Faults:

Nothing, really. It was a test drive.

General Comments:

It's a nice looking car, it does have presence and you immediately know it's a Mercedes-Benz. The front is very imposing. Rear vents for the rear passengers are a really nice touch in our very hot country. The steering is light and precise. Brakes are good too and the fuel economy is not bad either, I averaged 14 kilometres per litre, that's about 34 MPG (US), 39 MPG (UK) or 7 litres per 100 kilometres.

Although the performance numbers aren't too bad (on paper) - 0 to 100 km/h in 9 seconds and 80 to 120 km/h in 6 seconds, the reality however is different; the 1.6 turbo does feel underpowered for the size of the car. The Eco mode makes the car VERY lethargic; leave it in Sport mode for better responses, but you will have to remember to do that every time you start the car. Oh and by the way, don't forget to turn off that f****** start/stop system or you will be driven to insanity.

The worst thing about this car is the discomfort. The combination of run-flat tires with hard suspension is simply diabolical... Couple that to hard and narrow seats and you better have your orthopedist's number handy because you most certainly will have a horrible backache at the end of your trip. Mercedes-Benzes are supposed to be luxury cars, but this one isn't.

It's unbelievable that such an expensive car doesn't come with parking sensors, auto-dimming rear view mirror and not even folding rear seats; heck there's not even a rear armrest! It doesn't have touchscreen, which is just plain stupid in this day and age. Garmin Sat Nav in a Mercedes... Really Mercedes? REALLY?! But hey at least it comes with sunroof and dual-zone climate control, but... Wait a minute, why do I have to manually adjust the driver's seat? Yup... Good old German policy of giving it with one hand and taking it with the other.

I was in doubt whether I should buy a C 180 or a front-wheel-drive A4 2.0T, and in the end I went for the Audi. The A4 I bought may be the base front-wheel-drive model, but it's cheaper, faster, better equipped and more comfortable than the Merc.

Thanks for reading.