Mercedes C CLASS 220 CDI Sport Estate

11:58am Thursday 19th June 2008

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MODERN life means we all live in the fast lane, with little time to admire the scenery, relax or just enjoy being alive.

Getting into a car can just add to this maelstrom.

It's enough to make your head spin, but, thanks to Mercedes, I think I may have found the antidote.

You see, Mercedes seem to understand perfectly the woes of the modern man.

I've driven a fair few of the marque's models and they all have one thing in common - you get in stressed to the eyeballs and get out with the mindset of the Dalai Lama.

The company's designers seem to know instinctively how complicated and fraught the lives of the owners of their cars can be.

The C220 estate, for example, could have been built just for me. It is almost like I sent them a wishlist for the perfect family car and they delivered it to my door.

Almost everything about it is designed to make your time within less stressful.

Unlock the doors and the wing mirrors, which fold in when you lock up, fold out again with balletic grace.

Sink into the driver's seat and push the button down and to your right and the seats move slowly forwards and upwards until you reach your perfect driving position.

Switch on the radio and you can search through the menu with a dial to your left or alter what your listening to - and how - with the steering wheelmounted controls.

Start the car up and, with the windows up admittedly, you would be hard-pressed to guess you were in a diesel.

Put your foot down and the C220 moves effortlessly forwards, its smooth gearing ensuring an unfettered journey to the legal limit.

You can even hit the ever-present bumps and undulations of Britain's roads and believe you must have been seeing things, such is the ease with which the suspension soaks them up.

I could go on and talk about the electronically-opening tailgate, which closes just as easily with a touch of a button, leaving your hands free to grab the kids, shopping or whatever else comes to hand.

I could mention the rear sets that drop to the floor with the push of a lever, creating an almost flat load base, measuring a full 1.8m long and up to 1.2m wide.

It is even easy on the wallet, or as easy as a £32,000 car can be, travelling well over 500 miles on a full tank of diesel.

If there are criticisms, then they are the usual ones related to Mercedes - it's not as smart on the inside as you might expect it to be, it doesn't come with the same degree of kit rivals offer, etc, etc.

But people buying a Mercedes know this before they part with their hard-earned.

Personally, I could put up with all that because of the way the C220 is able to transform my grimace into a smile within a mile or so of getting inside.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 2148cc
Max power: 168bhp
Max torque: 295lb/ft
Max speed: 139mph
O-60mph: 8.9secs
Average fuel consumption: 46.3mpg
Equipment (includes): Sixspeed manual gearbox; 17ins alloys; airbags - side bags in front, window bags, driver knee bag; automatic climate control; radio with single CD; ESP with acceleration skid control; multi-function steering wheel; sports braking system; automatic tailgate opening and closing; tinted windows all round; audible and visual parking aids; Bixenon light package.