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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon (2000-2007) running costs and reliability

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Running costs rating: 2.5 out of 52.5

Written by Simon Harris Published: 6 June 2019

Miles per pound (mpp)

Reliable fuel consumption data for comparison purposes is not available for this model.

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Fuel economy

A more stringent standard for fuel economy (WLTP) was introduced from September 2017, and this model was not required to undergo that test. Its fuel economy measured under the previous test system was 23 - 47 mpg. However these figures are less likely to be achievable in real world driving and so should never be compared to another car's mpg which was measured under the newer, more realistic WLTP system.

View mpg & specs for any version

Expensive to buy new but depreciates slowly. Servicing at official dealers is very expensive. Diesel engines are frugal as well as supercharged 1.8-litre petrol engines.

C-Class is quite a polluting model. With an average of 202 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are a touch high for a medium-sized saloon. However, it’s worth noting that the line up has a high number of diesel models, bringing the average down and giving buyers more choices of low-emission versions. Diesels typically produce less CO2 than petrol engines with similar power outputs.

The range is not particularly economical, averaging 35 mpg.

The C-Class arrived at a time when some Mercedes-Benz models had suffered below average reliability. However, the majority of C-Class models have not suffered any major problems.