Last but not least, in our third and final Review Roundup installment of the day, two more Mercedes models - the CLC and the C180 Kompressor Estate - are put under the microscope, giving those of you considering the purchase of either some idea of what to expect from each.  As was the case with both our prior Review Roundups, you can find the complete collection of articles scutinizing both models immediately below.

Enjoy.


Mercedes-Benz CLC (via carsGuide)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"The engine is more than adequate and the sub $50,000 price point [in Australia] adds value for money to the equation.  The 1.8 litre is perky rather than a firecracker but the classy coupe more than makes up for it with better than expected road manners, impresive fuel economy, comfy cabin and good boot space.  This is one of those cars which you feel very much at home right from the go thanks to its well tailored cabin and comfortable seats.  So if first impressions count, then the CLC is, even as a C-Class pretender, a winner, especially for the price.

Okay it doesn't match the C-Class's chassis for crisp handling and precise balance but that's not to belittle the coupe. It has been designed to do a job and it does it well."

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Mercedes-Benz CLC (via TimeOnline)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"The cabin is attractively laid out and the new optional telematics system is a welcome replacement for the clunking old sat nav, which was about as easy to use as a sextant. There’s lots of room in the front, enough in the rear for the occasional grandchild and an impressively big boot for the his’n’hers golf clubs you always promised yourselves.

The problem is that for every senior citizen who buys a CLC, there will also be a young hotshot weighing up whether to choose one of these or, say, a BMW 120d as a new company car. While the Mercedes has nothing whatever to fear from the BMW in the visuals department, out on the road the 1-series will leave it a long way behind. For if you push the CLC hard, the body exudes a level of float and wallow you’d never find in a new C-class. It becomes ever harder to stick to your chosen line and the engine grows hoarse as it tries to maintain your chosen pace.

Seen another way, the CLC does just about enough to introduce new customers to the world of Mercedes. It’s not a great car but it does have the feel of an authentic Mercedes-Benz, which is more than I’d say about the A-class and B-class front-wheel-drive hatchbacks. For some, that is all the affirmation needed."

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Mercedes-Benz CLC 220 CDI Sport (via Autocar)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"The four-pot diesel delivers performance that always errs towards ‘smooth’ rather than ‘rapid’. The engine has been tuned for a wide, linear spread of torque and it delivers that, though not without letting you know about it at higher revs.  But that relaxed delivery also means you don’t get a slug of diesel shove. It never feels that quick.

That’s not to say there isn’t pleasure to be had from the CLC; its six-speed gearbox is slick enough and there’s the variable-ratio steering, as seen on the new SLK, which is effective. But this is still a car that’s more comfortable cruising on motorways; body control is too easily unsettled on poorer surfaces or where rapid changes of direction are required."

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Mercedes-Benz C180 Kompressor Estate (via Channel 4)
Reviewer's rating: 

The 1.8-litre petrol is on the C180, which is also in the supercharged C200K, develops a very reasonable 154bhp, but that's just half the story. The crucial figure to consider is the peak torque of 170Ib-ft that's developed at a low 2,800rpm. On the road, that means the least powerful C-class doesn't have to be worked as hard as you might think. Performance is reasonable too: the 180 sprints to 60mph in 9.8 seconds.

Driving both Sport and an SE back-to-back highlighted the improvements to the C-Class's handling. The Sport may have a fractionally firmer ride, but it handles so much better. Even though it's heaver we think the estate handles just as well as the saloon.

It means the Sport gives you plenty of confidence on cornering and allows you to lean on the front tyres far harder than you would on the standard 16-inch rims. That said, even the Sport-less SE has fine handling, if a little less grip. It too offers balanced handling that responds a little keener to the throttle through a bend."

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And to Shiv, a third thanks for the many tips you were gracious enough to send us.