Like almost every other car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz wants to attract younger drivers into the brand.

And once those more youthful drivers have felt the warm fuzzy glow of three-pointed star ownership, the manufacturer hopes they won’t jump ship to those other pesky German premium brands which dominate.

Hence it has not only improved its product offering, especially with the new C-Class, but it has also asked its dealers to invest in customer service.

The subject of this test is the car that Mercedes-Benz believes will be a key driver in attracting new people to the brand. The C200 CDI is the cheapest diesel estate in the line-up, slotting it at a £1,000 saving over the more prevalent C220 CDI.

Not only does this put the C-Class into a contract hire band where it once might not have been, it also spells lower benefit-in-kind tax bills for drivers.

It’s also a fairly cost-effective solution for Mercedes-Benz, as the C200 CDI runs a detuned version of the 2.2-litre common rail turbodiesel found in the C220 CDI model. 

Power drops from 170 to 136bhp and, to be honest, it is noticeable. Where the C220 powers away effortlessly, the C200 needs to be worked harder to get the most from the engine.

However, once up to cruising speed it settles into a relaxed gait, humming along at motorway speeds with little stress from the engine.

When we first tried this model last year the gearbox action was disappointing, but our recent test car had a far more positive shift action and didn’t occasionally baulk at gearchanges as it had done in the past.

While performance is compromised, little else is. That handsome estate body with its sculpted rear bumper and prominent front grille give the C-Class real presence on the road, while inside the quality of materials used and the way they are put together both feel reassuringly solid.

The C-Class also trumps its rivals on boot space. While most cars of this type are used more for a ‘lifestyle’ (waterskiing/pogoing/skydiving – delete as you feel appropriate), there is serious load space on offer, with more room available in both seats up and seats down arrangements than the Audi A4 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring.

While the forthcoming Blue-Efficiency versions of the C-Class in petrol and diesel form will attract plenty of headlines, the C200 CDI remains something of an overlooked model in the range.

Good looking, refined and more affordable, it ticks many boxes in terms of what user-choosers want. Especially the younger ones.

 

Strengths

• Looks good
• Boot capacity
• Strong RV forecast
• Sub-160g/km CO2
   

Weaknesses

• Highest driver tax bill
• Running costs

Three rivals to consider

• Alfa 159 S/W 1.9 JTDM Turismo
• Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI SE
• BMW 318d SE Touring

P11D Price

The Alfa Romeo comes in with a healthy front-end saving over the others, and is the most powerful car on test with 150bhp. 
Of the German trio, they are all entry-level trim models offering 143bhp (Audi and BMW) and 136bhp for the Mercedes-Benz.

Emissions and tax rates

The BMW will be the cheapest in benefit-in-kind tax terms thanks to its low emissions, costing a higher rate taxpayer £148 a month. 

The Audi is a band higher up the scale and will cost the same taxpayer £153 a month. The Alfa will cost £169 and the C200 £183 a month.

SMR Cost

With the smallest wheels and variable servicing intervals, the BMW leads the way on service, maintenance and repair costs over a typical fleet lifecycle.

The similarly-shod C-Class is just behind. The remaining two are a penny per mile further back – larger alloys mean higher tyre costs for the A4.

Fuel cost

The BMW will return a claimed 58.9mpg average, which is well ahead of the competition here. This translates into a diesel spend of £4,854 over 60,000 miles.

The Audi returns a claimed 53.3mpg, the Mercedes-Benz 47.1mpg and the Alfa Romeo 46.3mpg.

 

Depreciation cost

The Audi will be worth the most money in three years and 60,000 miles, according to CAP.

It estimates the A4 will be worth £9,450 (38% of cost new), compared to £9,150 (36%) for the C200 CDI, £8,125 (32%) for the BMW and £6,025 (27%) for the Alfa Romeo.

 

Wholelife cost

The BMW looked on course to win this comparison with the best figures for SMR and fuel, but its depreciation cost drags it down.

Residuals for the 3 Series have been hit, unlike the Audi’s and Mercedes-Benz’s which are remaining strong. The Alfa is well adrift of the Audi on costs.

Verdict

Looked at in isolation the C200 CDI estate is a good car – more affordable than its larger-engined stablemates, sub-160g/km of CO2 for increased tax breaks, a strong residual value and a badge that will tempt many a user-chooser.

Unfortunately for Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW also offer these winning traits, but they do it for less money.

The A4 and 3 Series offer significant savings not only to fleet managers in running cost terms, but also to drivers in the form of lower benefit-in-kind tax bills.

And while the Audi costs slightly more in BIK tax than the BMW, its running costs advantage gives it the victory here.

• WINNER: Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI SE