Mercedes C-Class Estate review

Is the Mercedes C-Class Estate a good car?

There’s a premium appeal to the Mercedes C-Class Estate that makes it a worthy option, especially in a rapidly dwindling segment. The interior feels like a special place to be with quality materials and a real eye-catching design that helps it become a distinct proposition from its usual German rivals. The level of on-board technology is strong, as you’d expect of a Mercedes, but not every aspect of it has been implemented smoothly. The driving experience matches the saloon, which is to say the estate rides beautifully and has just enough dynamism to entertain. Boot space is a bit of a let-down however - the mild-hybrids just about manage to be competitive, but the PHEV’s significant loss in capacity makes it a tough sell. 

How much does the Mercedes C-Class Estate cost?

The Mercedes C-Class saloon starts from around £45,000 with the Estate starting at around £1,500 extra. For the Estate’s extra practicality, you’ll pay roughly around that premium right the way through the trim level range too, which mirrors the choice offered with the saloon. 

The petrol C 200 AMG Line is the cheapest C-Class Estate you can buy with the diesel C 220 d AMG Line Estate costing £1,500 more. ‘AMG Line Premium’ trim levels come next and add around £3,500 to the list price of the C 200 and C 220 d, followed by the better-equipped AMG Line Premium Plus from £54,000 and £55,000 for the entry petrol and diesel engines. 

More powerful powertrains come in the form of the C 300 petrol, C 300 e plug-in hybrid and C 300 d diesel. The C 300 starts at just under £54,000 in AMG Line Premium trim and the C 300 e plug-in hybrid actually undercuts it at just over £52,000 in Urban Edition guise. The c 300 d starts at a smidge over £55,000 in AMG Line Premium trim. 

Above this sits the Mercedes-AMG models. This isn’t just reserved for the C-Class saloon with the Estate being offered in 43 and full-fat 63 guises starting from around £70,000 and £100,000, respectively. 

21

The C-Class gained a reputation in the compact executive segment for a refined driving experience that never really troubled BMW’s 3 Series for dynamism honours. The smooth ride continues with the latest C-Class and, indeed, the Estate. The MRA platform that underpins the C-Class is not only heavily revised from the previous generation it’s also used for the S-Class too (albeit in a longer wheelbase). So long as you choose the smaller wheels, the C-Class Estate wafts along on a cruise in a way not too dissimilar to an S-Class, tackling undulations in the road exceptionally well - though a flip-side of this is the C-Class Estate feels like a heavy vehicle on the move. Larger wheels can occasionally upset the ride with the odd thud. 

The C 200 petrol has a kerbweight of 1,765kg and the C 300 e plug-in hybrid 2,120kg, but in truth, every C-Class Estate feels a little bit on the portly side. This is largely down to the suspension, which Mercedes has clearly (and refreshingly) tuned to soak up bumps and ruts in the road over cornering stability. 

As was the case on the old C-Class Estate, the steering lacks responsiveness, especially in the dead-ahead position, where it can sometimes feel a little disconnected. There’s an overall good weight to it, giving you just enough confidence to lean into the steering, but it’s not particularly keen to respond to inputs. What the C-Class can do is grip, however, and it’s remarkably settled when you do decide to push on. 

Catering for a wide variety of tastes and needs, the C-Class Estate line up features quite a few powertrains. All units are mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox, and all use 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance with the C 200 kicking off with the 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with 201bhp, the more powerful 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder in the C 300 puts out 254bhp. As for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels, the engine in the C 220 d provides 197bhp and the C 300 d 261bhp. The plug-in hybrid has even more power thanks to a 128bhp electric motor supplementing a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, with a total of 309bhp. 

The diesels are much improved over the old 2.1-litre you got in the previous C-Class - especially in terms of refinement. The C 220 d’s 440Nm of torque ensures you’ve got ample grunt, and it’s delivered low in the rev range, making the C 300 d seem a little unnecessary. 

As for the petrol C-Class models, those continue to appeal thanks to their smooth integration of mild-hybrid power to make up for the lack of torque compared to the diesels and their relatively smooth power delivery. Of the non-AMG models, you’ll typically find the gearbox to be a limiting factor in terms of engagement - it’s very much set up to provide seamless shifting, even in the ‘Sport’ driving mode. 

While previous AMG-fettled C-Class generations have used V6s and V8s, the four-cylinders continue in the C 43 and C 63 estates - making sure Mercedes has a rival to the BMW M3 Touring and Audi RS 4 Avant. The C 43’s turbocharged four-pot is derived from the A 45 S hot hatch and provides a meaty 402bhp with the C 63 producing a supercar-baiting 671bhp from its plug-in hybrid powertrain with both coming with Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. We’ve not driven the C 63 in estate form yet, though given it already weighs two tonnes, we expect the extra kerbweight of the estate won’t dilute the experience much. 

The C 63 E Performance is the quickest C-Class Estate, with a 3.4-second zero to 62mph time. The C 220 d is the slowest, taking 7.6 seconds to reach 62mph, with the more powerful C 300 d taking 5.8 seconds. The plug-in hybrid C 300 e takes 6.2 seconds with the lighter C 300 shaving off 0.2 seconds despite having 55mph less.

21

With such a variety of powertrains, there’s a wide spectrum to the C-Class Estate’s emissions and fuel efficiency numbers. There’s obviously a slight price you’ll pay in efficiency over the sleeker, lighter saloon though. 

The entry-level C 200’s 43.5mpg claimed figure and its CO2 emissions of 147g/km are better than you’d get from a BMW 320i Touring or the latest Audi A5 Avant. The more powerful C 300 is only a little thirstier at 41mpg while emitting 157g/km. The diesels see the C 220 d claiming 60.2mpg with an emissions figure of 123g/km and the C 300 d doing 53.3mpg on a combined cycle with 139g/km - pretty impressive numbers. 

If you’re looking for the most frugal C-Class Estate then the plug-in hybrid will be the one for you. It is just one PHEV option too, because unlike the E-Class Estate there’s no diesel plug-in hybrid, just a petrol one. The C 300 e Estate has a rather ridiculous 470.9mpg claim from Mercedes - which obviously requires you to use the 19kWh battery and its decent 65-mile electric-only range, though we found this to drop to 40 miles in cold conditions. 

The C 63 E Performance is a plug-hybrid, so despite being the most powerful by some margin, there are some eco-credits with the hot AMG model. 38.7mpg isn’t bad considering the performance available from the C 63 and neither is its 167g/km emissions figure. The C 43 is the least frugal with a four-cylinder mild-hybrid that manages 30.1mpg and a rather high 213g/km.

21

The C-Class Estate mirrors that of the saloon, so while it is not even close to the flagship Mercedes models - it still looks and feels almost as premium. Even though Mercedes went to the trouble of removing a lot of the C-Class’s physical buttons and switches inside, it’s not quite a minimalist look, and depending on what colours or materials you choose, it might look a little fussy to some. Dig deep, and you’ll find the build quality is suitable for the badge on the steering wheel with plush materials through - the only bit of movement or creaking you might find is low-down on the centre console, but you’re unlikely to find anything to grumble about on a daily basis. 

There’s a good selection of kit in the entry-level AMG Line with the twin-screen layout standard across the line-up. Mercedes’ Artico faux leather upholstery is lovely on the sports seats, with ambient lighting and a metal weave trim on the centre console all helping to deliver a luxurious cabin. The mix of silver and black might feel a bit solemn so again, it’s worth exploring the no-cost option of white and black or brown and black. 

The high-spec AMG Line Premium Plus receives 19-inch alloy wheels instead of the 18-inch rims you get on lesser variants - but the AMG Line body kit is a staple throughout. Inside you’ll find the same level of quality, but with some quality additions like the open-pore wooden dash. 

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

We’re fans of the Mercedes MBUX infotainment system because it manages to look like a premium set up while maintaining a degree of simplicity and ergonomic straightforwardness to it. The 11.9-inch portrait screen on the dash features a wonderfully clear resolution and while the initial menu layout might look intimidating and complex at first glance, you’ll soon get to grips with it. It’s also quick to respond to inputs, and loading times are kept to a minimum even when scrolling through the many sub-menus. 

The 12.3-inch driver’s display is more of the same - there’s a customisable setting with modes like ‘Classic’ or ‘Sport’ depending on what information you want to prioritise. The integrated Mercedes sat-nav is excellent, with a clear display and sensibly laid-out functionality.  

21

Like the saloon, the Mercedes C-Class Estate’s practicality isn’t class-leading, but it’s still competitive. The cabin space is easily big enough for adults to get comfortable up front or in the rear, with a generally decent amount of all-round visibility no matter where you sit. The driving position is spot on with plenty of adjustability in the electrically-operated seat to get comfortable. There’s a sliding lid for the centre console’s phone storage and cupholders, and on the armrest, there’s enough space to fit a small bag - we like the split-opening function too. 

The boot of the C-Class Estate stands at 490 litres with the rear seats up - 10 litres down on the 3 Series Touring but up from the Audi A5 Avant’s 476 litres. Unfortunately, the plug-in hybrid version fits a battery behind the rear seats which encroaches on the boot space and shrinks it to 360 litres - it’s a high boot floor as a result but still a usable size for most families and indeed dogs. High-spec versions of the Skoda Octavia Estate might be worth a look if boot space is particularly important, given the Czech car’s 640-litre capacity. 

21

The C-Class, in both saloon and estate forms, received a full five-star rating from Euro NCAP when tested in 2022. There’s a range of standard safety technology like blind spot monitoring, lane-keep assistance and autonomous braking, which resulted in a good score in the safety assist category. Adult and child occupant crash safety scores were even better, so you should rest easy in the knowledge that the C-Class Estate will stand up well to impacts. 

The Mercedes brand came in a disappointing 25th place in our 2024 Driver Power best brands survey. The C-Class didn’t feature in the latest best cars to own survey, with the E-Class the highest-ranking Mercedes model, in 27th place. Mercedes as a whole came a worrying 27th for reliability too. 

Mercedes C-Class Estate alternatives 

Buyers might be preferring mid-sized SUVs to family-friendly estates these days, but there’s still plenty of competition to the Mercedes C-Class Estate. There is, of course, the BMW 3 Series Touring, which not only provides a more compelling drive, but now comes in BMW M3 Touring guise for those wishing for a truly exciting experience. Then there’s the Audi A5 Avant (which replaces the previous generation Audi A4 Avant), which still looks just as appealing as ever. There are also high-spec versions of the Volkswagen Passat - which you can only get as an estate and even electric cars are starting to get into the estate genre, with the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer providing a genuine zero-emissions alternative.