Contact 7s but think I might have left it too long as the weathers getting cold now, so will want the winter tyres now!
I really like this generation of MB C class (as well as the 204). The bonnet on the 205 looks much longer than the one on the 204 (in picture at least). While this makes it looks very elegant, I'll be worried when pulling out from a blind junction.
Over all, a very nice car and very likely a future classic. Hope you enjoy it for years to come.
I assume by now you have found the “mini player” for changing tracks / radio station whilst in nav? If not, press the pimple in the touchpad to bring it up.
yes, thats a brilliant easter egg!
Great review. The rear ventilation console reminds me of Zippy from Rainbows face 😁
I sense you are still to truly fall in love with this car. At least you have a working VI again to satisfy your need for a good back road blast
I like it alot but I dont think Id miss it
I find I hate the way manufacturers just take a screen and just "bung" it on to the dash, rather than integrate it. They look cheap and home made. They can make them fold into the dash, like on the Lucid EV.
I would just want to yank that screen out and chuck it in the bin. :p
Now does it have the automated hands free parking option that sometimes works fairly well and other times makes a right pigs breakfast of it?
not quite, it has a sensor that finds a parking space it will fit in, but Ive not figured out how that works
@@furiousdriving I think a parking symbol and a direction arrow shows up in the digital display in the instrument cluster when it senses a parking space it will fit in.
It's only active below a certain speed.
Great video Matt, just bought myself an s204 350 cdi which I’m loving, first MB and first automatic.
I know the 204 will be excellent, they always are, but this will be my last auto unit the EVs take over!
I have the facelift and im with Matt on the autobox, it's really bad if you don't come to a full stop at a junction it really laggy. It performs well at everything else, perhaps not the mpg
I think you have hit the point, where the technology is so good that as an enthusiast, you don't enjoy it. My Dad has a modern Passat. It's a fantastic car but I've always found it boring. It's too smooth and well insulated. I can't ever remember driving it! 😴 your head says it's got a beautiful interior and it's comfortable over distance but your heart wants fun and a engaging drive. Guess you will have to see how you get on. If you accept it for what it is. You'll probably learn to enjoy it more. 🙂
You could get a space saver type wheel just depends on how “savvy” the guy is your asking 🤔🤔
Great honest review Matt, I really like the look of the Merc and looks a nice place to be in for eating up the miles, I would have thought the infotainment system might have been more integrated into the dash for a Mercedes, but aside from that its a nice car to be in.
I dont like the Tesla style screens everyone has jumped on, hopefully that phase will pass soon
Very classy car, especially the interior. Normally I don't like dark interiors, but this one is perfect. Front end really has presence, only downside in my opinion: no more classic Mercedes grille with the star on the bonnet. Hope you enjoy it for many years, even though you don't like the slush box. Great review Matt!
Its looks sell it well, and the interior is sublime, its just whether Im willing to pay this much for a car I dont love when there are so many others to try
The digital display really lets down what is a lovely interior, just looks a complete after thought. Wouldn't be so bad if they designed it to slide away but it's just there all the time.
Most of the switches, certainly the window and centre console piano key are plastic but the metal effect is very very convincing. The steering wheel from the 2018+ model is a big upgrade. The cruise control lever is removed and the controls go to the left hand side of the wheel. each side also has a little thumb pad also. The centre console controls are of course on the wrong side for RHD models. The driving mode should be nearest the driver.
I like the various levers to flip the rear seats down for loading, smart touch. There are definitely a number of comfort and refinement elements to it all. I hope you can come to peace with the gearbox at some point!
Hi Matt, have you considered reaching out to the previous owner to see if they still has the load cover lying in their barn or double garagel?
I called the dealer but he hadn’t been given it and I don’t have any contact details for the last owner as it’s not on the V5 anymore
These are very hard to get the unicorn spec in if you are picky, I love heated seats but my 204 doesn't have them but has full electric memory seats go figure.
I had the preface lift C300h w205 estate. Same spec as yours except I see they deleted the leather stitched dash and door tops as standard.
But mines didn't have the clock, and frustratingly because it was the hybrid, didn't have the outside temperature. I had to convince a Mercedes tech that it could be coded.
Why does that mean it didn't have the outside temperature? Just out of interest
thats an old thing to delete with the hybrid!
It was because one of the driver information display locations had the hybrid battery percentage and mercedes instance that km/h always be displayed (even though there was an option in the menu to turn it off).
I trawled through the forums and found that it could be done with some coding and found a Merc engineer who would do it for me, but it wasn't perfect, it wasn't permanently visible.
I assume your village isn't on the Isle of Sheppey then? I don't think they have 'harsh' winters.... nor does much of Kent to be honest!
I have a 2016 c220d with the horrible plastic. Looking to see if I can swap it out for the wood effect. I didn't like that l the car at first but it's a grower:)
You can change the trim, I looked at that before buying as I couldnt find a manual with wood, but then could only find the trim for the auto version.
Its about £450 - £500 on ebay for the parts
Best review of w205 wagon I have seen
If you want tea shelfery the 2015-2018 Toyota corolla has a great tea shelf
Manual 205 c classes are horrible I work in a main dealer and you don't see many of them and for good reason!
Isn't it the same gearbox as the 204? Mine was fine and I honestly preferred driving that to this
I don’t think I ever driven a nice manual Mercedes ever .Mercedes have excellent auto boxes
Tavarish changed the steering wheel on his AMG saloon, because of "the clown": The chrome rings around the dials are the clown's eyes, the horn is the clown's nose, and the chrome spokes on the bottom of the steering wheel make up the clown's open mouth. Once you see it you can't unsee it. ;)
Tavarish is a clown himself.
Why is it still wearing winter tyres in July?!
its what it came with
Hate the Fake.. had a 2010 c 350 .. quality had dropped but then..cheep plastic flex around the instrument cluster.. still was a lovely car. Hellish thirsty
I don't know modern cars, what would be the non-premium equivalent car these days?
Most of D-segment cars, I suppose.
Kia Ceed Sportwagon, Mazda6, Hyundai i40. Mondeo and Insignia have been dropped sadly
Hope you're coping with the tropical weather, Matt. Solarphobes of the world, unite!!.😎
Loving the A/C in the car, its the only way, or jump in the freezer at Sainsburys
I bet you're very happy that you bought the MB with air conditioning!
that is one big plus point for it!
Suddenly the gearbox is ok?
no. Improved by the reset, still a bit meh
@@furiousdriving cheers!
Why can't Mercedes-Benz integrate those screens properly into the dash, it just looks odd, Otherwise the interior looks good.
its the current style, everyone seems to be doing it
@@furiousdriving Have a look at Volvo...😉👍🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
The screen was one of a number of features that put me off from changing my s204 to the S205. To me it looked like a tv attached to a chimney breast. The piano black plastic was another.
@@flemmingsorensen5470
Or Skoda Superb 🇨🇿 🇨🇿 🇨🇿
Yeah, every car maker now days is followig this "afterthought" design language for some reason.
Looks like a very practical everyday car then. Nice.
Thank goodness it doesn't have that written across the boot! Reminiscent of the 80's Fords where most of the boot lids were taken up with letters!
Good thorough review of a very nice desirable Merc c class estate which I’m interested in too….although most popular are c220d…is it worth the extra for the c250d?? Liked & subbed👀😎👍🏼
I think its worth it as you get a bit more power from the same engine, you could remap a 220 but this is factory so included in the price and wont affect your insurance
Pretty certain those buttons for the mirrors are made of plastic
Now I'm wondering what you were up to on 'the island' as we North Kent people say :-)
Had a photoshoot for 'normal' work
Did you find a apple car play android auto upgrade?
They're everywhere on AliExpress 🤣
@@fhwolthuis and work very well
Yes, found a good one but its quite expensive, need to be sure the cars staying before committing to that
@@furiousdriving think of it being an auto this way…. It’s your daily cruiser and when you want your play time you have the rover 200 vi, the Tomcat, and your other manual cars can’t exactly say the Volvo is a sporty car haha. I personally have an automatic c class now for only one reason and one reason only. I’m a mechanic and I drive manuals every single day and it’s a commute to work and back and the last thing I want now as I’m 35 is to be at crawl in traffic clutch in and out after a hard days work just climb in put in D and Waft home 🏠 🤣
If I was to to order one itl be superseded, by the time I got my words out with my stammer 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Excellent review as always.
Oh the irony, a mini tea shelf where the gear stick should be....
Too soon. That just hurts.
Nice test. You in Kent??! Looks like i seen that bridge in the Salvage Rebuilds UK lol.
Regarding the gliding function, unless the engine goes off disconnecting the the transmission is like coasting in neutral and will not save fuel as the engine needs fuel to turn instead of using the power of the wheels for that, but you already know that hahH
yes, this was up in Sheppey, much be close to them there.
Things have moved on with engine management so it is idling but as lean as possible, not like the old mechanical injection days
@@furiousdriving ahh ok. Thanks for the explanation :). Nice views in that area :) have a nice week.
Old one looked better. There's just something wrong with the dimensions of this car. Interior is nice.
Wow here in Australia Mercedes is considered a luxury brand & as such we don't get a manual option at all. In fact we haven't had a manual Mercedes for at least 25 years in Australia. All of what is your car is standard equipment for us.
We pay extra for Nappa leather and different wood trim But a C250 4Matic is top line & comes with All the bells & whistles as Standard.
Just a sidenote, but I doubt it comes with literally "all" equipment, if you have looked at a merc, bmw, audi true options list, at least for continental european market, they got options avalible out the wazoo. Most people that arent really super interested in optioning their cars havent heard of half of whats availible and even mr furious example have many options missing in that regard.
@@GoldenCroc we still have option packs in Australian cars just a lot less. It seams the euro & UK cars need to have umpteen boxes ticked to get a nice one.
@@anakinskywalker4113 Yep, thats very true about the boxes, especially uk cars are very bare bones compared to many other places. Still I doubt that even with all the packs optioned in, you get all the continental "a la carte full option cars" just by ordering packs, even in Australia. No expert about the australian market at all, but that is the case for every place that do "packs" that I know of. Sometime, many options just plain arent avalible in a certain market, not at list prices anyway...
My car (BMW) for example, has stuff from what they call "individual", a separate option list that very few buyers even know it exist. Pretty sure Mercedes and audi has something very similar.
I have the same c class estate. Trust me after a while you just leave the car in comfort mode !
Far too many gadgets and gizmos for my liking, a car is just a means to get from A to B in comfort or to take part in motorsport. Who wants or needs a flappy paddle gearbox in a road car?
I think you may have to acquire a normal road wheel and fit it with a non directional tyre for a spare and keep in the back if will not fit beneath the boot floor. A ring around some breakers may be cheaper than the Mercedes dealers.
good luck with your vinyl Artico fake leather .... it cracked on the driver's seat of my R Class which seems to be a common problem
I have virtually all of those controls and different settings in my 2018 Seat Alhambra Xcellence!!!
37 mpg is a bit low for 2.0 diesel :)
Thats why its been named Keith - as in Floyd - t likes a drink!
Wow that OTT stalk and switch fest would do my head in!
I'm slightly surprised by the fuel economy figures. I have the very smallest C180 petrol engine in a moderately well specced post 2018 car. I had previously owned diesels but diesel is as good as dead in the Swiss market and has been for at least 5 years now. I had been warned the performance wasn't great but TBH a family car that does 0-60 in 8.4 seconds is perfectly OK with me and I know it'll top 200kph on the autobahns which is about as fast as I want to go (the official figures say 140mph/225kph tops). If you say you are getting 49MPG on a run, that's surprising poor in my book - I'd expect mid 50s with the transmission and aerodynamics. At motorway speeds here the petrol engine gets about 46-47MPG. So barely any difference and basic science says there should be. The secret of course is the 9 speed auto which is perfectly matched to the motor - it does a fair bit of swapping around of the top 3 ratios while cruising depending on terrain and the load that puts on the motor. I remember reading at the time these were first introduced Mercedes claimed it was worth up to 16% better economy which no engine tweak is likely to deliver. Of course around town economy dips to middle 30s and even below 30 for short journeys but as a distance car the gap to diesel is much smaller than I would have expected. I absolutely love my 205 C wagon and the best bit is the transmission!
Well my 1995 Peugeot 306 saloon with a 1.4 petrol gets about 50 MPG on the highway while my parents' brand new Opel Crossland with a 1.5 diesel gets some 43 on the highway...
To be fair my old Peugeot is an actually well designed car while the Opel is one of those crossover monstrosities so I have much better aerodynamics and half a ton less weight in my car that's 26 years older.
@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge Indeed. You can't help conclude that it's all gone horribly wrong with SUVs and crossovers these days. I have no idea what the appeal is and what annoys me with the move to electric is Tesla aside the choice not to own one of these monstrosities is slowly being taken away. Other than the MG, electric choice for a proper estate is pretty minimal. If someone made a c-class estate at no more than a 20% premium to the petrol, then I'd be all over it (minimum range 400km). But diesel in the same chassis should give a noticeable step change in economy and certainly a 306 equivalent would be up around 60mpg.
@@peterbroad1772 The 306 would get better mileage but it's geared so low it's already at like 3000 RPM in 5th gear at 100 kph.
That too, aside from slowly not actually owning your own cars, electric cars are pretty underwhelming, especially in places where there is zero infrastructure. And also for people like me, I don't really drive that much, I live in a small city so I don't have any need for a car every day, and I have no garage so it stays on the street. With an electric car this would be a nightmare, I get like an emergency and need to start the car after sitting for a month or more and then what, battery is drained or will be drained very soon. With my old petrol car it can sit for nearly a year with a good battery.
Consumption differences between petrol and diesel have lessened over the years, since modern petrols use a lot of clever technology that makes it behave like a diesel in many situations.
8.4 seconds is more than just OK.
I’ve not been on Sheppey for many years .
What are you doing going onto Sheppey? Was watching thinking I recognised the roads 😂😂 I think I feel the same way about my V90 as you do about this. Nice, comfortable and modern, but the 94 960 I have is so much more comfortable and nicer to drive so I actually like it more as a car...Despite the fact that there's always something broken on it 😂
I had some work there, and there are good roads for this! This is unbelievably comfy but not fun
No spare wheel, but you do get a £3 plastic crate… how generous 🤣
Isn't it a AMG line Premium plus?
Isn't that what I said?
A Twin Turbo Diesel will give you stump pulling torque and flexibility with very good economy that a petrol powered equivalent can only dream of. The petrol may be able to keep up easily enough but the range will be a third less, at best.
Above All, It's a Mercedes Benz.
Great review. 👍👍
Thanks! 👍
Lol, an Alan Partridge moment with the "nice action" comment about the door switches. Watching that made me realise that cars have changed somewhat since I made my last automotive purchase, a Skoda Fabia with 16K on the clock in 2008 (still driving it with 182K on the clock). Basically I am your alter ego, a bloke who has a monogamous attitude to car ownership. Yes, I know I belong in the fifties but that doesn't mean I'm not up to speed with modern tech, I am a computer geek, I love it. However in the world of cars the tech is still ridiculously non standard, with short term obsolescence purposely designed into every motor so it is no longer supported 5 minutes after it leaves the factory. So I'm curious, with so many buttons and stalks in a car like that how long does it take with the owners manual before it feels intuitive and you know what every button, stalk and dial does? Got to be at least one long evening? Or is it 5 minutes cos you have grown "organically" with the tech over the years?
Most of it I can just get in and use as its a progression of the old car, but Ive had to go and read some things I couldn't figure out
@@furiousdriving Fair play, I've just had a new clutch put in the Fabia, so I'm not going to buy new/newish for a year (or so). Looks like I will have a cosy evening with an owners manual when the day comes!
Lovely car 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
congratulations :)
Handsome car I like it.
Looking good is what it does best
A proper station wagon (estate car) has all the toys lots of metal and wood in the interior but no spare tyre my toyota hilux has a full size spare wheel what a luxury item that is a lot of tech but 40mpg very good our Suzuki Beleno gets an average of 42mpg from 1.5 litre petrol engine but at least it has a space savour spare wheel
Nice car but I don't get it why would anyone destroy good winter tyres in such weatcher :/
because new summer tyres are £1000 and I dont have that
I still don't get it, so you're destroying EXPENSIVE winter tyres :D and sacrifice handling & safety, I would definetly buy some cheap used summers just to save on those winters (or sell them and buy decent summers) but hey, it's not my car and decision, and it would make sense only in the long run. Cheers
@@kamilnowak623 if you want to lend me a grand I’d happily swap the tyres but without that cash I can’t magic new ones on
Even in normal summers rural roads often have half the neighbouring fields spread or washed across them so are often needed.
@@furiousdriving Just get whatever used tire you can find...... it will still be better than a winter tire in summer....... and you're just destrying the winter tires... so you have to buy those instead... How is that cheaper?
When I had my 2016 Ford CMax 2.0TDCI Titanium parked in the car park with my Dad's Focus beside mine this guy parked his Mercedes C class on the road ,well the C class took itself down the road&just missed crashing into our car's.
Am I wrong, or is the 4-matic 'option' really about M-B doing the same as BMW (with their X-drive) and secretly moving over to front-wheel-drive architecture, but then having to admit that FWD doesn't provide the expected dynamics, hence strapping on a traditional RWD addition?
4WD in the UK is a complete vanity red herring anyway unless you live in the remote wilderness, although I entirely agree that RWD is hopeless on icy / slushy roads in winter. I have to drive over at least one hill on my daily commute and I sometimes wonder how embarrassed are the BMW/M-B drivers stuck pointing uphill (and holding up traffic) because they can't get traction on slippery days. You pays your money, you gets what you deserves, hehe.... I'll live with my FWD peasantmobile.
Its really odd seeing you drive on local (to me) roads
You could move in. 😁🤸😀
It’s called a swab lol
Please make your intro long enough to fast skip with one tap … and not to miss the intro..
I have to say, as a Mercedes owner this shows all which is good about them, but sadly what is lacking. I guess you expect something special for the cost, and the badge. This is just not any more ‘special’ to me than what the likes of KIA are brining out at less cost. Mercedes over did it with the chrome effect, but it keeps it a more stylish proposition for the US and Chinese markets. The screen looks awful, massive bezel, lacks really anything special [no Apple Car Play for example]. This was no cheap car to buy used either, I’m selling mine and going to Volvo which has come on leaps and bounds in quality and status.
V nineeeeeeeee ✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️💞💞💞
Nice 👍 but it's an auto 😂🤓👍
yeah, which ruins it
I think it's a fabulous car and would be very happy to waft about in it, however, you're never going to be happy with it because it's an auto. Despite all the things that are great about it you always return to the same "Grrr it's a dam auto Grrrr" Get rid of it!!!
Yipee I'm 826th.
Sorry but "fugly". Too much tech to go wrong when it's a few years old. Try a five to ten year old Volvo V70
The current A-Class and all it's incarnations of offsprings are absolutely awful things, I can't stand them.
I had a 2016 A220d 2.2d AMG Line Prem Plus DCT. And i have to say it was an absolute hoot to drive. Rapid, awesome handling, and 72mpg average.
Fortunately the a and b class are being discontinued in 2024 because Mercedes are concentrating on quality over quantity . The a and b class tends to attract the wrong kind of Mercedes owner ie folk who wanted a Mercedes but really couldn’t afford to maintain a Mercedes’ and should of brought a budget friendly car
@@bmwman1981
That's great news, yes I see plenty of knobs and low level drug dealers in them, especially black with the stupid red tape trim.
@@bmwman1981 that's the problem when people who are used to driving cars that can handle not being serviced and not being maintained properly then jump to cars like Merc and BMW thinking the that they can do the same thing.
@@bmwman1981 No they are not. The A class is Mercedes biggest revenue earner. I have a family member that works for MB UK and she said thats total BS.
God modern cars are BOOORING. Sorry! I class myself as an long time car enthusiast but todays modern car just turn me completely off. They just don't interest me in the slightest, they don't even look particulary appealing. Much to over complicated, stupid money, often iffy reliability, cost an arm to service and maintain. Narr.
I would like to go in the other direct please. A good condition 40 year old plus everyday use classic is going to be the next vehicle for me.
Sorry furious driving.
😴 zzzzzzzzzzzz
the size of the callipers precludes a spare wheel?? bullshit. my car has far larger callipers and has a spare.
Unless youre carrying a full size, full width spare I doubt it