Mercedes CLC Tested June 2008

Rating

Quick Summary

Average. The newest addition to the Mercedes Coupe family isn't quite the revelation we'd hoped for. But it is a stylish and relatively inexpensive entry-point into Mercedes Benz ownership

Full Road Test

Mercedes is introducing its newest member of the coupe family, as the CLC. The German carmaker is keen to distinguish this new car from the rest of the C-Class range, and it has been designed to go head to head with rivals such as the BMW 1 series, Audi A3 three-door and the new VW Scirocco. However, take a look at the new front end, and it is essentially a C-class. Move towards the rear and it is almost identical to the C-Class Sports Coupe which it replaces.

So what is different? The answer is, not a lot. Although it looks the part, underneath it is essentially the same car as the old Sports Coupe. Mercedes has made some minor alterations to suspension and steering set up, but the platform is still based on the previous generation C-Class, meaning that it lacks the panache of the rest of the current C-Class range. It's not awful to drive by any standards, and all the engines offer reasonable performance. It goes round corners well, the steering is fluid and it makes an ideal motorway companion, but it just isn't all that exciting. On longer journeys there's no denying this car will eat up the miles with great ease, but unlike the BMW 1 Series coupe, the CLC feels out of place on a twisty B-road. The changes that have been made to the suspension have made the ride poor and it feels unstable as it crashes over bumps and potholes. It's reasonably big inside though; the keen golfer will be pleased with the boot space, and the rear seats will easily accommodate two adults on shorter journeys.

There are three basic engines to choose from: 1.6 petrol, 1.8 petrol and 2.1 diesel, although they do come in different states of tune. The pick of the bunch is the 220 CDI which offers a good blend of fuel economy and performance. Despite this, Mercedes says the best seller is likely to be the C180K petrol model. All the engines have had a significant reduction in fuel consumption - around an 8 percent improvement , while CO2 has been reduced by up to 7 percent. The interior has been smartened up with a dashboard similar to the current C-Class saloon and there is plenty of adjustment for the driver's seat so a good driving position is not a problem. Mercedes is offering the CLC at the same starting price as the outgoing Sport Coupe, which it says will have a sizable impact on the cars' potential residual value. Extras don't cost the earth either, as options are available in packages.

Overall the CLC isn't a bad car and is certainly reasonable value for money, but it lacks the driving quality of the BMW and isn't quite as pretty as the Scirocco.

Breakdown

Styling

If you look at the front and rear separately, the CLC does look smart. The front shares its looks with the new C-Class Sport - which is no bad thing - whilst the rear gets chunky rear lights and a large central brake light along the boot line. However, it hasn't got the sleekest of profiles, and from some angles it does just look like it's a C-Class saloon with the boot cut off.

Handling

It's not the most exciting of cars to drive unfortunately, which is a shame as it doesn't handle badly. The suspension is quite hard which, although makes it competent around corners, it does cause it to crash over bumps and potholes unsettling the car. The steering is nicely weighted though and it feels more at home cruising on a motorway.

Comfort

It's noticeable how quiet the CLC's cabin is. There's very little road or wind noise and it feels civilised and refined on motorways. It's also got excellent seat adjustment in the front, and the rear seats are comfortable too. However, the hard suspension means the car does tend to crash around on less-than-smooth roads.

Quality + reliability

There's little to fault with Mercedes build quality, but the interior isn't as plush as we feel it should be for a premium brand car. There shouldn't be any reliability issues though.

Performance

We're yet to drive the 230 or 350 versions which, on paper at least, will offer more in the way of performance. For now though, the CLC 220 CDI isn't slow, with a 0-62 time of 9.7 seconds and the CLC 200K has had a power boost of 21bhp bringing its power output to a not-too-shabby 184bhp.

Roominess

Despite its hatchback/coupe shape, the CLC isn't too bad for interior space. The boot offers plenty of room for general day to day use and the rear seats will accommodate two adults for a short time fairly comfortably. Head room isn't bad, although six-footers may suffer slightly in the rear, but leg and elbow room is decent for this type of car.

Running costs

The 200 and 220 diesel variants offer fuel economy of 47.9 and 48.7mpg respectively with the six-speed manual transmission. The CLC 180k will manage around 39.2mpg - which is decent for the entry-level petrol - and the CLC 200k with its boosted power still offers a relatively frugal 38.7mpg. CO2 varies from 152 for the diesel (tax band D) and 239 for the CLC 350 with automatic transmission (tax band G) costing from as little as £145 to a very-pricey £400 per year.

Value for money

Standard equipment on SE models includes a 5-inch colour display, Park Tronic parking sensors and chrome package. An upgrade to Sport is available for around £1,100 - a lot less than buying the options separately. The CLC starts from the same price as the outgoing model and residual values should be competitive.

Stereo / Sat nav

All models come with MP3 compatible radio/CD player, eight speakers, Bluetooth connectivity and Aux-in socket as standard. A European navigation system is available from £800.

Need to know

Replacement Date: 2014

We like:

1) Well equipped
2) Quiet and refined in the cabin
3) Excellent cruising car

We don't like:

1) Very poor ride
2) Not very exciting to drive
3) Can look a little odd from some angles

Best and worst:

Most fun: CLC 200 Kompressor
Most sensible: CLC 220 cdi
Worst: CLC 230

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