Mercedes C63 AMG: Test Drive

Date: 19 August 2008   |   Author:

Category: Sports P11D price: £50,967 Key rival: BMW M3 saloon

Admittedly it's not the most fleet-friendly of models thanks to emissions of 319g/km and an average of just 21.1mpg (not to mention the £50,000+ P11D), but Mercedes' UK boss Dermot Kelly has said he expects a small but significant volume to be bought with company money.

And they're lucky individuals. From the moment the V8 barks into life the engine is a predictable delight. There's a massive amount of grin-inducing performance on tap, too, but you pay for it in terms of economy - we managed to down two tanks of super unleaded in return for just 440 miles, at an average 17.7mpg.

The ride quality, though, is a world away from the classy comfort of the standard C-class. Those 18-inch AMG alloys thump badly over urban ruts and bumps, almost to the point where we'd be worried about too many squeaks and rattles appearing over a three-year contract.

And as much as we praised the cabin in our long-term C200 CDI, it's disappointing to find it replicated in a car heading on for double the price. Only the admittedly very supportive sports seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and flashes of AMG badging are different - other than that it's standard C-class, which seems a shame. However, practicality is the same as any C-class, which means decent rear seat and boot space.

Finally, the eye-watering 115.4 pence per mile costs figure isn't great, coming in 10ppm worse than the BMW M3 saloon due to a worse depreciation. But as a charismatic, gorgeous way of transporting four people very quickly, the C63 AMG is very, very good.

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