Hey guys I am currently looking around at various cars as I intend to purchase a good premium second hand 2013/2014/2015 Audi, BMW, Mercedes and even Volvo.
This week I drove 2 great cars a 2014 W205 Mercedes C180 Avantgarde 7G-tronic (38000km on the clock) as well as a 2014 Volvo V40 T4 Elite Auto (52000km on clock). Thought I would share my thoughts on both cars.
Mercedes C180:
Looks and specs:
The new C-class is such a good looking car and with the Avantgarde package especially in silver with 17inch 5 star wheels it is one of the most desirable looking saloons on the road. The interior is the best in this class in my opinion. I sat inside the new Audi A4 as well as the BMW 3 series and in my opinion the Mercedes feels and looks the best and most luxurious.
The test car I drove had all the bells and whistles, brilliant sounding Burmeister sound system, lane change warning assistance, blind spot warning, steering assistance, distronic, fantastic command navigation system with superb graphics, fragrance for AC (in glove box like S-class), electric seats with 3 memory settings, electric sunroof and full adaptive LED lights.
Rating: 9/10
Engine and drivetrain:
Starting up the C180 and then driving away is initially not straight forward as the cars handbrake switch and gearlever are not situated like other cars in the center console but on the right side of the steering column.
Once started up the engine is very smooth and idles quietly. The gearshift has a pleasant action to engage the different driving functions. Before starting off though I still had to become familiar with the different driving modes such as eco, comfort, sport and sport + on the command screen. Initially selecting comfort mode, the gearshifts at low engine speeds are buttery smooth, the throttle action is a little delayed when pressing the loud pedal and the steering feels good and responsive and smooth and well weighted.
The cars NVH levels are extremely good with no noise (except engine at higher engine speeds) interrupting the driving process.
After selecting Sport + on the agility control switch there is noticable changes to the throttle response and gear change speed and the steering becomes slightly more responsive off center. Giving full throttle from standstill the engine delivers very good low down response and feels eager in the mid range although its noise levels increase once past 4500rpm and once it hits the 6200rpm red line the gearchanges are relatively quick but I did notice a slight pause and it definitely wasnt as smooth as the 8-speed ZF in the BMW 320i I drove before.
I did come away impressed by the performance of the C180 it seems to hit 120km/h in short time and it is fast enough for most people but I would say its not as quick or smooth as the engine in the BMW 320i and also the older 125kw Audi A4 1.8T I tried a day after.
I think the car will be improved once Mercedes install the newer 9G-tronic.
Rating 7/10
Ride Comfort and Handling:
For me the cars ride and handling balance is excellent and the best feature of driving this car. The car I drove had 17inch wheels on standard spring suspension. Its steering feels ideally weighted, not too light and not too heavy like my BMW E90 as example and feels very responsive with good feel in corners. Its suspension body control feels rock solid over all bumps, the suspension absorbs most bumps, including smaller road scars with ease although the worst road damage can cause slight tremors through the car, but it is better than most cars I have driven, feeling much more absorbent than my E90 which bounces over the same bumps. I didn't get to push the car hard through any corners as I had a sales person with me but one long corner I took at a decent speed and the car had low roll levels and steering felt good in the hands, the rear end seemed to follow the front and the car felt very agile. I was mighty impressed with the car overall in its dynamic and comfort behaviour its a close run with the BMW 320i F30 and better than the Audi A4 1.8T I also tried.
Rating: 8.5/10
Positives:
- Stunning outside styling
- Stylish and luxurious class leading interior
- Excellent build and material quality
- Extremely impressive NVH levels
- Powertrain eagerness and low to mid range power and smoothness.
- Outstanding ride and handling
- Good Seat comfort and support
- Very good command system with excellent graphics
- Superb sounding Burmeister sound system
Negatives:
- High engine noise levels at high revs
- Gearchanges not buttery smooth when quick up shifting at redline.
- Initial time it takes to become familiar with all the safety features and controls on the Command system.
- Over extremely bad roads the suspension transmits tremors into cabin.
- Cabin space is good but not outstanding, especially rear seats have less room than my E90 BMW.
2014 Volvo V40 T4 Elite AT:
Looks and specs:
The Volvo V40 is a very good looking hatch, from all angles it has very interesting styling features and in my opinion one of the best looking in this class and makes the Audi A3 and Golf look a little boring and too conservative. The front is long and sleek and the rear hatch has really unusual styled rear lights and back window. The car I drove was silver with charcoal colour 18inch with think 5-spoke rims which really made it look sporty as well. The interior is really stylish, I particularly like the digital type instruments, they are so clear and informative with a center screen with great graphics. The materials used with mix of aluminium and soft touch plastics are excellent and feel a match for most Audi, BMW and Mercedes models in this class. The seats are my favorite interior feature, they are among the most sumptuous and comfortable on any cars, they have great padding and support front and back, even better than the C-class I tried last week. The spec levels are really impressive for the price of the car, it has automatic city braking, 8 airbags, electro dimming rear view mirror, electric seats with 2 memories, auto start/stop, leather seats, nice looking center screen info system with good menu structure and graphics.
Rating: 8.5/10
Engine and drivetrain:
The engine on this car is really superb, it has alot of power (140kw/300nm) and is very smooth at idle, a few times I had to double check the rev counter to see if it was on, it is that quiet. The car has a nice gearshift feel and I like the feel and look of the steering wheel with its thick aluminium bottom spoke. At low speeds the NVH levels are really impressive, the engine and 6 speed auto box both very smooth.
I also had to become familiar with the driving modes as the car also has selection of sport modes for the throttle, gearshift and steering weight. Once sport is selected the throttle response is really so quick, I was actually shocked initially that a small prod on the loud pedal made the engine rev so quickly and the car shot forward with extreme enthusiasm. This car is fast, way faster than the C180, 320i and A4 I drove earlier. The claimed time to 100km/h is just 6.9sec, it felt every bit as fast as that. Giving it full throttle from standstill the traction light came on and the car bolted down the road, revving to the redline so quickly it built up speed in no time and its gearbox impressive with smooth and quick upshifts. the engine also has a really nice sporty rasp at the redline. I was very very impressed by its powertrain and is too me the best feature of this car.
Rating: 9/10
Ride Comfort and Handling:
The steering is a little light at parking speeds, but once on the move proved to be well weighted and with good off center response. Once selecting sport mode, steering weight didnt change that much but the steering off center then felt hyperactive and really quick. The ride comfort is quite firm on this car, more so than all the 3 German compact saloons I had driven and it proved to be slightly bumpy and noisy on some bad roads, more so than even my E90, but at least it still absorbs most worse road conditions with a good degree and proved comfortable on the highway. I didn't have any chance to drive in corners to test the handling, road holding and steering feel so cant make a full judgement on chassis behavior.
Rating: 7/10
Positives:
- Very good looking styling with distinctive back lights and sleek front
- Good looking interior with excellent build and material quality
- Superb safety features
- Great looking instruments and center info screen
- Excellent front seats with great comfort and support
- Excellent NVH and smoothness at low speeds
- Excellent engine with superb power, low and mid range pull, quick throttle response and smoothness
- Smooth and quick shifting auto box
- Nicely weighted and responsive steering
Negatives:
- Ride firm and noisy over bad road surfaces at lower speeds
- In sport mode the throttle response can sometimes be too responsive especially at low city speeds
- Back seat space not impressive, the car is cramped for tall people with tight legroom and headroom, it is ok for kids and medium sized people.
- Initially it takes time to become familiar with all the driving modes and other vehicle functions on the info system.
- Smallish boot.
This week I drove 2 great cars a 2014 W205 Mercedes C180 Avantgarde 7G-tronic (38000km on the clock) as well as a 2014 Volvo V40 T4 Elite Auto (52000km on clock). Thought I would share my thoughts on both cars.
Mercedes C180:
Looks and specs:
The new C-class is such a good looking car and with the Avantgarde package especially in silver with 17inch 5 star wheels it is one of the most desirable looking saloons on the road. The interior is the best in this class in my opinion. I sat inside the new Audi A4 as well as the BMW 3 series and in my opinion the Mercedes feels and looks the best and most luxurious.
The test car I drove had all the bells and whistles, brilliant sounding Burmeister sound system, lane change warning assistance, blind spot warning, steering assistance, distronic, fantastic command navigation system with superb graphics, fragrance for AC (in glove box like S-class), electric seats with 3 memory settings, electric sunroof and full adaptive LED lights.
Rating: 9/10
Engine and drivetrain:
Starting up the C180 and then driving away is initially not straight forward as the cars handbrake switch and gearlever are not situated like other cars in the center console but on the right side of the steering column.
Once started up the engine is very smooth and idles quietly. The gearshift has a pleasant action to engage the different driving functions. Before starting off though I still had to become familiar with the different driving modes such as eco, comfort, sport and sport + on the command screen. Initially selecting comfort mode, the gearshifts at low engine speeds are buttery smooth, the throttle action is a little delayed when pressing the loud pedal and the steering feels good and responsive and smooth and well weighted.
The cars NVH levels are extremely good with no noise (except engine at higher engine speeds) interrupting the driving process.
After selecting Sport + on the agility control switch there is noticable changes to the throttle response and gear change speed and the steering becomes slightly more responsive off center. Giving full throttle from standstill the engine delivers very good low down response and feels eager in the mid range although its noise levels increase once past 4500rpm and once it hits the 6200rpm red line the gearchanges are relatively quick but I did notice a slight pause and it definitely wasnt as smooth as the 8-speed ZF in the BMW 320i I drove before.
I did come away impressed by the performance of the C180 it seems to hit 120km/h in short time and it is fast enough for most people but I would say its not as quick or smooth as the engine in the BMW 320i and also the older 125kw Audi A4 1.8T I tried a day after.
I think the car will be improved once Mercedes install the newer 9G-tronic.
Rating 7/10
Ride Comfort and Handling:
For me the cars ride and handling balance is excellent and the best feature of driving this car. The car I drove had 17inch wheels on standard spring suspension. Its steering feels ideally weighted, not too light and not too heavy like my BMW E90 as example and feels very responsive with good feel in corners. Its suspension body control feels rock solid over all bumps, the suspension absorbs most bumps, including smaller road scars with ease although the worst road damage can cause slight tremors through the car, but it is better than most cars I have driven, feeling much more absorbent than my E90 which bounces over the same bumps. I didn't get to push the car hard through any corners as I had a sales person with me but one long corner I took at a decent speed and the car had low roll levels and steering felt good in the hands, the rear end seemed to follow the front and the car felt very agile. I was mighty impressed with the car overall in its dynamic and comfort behaviour its a close run with the BMW 320i F30 and better than the Audi A4 1.8T I also tried.
Rating: 8.5/10
Positives:
- Stunning outside styling
- Stylish and luxurious class leading interior
- Excellent build and material quality
- Extremely impressive NVH levels
- Powertrain eagerness and low to mid range power and smoothness.
- Outstanding ride and handling
- Good Seat comfort and support
- Very good command system with excellent graphics
- Superb sounding Burmeister sound system
Negatives:
- High engine noise levels at high revs
- Gearchanges not buttery smooth when quick up shifting at redline.
- Initial time it takes to become familiar with all the safety features and controls on the Command system.
- Over extremely bad roads the suspension transmits tremors into cabin.
- Cabin space is good but not outstanding, especially rear seats have less room than my E90 BMW.
2014 Volvo V40 T4 Elite AT:
Looks and specs:
The Volvo V40 is a very good looking hatch, from all angles it has very interesting styling features and in my opinion one of the best looking in this class and makes the Audi A3 and Golf look a little boring and too conservative. The front is long and sleek and the rear hatch has really unusual styled rear lights and back window. The car I drove was silver with charcoal colour 18inch with think 5-spoke rims which really made it look sporty as well. The interior is really stylish, I particularly like the digital type instruments, they are so clear and informative with a center screen with great graphics. The materials used with mix of aluminium and soft touch plastics are excellent and feel a match for most Audi, BMW and Mercedes models in this class. The seats are my favorite interior feature, they are among the most sumptuous and comfortable on any cars, they have great padding and support front and back, even better than the C-class I tried last week. The spec levels are really impressive for the price of the car, it has automatic city braking, 8 airbags, electro dimming rear view mirror, electric seats with 2 memories, auto start/stop, leather seats, nice looking center screen info system with good menu structure and graphics.
Rating: 8.5/10
Engine and drivetrain:
The engine on this car is really superb, it has alot of power (140kw/300nm) and is very smooth at idle, a few times I had to double check the rev counter to see if it was on, it is that quiet. The car has a nice gearshift feel and I like the feel and look of the steering wheel with its thick aluminium bottom spoke. At low speeds the NVH levels are really impressive, the engine and 6 speed auto box both very smooth.
I also had to become familiar with the driving modes as the car also has selection of sport modes for the throttle, gearshift and steering weight. Once sport is selected the throttle response is really so quick, I was actually shocked initially that a small prod on the loud pedal made the engine rev so quickly and the car shot forward with extreme enthusiasm. This car is fast, way faster than the C180, 320i and A4 I drove earlier. The claimed time to 100km/h is just 6.9sec, it felt every bit as fast as that. Giving it full throttle from standstill the traction light came on and the car bolted down the road, revving to the redline so quickly it built up speed in no time and its gearbox impressive with smooth and quick upshifts. the engine also has a really nice sporty rasp at the redline. I was very very impressed by its powertrain and is too me the best feature of this car.
Rating: 9/10
Ride Comfort and Handling:
The steering is a little light at parking speeds, but once on the move proved to be well weighted and with good off center response. Once selecting sport mode, steering weight didnt change that much but the steering off center then felt hyperactive and really quick. The ride comfort is quite firm on this car, more so than all the 3 German compact saloons I had driven and it proved to be slightly bumpy and noisy on some bad roads, more so than even my E90, but at least it still absorbs most worse road conditions with a good degree and proved comfortable on the highway. I didn't have any chance to drive in corners to test the handling, road holding and steering feel so cant make a full judgement on chassis behavior.
Rating: 7/10
Positives:
- Very good looking styling with distinctive back lights and sleek front
- Good looking interior with excellent build and material quality
- Superb safety features
- Great looking instruments and center info screen
- Excellent front seats with great comfort and support
- Excellent NVH and smoothness at low speeds
- Excellent engine with superb power, low and mid range pull, quick throttle response and smoothness
- Smooth and quick shifting auto box
- Nicely weighted and responsive steering
Negatives:
- Ride firm and noisy over bad road surfaces at lower speeds
- In sport mode the throttle response can sometimes be too responsive especially at low city speeds
- Back seat space not impressive, the car is cramped for tall people with tight legroom and headroom, it is ok for kids and medium sized people.
- Initially it takes time to become familiar with all the driving modes and other vehicle functions on the info system.
- Smallish boot.
the downside is that V40's are like everywhere you look.
