Yet another batch of Mercedes reviews have managed to infiltrate the eMercedesBenz offices today, with a grand total of three distinct Mercedes variants being put through their paces for your reading enjoyment.  The Mercedes SL550, the complete SL range, the C180K, the C220 CDI Sport and the C350 Estate - these are the chosen models, so for those of you contemplating the purchase of any, keep reading to find out what reviewers thought of each.

As always, you can find excerpts from each review as well as links back to the full articles immediately below.

Enjoy.


Mercedes-Benz SL550 (via cars.com)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"For 2009, the SL got some plastic surgery in terms of a new nose and slightly revised rear. Both were altered to make the SL fall more in line with the newest machines in the Mercedes family, namely the new C-Class sedan and GL-Class SUV. Both feature a huge Mercedes emblem front and center on a more angular design, and guess what? So does the SL550.

I like the new look on all three vehicles, but the SL's new front bumper treatment makes it a bit blocky on each side around the new headlights. This used to be a curvaceous line. The newly flat surface looks awkward from some angles and was probably the only off-putting element of the car's looks.  Side vents that hark back to the very powerful Mercedes SLR McLaren supercar are flashy and received many positive comments from friends who mysteriously showed up to be taken for a ride. The back end gets a subtle redo and remains classy. Even with the top up, the lines flow quite well.

Under the hood is a very straightforward 382-horsepower V-8. There are no superchargers, it's simply a nearly-400-hp V-8 that did not fail to impress me when driving it hundreds of miles over my test.  I've driven plenty of powerful cars, and 400 horses is about the point at which things become ludicrous, or too powerful for most driving conditions. The SL550, however, tames the power quite well. A seven-speed automatic with shift paddles delivers smooth acceleration. It's silky, yet you can still blast away from a stoplight like a bat out of hell. It's just effortless. Using the shift paddles isn't necessary to enjoy the get-up-and-go, but they work seamlessly in moving to higher gears. Downshifting is always a trickier exercise, but they still did the job with minimal jolts.

The SL550's sublime acceleration is accompanied by some precise handling; this roadster can hug corners with the best of them. The planted feeling really delivered confidence, and that's what distinguishes it from the XKR. The Jaguar is surely a competent car, and I've taken it on the track as well, where it held up to the tightest of corners. It just exhibited more body roll than the SL and didn't feel like a sports car. It felt like a very good, sporty luxury car with decent steering. The Mercedes, on the other hand, had flypaper on the tires, keeping it stuck to the asphalt wherever I went, and the steering wheel felt like an extension of my arms."

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Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (via CarPoint.com.au)
Reviewer's rating: 

"Starting off with the entry-level SL 350 provided a baseline from which we could compare the three models driven. Some baseline! The V6 model would probably be more than adequate for most buyers and Benz has cleverly blessed the car with a new engine (shared with the SLK 350) that is not only frugal when it needs to be, and powerful when it doesn't, but sounds surprisingly like a straight six. It has a real bark on the overrun from higher revs and is well matched to the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission, which shifts gears smoothly and has more than enough ratios for any occasion.

It was immediately apparent that the SL's suspension was softer than in any variant of the SLK. This was also plainly a contributing factor in the SL's overall poised touring ability.  Yet the SL is not just some lazy leisure craft of a car. The steering was more direct than in the SLK and the SL's handling was closer to neutral. As it was, the SLK felt as close to neutral as Switzerland -- but without the same prohibitions. The SL felt very lively in a corner -- without being too lively. With steering and suspension working in unison, it was responsive, but not erratic or nervous.

Moving up to the SL 500 provided the first opportunity to sample V8 power in the SL. Frankly, the SL 500 didn't impress as much as the V6. If you really need the performance of a V8 allied to performance substantially beyond that of the SL 350, you might as well go the whole hog and buy the SL 63 AMG. If the budget doesn't stretch that far -- save your money.  The SL500's interior was relaxing and featured the same two-tone grey leather, carbonfibre inserts and suede trim as the SL 65 AMG's. Suede trim on the roof pillars and roof headlining added to the ambience of the cabin.

Even though the engine fitted to it displaces 6.2 litres, the SL 63 AMG is so named, we're told, in tribute to the 300 SEL 6.3 from the 1960s. Whether or not you remember the early sedan, you won't forget the SL 63 AMG after driving it!  There's a pregnant pause from the engine in the split second after stamping the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, but then all Hell breaks loose as the transmission kicks down -- up to four gears!! -- and the engine emits a noise tastier than a fruit smoothie in an industrial-strength blender.  Yet, when the fun's over, the engine returns to a sedate state in which there's almost no discernible engine noise, even from 3500 to 4000rpm.

The SL 63's steering remains quite light, but has that slight tendency of computer-controlled systems to miscue input, leaving the driver to correct and re-correct until driver and computer are in synch."

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Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI Sport (via Motor Trend)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"In sport mode the C220 CDI Sport is entertainingly brisk point-to-point, thanks to the more aggressive transmission calibration, though the ride deteriorates markedly, becoming noticeably jittery on anything other than the smoothest blacktop.

However, I've been more interested in the CDI bit than the Sport bit, and not just because I've been paying more than $10 for a gallon of fuel, or roughly 150 bucks for a full tank. The C220 CDI is a fascinating car because its claimed fuel consumption on the European combined cycle is precisely 42.8 miles per Imperial gallon. That's just a fraction over 35 miles per U.S. gallon, the fuel consumption Washington has mandated automakers must average by 2020.

Of course, there are significant differences between how the Europeans calculate city, highway and combined fuel consumption numbers, and how the Feds do it. But after more than 2500 miles on a mixture of freeways and country roads, suburban streets and log-jammed London, the C220 CDI has been averaging 33 to 35 miles per U.S. gallon. Our experience with the revised EPA mileage ratings introduced earlier this year suggests they are a much more accurate reflection of real world fuel consumption. So, on the evidence, the C220 CDI provides a glimpse of America's automotive future.

So, how does the future feel? In a word, gentle. Thrust builds differently in a diesel, even a relatively small capacity one. In the C220 CDI, the power peaks at just 3800rpm, and going much beyond 4000rpm is pointless. So it never sounds fast. After a while, you realize you're driving with a different, more relaxed rhythm -- always striving to maintain momentum; squeezing the throttle, rather than punching it; constantly mining the mother lode of torque. And suddenly, you find you're covering the ground just as quickly as you would in a regular gas-powered car."

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Mercedes-Benz C180K (via The Truth About Cars)
Reviewer's rating: 

"Everything about the C180K's interior reeks of superior design and craftsmanship, from the ergonomically perfect cloth-covered seats, to materials that feel as though they were constructed to survive a nuclear blast. The C180K shows every Euro's worth of its cost in its absolute perfect construction.

Putting the infrared key into the slot, I cranked the Merc's diminutive 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder powerplant. The engine places 156bhp and a torquey 230Nm at your disposal, with a solid little thrum exiting the single chrome exhaust pipe. The engine revs as smoothly as it sounds, and, surprise, it does so with puppy-dog eagerness. Depressing the perfectly weighted clutch (yes, a manual) and slipping the vague-feeling gear lever into first, I pulled out of the carpark and headed straight for the autobahn.

The smallest engine in the C felt right at home puttering around Kaiserslautern. Despite the hefty 3400lbs, the C180K felt sprightly and nimble around the narrow streets, weaving around Smart cars, Golfs and BMWs. The steering was light and tossable.  The firm-yet-compliant ride was brand faithful. Whether surmounting cobblestones, concrete or brick, the C180K was a planted, communicative and comfortable city car. Never wanting for power, easy to shift, the C gave everything, demanded nothing.

Shifting to third, flooring the accelerator, the C180K moved forward at an adequate pace. A useful 100kmh arrived in about nine seconds. I've driven faster cars, and I've driven slower. The C180K slots nicely between the two, in that special place where hot-footing into a merge requires some attention, but not a lot.  Entering the unrestricted speed zone, I mashed the gas again. Expecting the engine to run out of puff, I looked on in amazement as the engine kept pulling. 140kmh flashed by. The steering tightened-up, the suspension hugged the ground and the cabin remained quiet. When 160kmh rolled around, I shifted gears. The Merc continued to plunge ahead."

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Mercedes-Benz C350 Estate (via car)
Reviewer's rating: 

"I packed four fully-grown blokes and luggage for a long weekend into it. No complaints about legroom, plenty of boot space for the bags, coats and travelling paraphernalia (thrown over the back seat - we’d have struggled in the saloon). My passengers all appreciated the general level of finish, the air of refinement, seat comfort, and the ride. And there was plenty of entertainment for the driver too.

The C-class is always fun to hustle and the C350 Estate has enough power to treat the weight of a full compliment of chaps and chattels with disdain. When a stretch down the M1 became too congested, we peeled off and headed across the Vale of Aylesbury, following the sat-nav’s shortest suggested route. Hit the Sport button and the dampers and throttle response tighten noticeably. You trade a slight edge to the ride for superbly sure-footed progress. Your passengers appreciate the swift progress and there’s no wallowing or rolling to upset them.

Meanwhile the gutsy V6 revs to the heavens and wails appreciatively. Of course, the diesel makes more sense economically, but it lacks the petrol engine’s tingle factor and red-line appeal.

Yes, it’s a lifestyle estate. And, yes, it’s hard to justify nearly £40k for it. But forget about the kind of lifestyle the ad agencies are always plugging: this isn’t a mountain-bikes-and-dirt-tracks kind of car. Neither is it really a family car (there’s acres more space in a Mondeo for half the price). But if your lifestyle involves the need for a swift, refined, compact, well-finished sports saloon with a premium badge, and you occasionally need to carry a healthy payload, this C-class is two cars in one."

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And before we go, a special thanks to our friend Shiv for the several tips.  As always, we sincerely appreciate it.