Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon (00-07) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
The 2000 C-Class tried to knock the BMW 3-Series off its perch as the most desired car in this class, and comes close. Original four-cylinder petrol engines are too thirsty, though, and the interior quality was perhaps not quite up to the standard of other Mercedes-Benzes. Supercharged 1.8-litre engines replaced the two smallest petrol engines in 2002 bringing huge improvements in fuel consumption, while a major update in summer 2004 made the C-Class a more rewarding car to drive.
4 out of 5

Other Mercedes-Benz reviews

2.5 out of 5

Running costs

Expensive to buy new but depreciates slowly. Servicing at official dealers is very expensive. Diesel engines are frugal as well as supercharged 1.8-litre petrol engines.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,615 - £2,668 *

Diesel

£1,364 - £1,732 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

As indicated by on-board system.

Warranty

Mechanical three years, bodywork 30 years.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    156
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    286

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

C-Class is quite a polluting model. With an average of 202 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are a touch high for a medium-sized saloon. However, it's worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs. The range is not particularly economical, averaging 35 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2