The Mercedes-Benz CLC is a stylish coupe that still manages to offer a decent amount of room inside with running costs are reasonable despite its prestige image.
Practicality
The Mercedes-Benz CLC offers a surprising amount of room in the cabin despte its compact appearance. Passengers in the rear have a decent amount of leg and elbow space although headroom is a little tight.
Mercedes ensure that you don’t have to be a gymnast to reach the coupe’s back seats as the front seats tip forward, then the bases lift up and out of the way.
The seats are supportive and there’s lots of adjustment to ensure a comfortable driving position is easily achieved. The boot is a good size – accommodating a set of golf clubs with ease – and the rear seats split and fold almost flat for bigger loads.
Build quality on the CLC is good but for a premium brand coupe the interior could be plusher. That said most of the swithgear on the dashboard is easy to see and use.
The Mercedes-Benz CLC has relatively high sides and a small rear window impairing visibility behind. 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.
Fuel economy is reasonable with the 200 and 220 diesel variants offering fuel economy approaching 49mpg with the six-speed manual transmission. The CLC 180 Kompressor will manage around 40mpg – which is decent for the entry-level petrol – and the CLC 200 Kompressor with its boosted power still offers a relatively frugal 36mpg.
Life Style
The Mercedes-Benz CLC is for those who like cruises rather than all action holidays. The superb suspension ensure that life is unruffled by the humps and hollows that bedevil the nation’s highways.
It handles with an ease that invites relaxation so those requiring a sporty coupe should look elsewhere. The chassis floats over rough and smooth surfaces alike and eases its way round corners rather than taking them on full throttle. The steering is nicely weighted and the car feels best when sauntering up a motorway.
Life in the cabin is peaceful as the CLC’s cabin shuts out wind noise completely while all occupants are cosseted by an interior that uses quality materials and has comfortable seats.
The Mercedes-Benz CLC is not a cheap car to buy but running costs are reasonable so there should be a bit of cash leftover to afford the meal at the restaurant once you have driven there.
The smart exterior of the CLC should attract the attention of friends and neighbours – especially the rear which has chunky lights and a large central brake light along the boot line.
All the CLC’s engines have been improved to be far more environmentally friendly. Carbon dioxide emissions and fuel economy both head the right way as far as the green brigade and indeed the bank balance of the CLC’s owner are concerned.
Security and Safety
The usual security features are employed to keep the CLC out of the clutches of car thieves although there are no deadlocks, as Mercedes believes they hinder rescue efforts after a crash.
Safety is taken seriously in the CLC with stability control included as standard to help you remain in control on the road. Six airbags are also provided to keep you from harm if there is an accident. There are also ISOFIX anchorage points to keep child seats wedged firmly in place.
The Finishing Touches
Even the entry level Mercedes-Benz CLC is packed full of goodies. These include parking sensors, part-leather-effect upholstery, alloy wheels and automatic climate control. Step up to the Sport models and Mercedes throw in bigger alloy wheels, metallic paint, full synthetic-leather upholstery and an upgraded interior, as well as sports suspension and a speed-sensitive steering system.
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 as an option.
Mercedes-Benz CLC Car Review Summary
The Mercedes-Benz CLC looks the part and represents decent value for money despite lacking the driving dynamics of some of its competitors.
The CLC comes with a choice of six engines – the 180K and 200K petrol engines, two diesels in the form of the 200 and 220 CDI oil burners, and two V6 variants, the 230 and 350.
Undoubtedly the best of the bunch is the 220 CDI which offers a winning combination of fuel economy and performance. All the engines are significant improvements on their predecessors offering big reductions in fuel consumption with carbon dioxide emissions reduced by up to seven per cent.