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Old 20th November 2020, 17:54   #1
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Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

It has been around a year and a half since we got the C-Class. It is a replacement for Dad's ageing Volkswagen Jetta (Mk V). Having been on this forum for a few months now and having spent a year and a half with the car, I thought it was time to pen down a review of the Blue Star.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-side-view.jpg

Why a new car?

In Feb 2019, the Jetta had started to show its age. It had completed 10 years and run 68,7xx km. Note, this was the 1.6 Petrol Trendline. A car that is relatively unheard of. It had started to develop some mechanical issues including a slipping clutch. As in many VAG cars, the headliner had begun sagging. The power windows had also stopped operating.
However, Dad wasn't too keen on buying a new car just then. For one thing, this new car would have to be an upgrade from the Jetta. As everybody in this forum knows, this is easier said than done. I have read ownership review threads by ex-Jetta owners such as Tanveer_2558, graaja, iliketurtles, Chethan B G, Mission_PGPX and they have all settled for nothing less than one of the Big Three Germans as replacements for their cars. (Co-incidentally they all chose BMW, which would have been my choice as well. But more on that later) So the initial plan was to hang on to the Jetta for some more time and replace it when the time came. We usually keep our cars for a long time, 8 years at the very least. "I will drive it till the wheels fall off" is the motto while buying a new car.

The car started to act up more and more, up to the point that it was almost a risk to take the car out at all! At the next service done in March 2019 (which turned out to be the last), we asked the service center to do a full inspection of the car. They gave us a list of jobs that were necessary to get done in order to ensure smooth running. The estimate of the parts and labour was Rs 60,000. Dad was actually expecting a quote north of Rs 1 lakh and was somewhat relieved by this figure. They did not have any of the required parts in stock but they would order them and they would arrive within a week. The work would take another 2-3 days. In total, the car would be fixed in the next 10 days. "Guaranteed", they said. We gave them the go ahead to order the parts and they promised to give us a call when they arrived.
The guaranteed one week passed and there was still no news from the service center. Ten days passed and Dad decided to give them a call. "No, Sir. The parts have not arrived yet." Numerous follows up later (all from our side) the parts were yet to materialize. This was starting to get tedious.
Remember the motto "I will drive it till the wheels fall off"? Well, turns out it is more of a guideline anyway. I mean, we couldn't wait for the wheels to actually fall off during a drive, right? There was also the possibility of other repairs coming up in the future and it just wouldn't have been worth the trouble.

Okay, time to get a new car!

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the Jetta as they were clicked on my previous phone. The phone got formatted and I lost the backups as well. However, I did happen to come across a picture of the car after we had sold it.

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It was spotted in a garage, photobombing a distant relative.


What car to get?

The first thing to decide was the budget. Dad assured me that the minimum spend would be 30 lakh. Now, I am a certified car nut and this assurance should have had me hopping with glee at the thought of a certain flying propeller arriving in the garage. But for some reason, financial prudence seemed to take the driver's seat here and I suggested we look at the Skoda Octavia or the then newly-launched Honda Civic. These weren't really cars I was keen on as they were essentially from the same segment as the Jetta and they would cost double the price we paid for it. But I thought they offered enough that would feel like an upgrade from a 10 year old Jetta. That bloody financial prudence!

One night we were having a discussion about the car purchase and the topic of the C-Class came up. We had just viewed a video on YouTube by Autocar about the new C 200 which came with a 1.5 liter turbo-petrol engine and a 48 V mild hybrid system which Mercedes calls "EQ Boost". This got us interested. Mercedes had given the C-Class a minor facelift a few months earlier but it was the diesels which were launched first. I had no idea about the launch of the petrol model then.

The next morning, which was a Friday, Dad asked me again which cars were to be considered. I again gave my half-hearted suggestion of the Octavia and Civic. He said "Ok, why don't you find out if the C-Class petrol has launched yet" and left for work.
I dropped a WhatsApp message to the Mercedes dealership regarding this query and they replied "Sir, we have the C 200"
Interesting. I then proceeded to download a brochure of the C-Class from the Mercedes Benz website. At that time, you had to submit your name and contact details just to be able to download a brochure. I, of course, gave a fake name and contact details because I did not want to be bothered by any sales calls.

Test Drives

Mercedes CLA & C-Class

I was at home that day, the same Friday. Around mid-evening, I got a call from Dad. "Get ready, we are going for a test drive. I am reaching soon."
I said ok and hung up. I did not bother to ask what car we were checking out. I just assumed it would be one of the cars I had suggested earlier. Ten minutes later, he pulled up in a Cavansite Blue Mercedes CLA 200 Urban Sport.
It turned out that Dad had also downloaded the C-Class brochure while in office but unlike me, he had given his correct details. Ten minutes later, he received a call from Mercedes and they connected him to the local dealership . They asked if it was possible to have a word with him. Dad thought it would just be a quick discussion regarding the car and agreed. However, they came down with two cars, the CLA and the C-Class.

The sales consultant who came along, Rajiv, introduced himself to me. Dad told me to drive. I got behind the wheel. Foot on the brake, pulled down the column-mounted gear selector into D and we were off. It was a pretty short drive. The engine was pretty smooth and the car felt pretty compact to drive. It did not really feel like I was driving something very premium, though. Dad told me to head to the office because the C-Class is waiting there. I'm sure my eyes must have lit up like a couple of LEDs on hearing this.
We reached the office and there was a Polar White C 220d demo car. We switched the CLA for the C. Dad drove first while I sat in the back. For some reason, I noticed that the rear seat was noticeably less comfortable than the Jetta's. The interior itself was top quality, though. More leather than all the other cars we have ever owned, combined. Great quality materials. What I really liked was the ambient lighting. This was really Club-Class! We took a short drive and even took the car home to check if it fit through our front gate. It did.
Then I took over the wheel. Wow! The driver's seat was a really nice place to be in. The feel of the steering, the instrument cluster with the large, colored MID, the large infotainment screen. I loved it! Of course this was the opinion of someone who majorly drives a hatchback. This was my first hands-on experience of a full-fledged luxury car.
The diesel engine felt nice to drive too. Good amount of torque on tap.

I know the trend while shopping in this segment is to go for diesel. In fact, I don't think I have seen a C 200 other than ours on the road (except for the demo car which came later) However, we are not mile-munchers. The yearly running on this new car would comfortably fall below 10k km. So a diesel was definitely not suited to our needs and it was the petrol model we were interested in. Rajiv promised to give us a test drive of the C 200 the next week.

Monday evening, Rajiv promptly brought over a white C 200. Again, loved it. The engine felt refined. Not underpowered as you would expect from an engine of this size. Heads turned everywhere when they saw the C pass by. Not that it is rare car, but I guess when you see a Merc, you can't help it. I was reminded of the time we test drove the Jetta, ten years back, and we got similar reactions. Of course, the Jetta and VW were quite new to India then.

Audi A3 & A4

In between the C 220d and C 200 test drives was a Saturday where we dropped by the Audi dealership to see what they had to offer. We checked out both the A3 and A4. The SA was quite helpful and answered all our doubts. We then proceeded to take test drives of both cars. Unfortunately, they only had diesel versions available that day but we went ahead just to get a feel of the cars. Both cars felt nice to drive. The A3 felt alright. The A4 felt like a slightly more premium Jetta, while in terms of pricing it was very expensive Jetta! Don't get me wrong, the car felt very well put together. But it just could not justify its price to me.

I think a price of Rs 50 lakh plus for the A4 is simply ridiculous. That is A6 money, if you ask me. (This applies to the C-Class as well. But the C does a better job of trying to live up to that number.)

I liked the virtual cockpit in the A4. In fact, I think Audi is the one manufacturer that does a good job with its virtual dials interface, followed by Mercedes.

Back at the showroom after the drive, we talked about prices. Audi did have good discounts on offer. They were ready to give Rs 6 lakh off on the A4 and something similar on the A3 as well. After a bit more discussion we left the showroom. The SA promised to give us test drives of the petrol A3 and A4 in the next week.

Special mention- BMW 3-Series

Well, you cannot look at the Big 3 and give BMW a miss, right? Dad knew I have always been keen on BMW and told me to arrange a test drive of the 3-Series if I wished. I contacted the dealership by phone. The SA immediately offered a Rs 14 lakh discount! This brought the on-road price to around Rs 42 lakh. Obviously, this was because they had to clear their stock of F30s to make way for the G20 that was about to launch. However, they could only offer a 320d. They had no 330i in stock and they were unlikely to receive any either. He said he would bring a demo car over the next day.

That night we had a discussion at home regarding the 3-Series. Dad was not keen on buying a model that was due for replacement. Despite my attraction to the brand, I agreed. If we bought the F30, it would become outdated almost immediately. Remember, this was March, 2019. The launch of the G20 was still some time away (It launched in August 2019, if I'm not wrong) so waiting for it was not an option.
I was afraid that if I did check out the F30 and I liked it more than the C-Class, then rejecting it in favor of the Merc would be too difficult.

So, the next morning I called up the SA and informed him that we had decided against the 3-Series. He must have misunderstood or misheard me because his reply was "Yes, sure. No problem."
About an hour later, he called me back and apologized, saying he was distracted earlier and would I please reconsider. He urge me to try out the car and then take a decision. I told him my predicament and that a test drive would just be a waste of his time and mine.
He then asked if I would consider the 5-Series.
Would that I could, but our budget was already stretched as it was. The 5 was simply beyond reach.
And that was the end of the discussion with BMW.


We did not consider the Jaguar XE and Volvo S60 as these brands don't have dealerships here.

The final shortlist

The final choice was between Audi and Mercedes.
Now, I am of the opinion that the true ownership experience of these brands begin with the A4 and C-Class respectively. The A3 and CLA, while they are nice cars, only offer a diluted version of that.
No offence meant to any A3 or CLA owners.

Still, we decided to consider the CLA. It was, after all, around Rs 10 lakh cheaper than the C.

The A3 was dropped.

Between the A4 and the C-Class, it was a no-brainer. The C simply felt more special.

We all have a dream to own a car from that one brand. For me that brand is BMW. For Dad it is Mercedes Benz. At some level, he had already made up his mind a long time ago. He has worked hard his entire life. Why should he not enjoy his choice of spoils now?

As for my BMW dream, I am sure that one is written in my destiny at some point in the future.

What tilted things in Merc's favor was that the dealer was known to Dad. Another factor was that the Mercedes service center was relatively close-by to home, unlike Audi and BMW which are both around 25 km away.

We did not bother going back to Audi to check out the petrol A3 and A4.

A moment of silence for our dear friend, Financial Prudence, who died a quiet death a while back.

Choice of color and final decision

The dealership had a Cavansite Blue C 200 allotted to them. This was the same color as the CLA demo car we had seen earlier. Rajiv invited us to the dealership to have a look at the display model of the C (a C 220d) in that color. It looked nice. It had a bit of a dual hue. It looked like a dark blue when viewed in the sunlight, and almost black at night. According to Rajiv, the C-Class exterior-interior combinations were pre-decided by Mercedes. Light colors (White, Silver, Red) were only available with black interiors and dark colors (Black, Blue, Grey) were only available with beige interiors. We were not too keen on a black interior as that is what the Jetta had. (In hindsight, this might have just been a tactic to push this color-interior combo as it might have been one of the few petrols in their inventory, because I could not find any mention of such a limitation on the color-interior choice in the brochure)

We then took a short test drive of the C and the CLA to help us on the final decision. Driving them back-to-back, the differences between them were very evident. We were also given a demo of the Park Pilot feature of the C in the dealership's parking lot.

So, it was decided. The C 200 was going to be the next car.

We proceeded to book a C 200 Progressive in Cavansite Blue. (There was no Prime variant in the C 200 then)
The auspicious day of Gudi Padva was chosen as the day for delivery.

The Jetta was also evaluated and they offered us a value of Rs 1.6 lakh. We did try to push for more but the dealer refused to budge. Dad did not want to take up the hassle of looking at individual buyers in the hope of getting a better value. So we agreed to this price.
We made a gentleman's agreement not to disclose the price we paid for the C. So if anybody asks, we agreed to say that we paid Rs 51 lakh on-road.
We got the extended 6-year warranty. As I mentioned earlier, our usage would not be heavy. So we declined the service package.
Financing was done through a bank of our choice which has flexible payment schemes and no foreclosure charges.
We took insurance from the dealer itself for the benefit of cashless claim settlement.
They offered us a car care kit consisting of a car cover, some shampoos, waxes, etc for Rs 40,000 but they refused to throw it in.
They even refused to give us complimentary floor mats! We informed them that we would get these from our local accessories store and we would be sure to let the store know that Mercedes does not even give floor mats to its customers.
They agreed to let us keep the Jetta till the day of delivery and hand it over then.

It was quite a long wait for the day the car arrived. My excitement was growing day-by-day at the thought of The Star arriving home. The Late Financial Prudence must have turned over in its grave multiple times.

Delivery experience

D-Day finally arrived. The entire family drove over to the Mercedes showroom in the Jetta. This was our last ride with her. Dad said he would miss her as this was the first car that was leaving immediately after being replaced. All our previous cars have spent some time with us even after their replacements arrived.
Rajiv was waiting to welcome us at the showroom. Upon entering, I recognized our car parked right near the door, covered by a satin sheet. There were three other cars waiting to be delivered that day as well. I recognized the shapes of a GLA, a GLC and another C-Class under their respective satin sheets.
The delivery experience was very smooth. The necessary documents were signed and we were given the various booklets and a key. They had attached a Mercedes keychain to the other key and kept it inside the car. They even gave us a pair of USB cables for smartphone connectivity, a USB-to-Micro-USB and a USB-to-Lightning. The Jetta's keys were handed over to them. Then it was time for the big reveal. We pulled the sheet off the car and got our first glance of the Blue Star. (No, I did not do a PDI beforehand. No, I was not a member back then)

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-1.jpg

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-2.jpg

Then we had small cake cutting ceremony.

Rajiv gave us a quick run-through of all the features. The notable one among them was using a voice command "Ambient light-Red" to change the color of the ambient lighting from the preset blue to red. The car had 71km on the ODO. It turned out that they did give us floor mats after all. They had also given us a full tank of petrol. Dad jokingly informed them that the Jetta's tank was near empty.

We were the only customers in the showroom at the time and the attention of the entire staff was completely focused on us. They had even kept a pooja thali on standby if we wanted, which we politely declined. Everyone congratulated us on our new acquisition.

Some more pleasantries were exchanged, pictures were clicked and we were off.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-5.jpeg


Having spent some time with the car, I would like to list down my thoughts.

Likes
  • Build quality
  • Panoramic sunroof
  • Classy interior
  • Loaded with features
  • Looks. Perfect blend of sportiness and elegance.

Dislikes
  • Rear seat comfort not great
  • Limited boot space due to the spare tire
  • Price (Here lies Financial Prudence. R.I.P.)

Features I would have liked to have
  • Keyless entry
  • Powered tailgate (The international model gets it)
  • 360 degree camera (Or at least a front camera)
  • Rear climate control



Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-engine.jpg

The 1.5 liter turbo petrol. It produces 184 bhp of power and 280 Nm of torque. The EQ Boost mild hybrid system adds another 14 bhp and 160 Nm. So the maximum combined output you can get out of this engine is 198 bhp of power and 440 Nm of torque, which is not bad at all! The claimed time for 0-100 km/h is 7.7 seconds. I have not attempted to verify this.

The engine starts up with a growl. The power delivery is pretty smooth and refinement is also top notch. I don't feel it is inadequate in any measure. It is no torque monster but it gets the job done. There is no noticeable lag from the engine for the most part and this is due to the EQ Boost supplementing it.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-eq-boost.jpg
The EQ Boost gauge is present at the bottom of the tachometer.
The green bars show the charge level of the 48 V battery. They light up from left to right when it gets charged during braking.
The white bars light up from right to left when the EQ Boost system is providing power to the car. The green bars correspondingly drop as the battery discharges.

Diesel models get an engine temperature gauge instead of the EQ Boost gauge.

The gearshifts of the 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox are barely perceptible. A useful feature is the ability to take manual control of the shifts on-the-fly via the paddles. No need to switch to Sport or Sport+ mode, just pull the left paddle for a quick downshift and take off!

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-paddles.jpg
Every enthusiast's dream: The paddle shifters

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-start-button.jpg
The Start-Stop button pulses with white light when you open the driver's door. You start the car by keeping the brake pressed and pushing this button. Once the car has started, the button glows continuously.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-gear-selector.jpg
The column-mounted gear selector. Push it all the way down for D, all the way up for R, in the middle is N. Press the button at the end to engage P.

A useful feature is that P is automatically engaged when the driver's door is opened. It also gets engaged automatically when you turn the engine off.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-steering.jpg
The leather-wrapped steering feels good to hold. It is moderately heavy but not a chore to use in the city or while parking.

It comes with a host of controls. On the right hand side, on top, the two silver buttons and the track pad between them, control the MID. Below them are the cruise control buttons.

On the left hand side, the layout of the buttons on top mirrors that of the right hand side ones. These control the infotainment system. Below them are the volume controls, telephone and voice command buttons.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-front-passenger-seat.jpg
The front seats are very comfortable and supportive

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-controls.jpg
The central control unit

On the left, starting from the top you have:
  • Dynamic Mode Selector
  • Parking sensor switch
  • Park Assist
  • Auto Start-Stop function

On the right, starting from the top:
  • Volume control
  • Power button for the infotainment system
  • Rear windscreen sunblind roller switch

The rotary knob and the two buttons on either side of it control the infotainment system.

The touchpad above the knob also control the infotainment system.
So in total, there are three different ways to control the infotainment system!

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-seat-mirror-window-controls.jpg
The power window switches are beautifully finished as are the controls for seat adjustment. Note that button for headrest adjustment is a dummy. Also, this car missed out on seat memory which was introduced in the Progressive trim later on.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-center-console.jpg
The view of the center console

The interior is top notch. The car comes with walnut wood trim. I'm not the biggest fan of wood on the interiors, but it very well done in the C. No complaints.

Sound insulation is excellent. You are cocooned from the outside. Though I must admit, that vault-like feeling was much more evident in the Jetta.

There are five AC vents in front and two in the rear. They do a good job of cooling the cabin.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-clock.jpg
Mercedes keeping it classy by adding this clock. You can adjust it by setting the time in the infotainment system.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-sunglass-holder.jpg
Sunglass holder and interior light buttons

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-mic.jpg
Microphone for voice commands located above the front sun shade. There is one each for the driver and front passenger.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-sunroof-switch.jpg
The button for the sunroof

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-sunroof.jpg
The massive panoramic sunroof

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-rear-seat.jpg
The rear seats

Note that this is not genuine leather. It is an artificial blend which Mercedes calls Artico leather.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-rear-ac-vents.jpg
Rear passengers only get dual AC vents. No climate control at the back. Also, there are no USB ports or charging sockets in the rear either.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-rear-legroom.jpg
Rear legroom is ample. However, the seat itself lacks that WOW factor.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-rear-shade.jpg
Electrically adjustable shade for the rear windscreen

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-rear-window-sunshade.jpg
Rear passengers also get a manual sunblind for the side windows

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-boot-closing.jpg
No electric closing tailgate. A feature you would like to have at this price point.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-boot-space.jpg
The boot. A major chunk of space is taken up by the spare wheel. The space under the boot is where the 48 V battery is placed, so no room for the spare wheel there.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-infotainment.jpg
The large 10.25" infotainment screen has good graphics and is a major improvement over the pre-facelift version. Note that it is not a touchscreen.

The reverse camera is hidden above the rear number plate. It comes out when you put the car in Reverse.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-reverse-camera1.jpg
The image quality of the reverse camera is pretty good. The camera stays on until you shift into D and reach a forward speed of 25 km/h.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-reverse-camera2.jpg
Reverse camera guidelines are adaptive. The red line at the bottom tells the position of the rear bumper.

A front camera would have been welcome as well given the long bonnet this car has.

Last edited by TheGearBox : 5th December 2020 at 18:55.
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Old 5th December 2020, 10:59   #2
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re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-front-door-pocket.jpg
Large pockets in the front doors can fit two 1 liter bottles in them. You can also see the button for the boot release.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-glovebox.jpg
The glovebox. Felt-lined and illuminated

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-storage-1.jpg
Storage compartment in the center console. There is also a 12 V charging socket and an ashtray.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-storage-2.jpg
Storage compartment below the center armrest. There are 2 USB ports and a SD Card slot inside.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-side-pocket.jpg
Netting in the front passenger footwell. Useful for keeping small items handy.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-ambient-lighting.jpg
Ambient lighting looks really cool. You get a choice of 64 colors.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-pedals.jpg
The pedals. Note the barely-there dead pedal. It is just wide enough to place your left foot. Also visible are the headlight controls and the electronic parking brake switch.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-wheel.jpg
225/50R17 Bridgestone Turanza tires. The wheels look a bit plain-Jane to me. I would have preferred the dual tone ones you get on the Prime variant.
Ride quality is good. Bumps in the road are nicely filtered out. Road noise is minimal.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-headlight.jpg
Full LED headlights. These are not the Adaptive Multibeams which you only get on the C 300d. The throw is good and they illuminate the road well.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-key1.jpg
Smart key. This looks much better than the one which came with previous generation Mercs. You get buttons for lock, unlock and the boot release. There is a dedicated space in the center console storage area for the key. However, you don't have to place it there. You can even keep the key in your pocket while driving and the vehicle will detect it.

Of course, you cannot talk about any car today and not mention its safety features. The C 200 comes with:
  • 7 airbags
  • Pre-Safe
  • Driver Drowsiness Detection
  • 12 parking sensors (6 on either end)
  • Rear camera
  • Parktronic (Parking assistance)
  • Cruise Control
  • ABS
  • ESC
  • Hill Start Assist
  • Tire pressure monitor
  • Auto headlights
  • Rain sensing wipers

Every time you click the seatbelts they tighten around your chest. That's the Pre-Safe at work right there.

Also, the W205 C-Class scored 5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash test.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-tpms.jpg
Tyre Pressure readout in the MID

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-mid.jpg
Various MID screens

I'm not too sure about the real time fuel efficiency readout. It went as high as 999 km/l while I was driving. I'm not kidding!

The Jetta had a bad ground clearance problem. The underbody would scrape over most speed breakers, which does not seem to be an issue in the C. We deliberately tested this during the test drive by going over a particular speed breaker which the Jetta never failed to kiss. The Merc passed with flying colors.

If you are a very enthusiastic driver who loves to hit the corners hard, this might not be the right car for you. But if you are a sedate driver who wants a car with some old world charm thrown in, the C-Class is the one for you. You can't really go wrong with it.

First Checkup

The first checkup comes at 3 months after delivery. But we started receiving calls from the service center regarding this right after a month passed. So we dropped the car off at the service center after booking an appointment one morning. They did the necessary checks and were kind enough to drop the car back in the evening.

First service

The first paid service was done in May this year, soon after the service center opened back up after the Covid-19 lockdown. The service interval is 15,000 km or 1 year. The car had done 56xx km. The work included an oil change, oil filter change, lubrication of the sunroof rails, wheel rotation. Alignment and balancing was not done. The air filter was in good condition so they just cleaned it and re-installed it.
The bill came to Rs 27,xxx.

They also gave us an OBD adapter for free. It shows you your vehicle's information on your phone through the Mercedes Adapter app which is available for Android and iOS through their respective app store.

Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)-front-quarter.jpg

Touchwood, the experience with Mercedes has been smooth so far and I hope that continues for the entire duration of ownership.

Last edited by TheGearBox : 5th December 2020 at 18:58.
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Old 6th December 2020, 04:56   #3
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re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 6th December 2020, 15:00   #4
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re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Congrats on the C, she's a real looker. Mercedes has been nailing it on the design front (more than you can say of BMW!), and you made the right choice of going for this over the F30, especially since this would feel leagues ahead of the BMW on the inside, and is the fulfilment of your dad's lifelong dream.

Looks like you guys have a thing for quirky drivetrains I've only heard or seen the C200d or 300d's floating around, this one is a bit of a rarity, but that's not a bad thing in the slightest.

Many congrats again, and keep this thread alive. I love Kerala, but for me, Goa is God's own country. Keep clocking those miles, and keep sharing those pics. Cheers.
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Old 6th December 2020, 20:10   #5
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re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

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Originally Posted by iliketurtles View Post
Looks like you guys have a thing for quirky drivetrains
Yeah, there was the Jetta 1.6, then the Polo 1.6 and now this. Coincidentally, all three of these engines got discontinued soon after we bought them.

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I love Kerala, but for me, Goa is God's own country.
Haha, good to know

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Old 6th December 2020, 20:26   #6
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re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

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Coincidentally, all three of these engines got discontinued soon after we bought them.
Please don't ever buy an ///M car or a BMW with the 30d engine.
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Old 6th December 2020, 21:38   #7
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Brilliantly written, and as you said : one of the best choices in the segment.
The C with its great NVH, fluid steering, great visibility is a beast to pilot around town; and on the highways too it is a great cruiser!
Wish you many happy miles!
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Old 7th December 2020, 07:37   #8
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

I love this generation of the C-Class. Mercedes really moved the game forward. Stunning looks, nice engines + AT, sorted road manners + very special cabin. The generation has been around for a couple of years, but it still looks fresh & is a head-turner.

Thanks for sharing! Going to our homepage today .
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Old 7th December 2020, 09:18   #9
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Lovely review and detailing out your buying process.
We bought this beauty at almost same time I believe, only difference being mine is a Diesel mill and black color. And I have taken compact Plus alongside, first service costs what you mentioned is pretty reasonable for this car. Don't know if I was right in buying compact plus.

My only grouse is those alloys, they are so plain Jane Infact the new 17" on Prime model is still far better than these.

I wish heir is somebody thr to exchange their 17" Prime model alloys with these I would be happy to oblige

And I noticed torque figures are higher in petrol model.

Happy Motoring miles with your classic beauty.
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Old 7th December 2020, 10:30   #10
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

I simply love the analog speedometer of the C class. The mimicking of the same on E and S class on their large digital color screens looks cheap (ie in terms of the font and color combinations) and poor in taste.
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Old 7th December 2020, 12:41   #11
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Dad assured me that the minimum spend would be 30 lakh. Now, I am a certified car nut and this assurance should have had me hopping with glee at the thought of a certain flying propeller arriving in the garage.

Would be great to know the long term ownership costs of a car of this segment, do keep the thread updated. Also I think what you mentioned as a flying propeller is BMW's logo. Contrary to popular belief, BMW's logo is not a flying propeller but just a simple representation of the Bavarian flag.
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Old 7th December 2020, 12:53   #12
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

That is one very rational thinking while choosing the engine. It is impossible not to get carried away while choosing a diesel when considering one from the German trio stables. The lenient acceleration in the city cannot be matched by those torque-heavy diesel mills. Also, despite being a small engine, that is some really good power figure.

Congratulations on your new purchase. Getting a Mercedes sure feels special, wishing you many happy kms and years with it!
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Old 7th December 2020, 13:36   #13
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

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Originally Posted by TheGearBox View Post
Touchwood, the experience with Mercedes has been smooth so far and I hope that continues for the entire duration of ownership.
Congrats @TheGearBox and wishing you many more years of fun and happy motoring. The design of the current generation Mercs have a classic feel with an old world charm like the wood finish, analog clock on the center console etc. Have you noticed a party trick with the analog clock, if you change the time in the ICE, the clock will self-adjust to the time set in ICE.

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Originally Posted by Storm2.0 View Post
I simply love the analog speedometer of the C class. The mimicking of the same on E and S class on their large digital color screens looks cheap (ie in terms of the font and color combinations) and poor in taste.
The brightness of the analog dials can be set to auto and it adjusts the brightness based on the ambient lighting. You have an option for fully digital instrument cluster in certain trims of the new C-class.
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Old 7th December 2020, 17:02   #14
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Congrats on the C and in my opinion the car looks best in this shade. Even today it looks a stunner from all the angles. I'm BMW fan but off-late the Merc launches and their designs have been so impressive that I'm surely getting drawn to the camp!

I really enjoyed reading your whole ownership review and it was very detailed, honestly written and could also sense lot of innocence in the way you've shared small little details..kudos!

Here's wising you many kms of driving pleasure, reliability, safety and ownership delight!
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Old 7th December 2020, 20:05   #15
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Re: Oh, say can you C? A review of my Dad's Mercedes C-Class (C200 W205)

Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketurtles View Post
Please don't ever buy an ///M car or a BMW with the 30d engine.
Not on the cards for the foreseeable future, so don't worry

Quote:
Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Brilliantly written, and as you said : one of the best choices in the segment.
Wish you many happy miles!
Thank you

Quote:
Originally Posted by Puneet0051 View Post
Lovely review and detailing out your buying process.
Don't know if I was right in buying compact plus.
If you drive a lot and require getting your car serviced more than once in a year, then the Compact Plus will pay for itself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Puneet0051 View Post
My only grouse is those alloys, they are so plain Jane Infact the new 17" on Prime model is still far better than these.
I know. Its ironic that the lower variant comes with better looking wheels.


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Originally Posted by Puneet0051 View Post
And I noticed torque figures are higher in petrol model.
Well, this engine by itself makes 280 Nm whereas the 220d makes 400 Nm and the 300d makes 500 Nm. When you combine the output of the engine with the additional 160 Nm from the EQ Boost, you get a total of 440 Nm, which is higher than the 220d's figure.

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Originally Posted by Puneet0051 View Post
Happy Motoring miles with your classic beauty.
Thank you

Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm2.0 View Post
The mimicking of the same on E and S class on their large digital color screens looks cheap
Like I said, Audi does virtual dials best. They look just like the analogue dials which are clean and simple.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fulcrum29 View Post
Contrary to popular belief, BMW's logo is not a flying propeller but just a simple representation of the Bavarian flag.
Yes, you're right. Thanks for clearing that up

Quote:
Originally Posted by hridaygandhi View Post
That is one very rational thinking while choosing the engine.
While diesels are torquey, our running would not have done justice to the premium in price. So until the time to switch over to electric power comes, we shall remain petrol loyalists.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hridaygandhi View Post
Congratulations on your new purchase. Getting a Mercedes sure feels special, wishing you many happy kms and years with it!
Thank you

Quote:
Originally Posted by sgm View Post
Congrats @TheGearBox and wishing you many more years of fun and happy motoring. Have you noticed a party trick with the analog clock, if you change the time in the ICE, the clock will self-adjust to the time set in ICE.
I have. It feels nice to see the hands spin to the correct position.




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Originally Posted by ashish22 View Post
Here's wising you many kms of driving pleasure, reliability, safety and ownership delight!
Thank you

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Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Thanks for sharing! Going to our homepage today .
Yes!
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