SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


Technotest: 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300 Edition C

No going overboard

Published in Witness Wheels on Thursday December 19, 2013

Introduction: If you want a Mercedes-Benz C300, this is the only way to get one; not that it’s any hardship you understand. As mentioned in our recent review of the C180 Edition C, the pack consists of special wheels, upgraded upholstery and AMG trim items. Then they throw in the music box connectors as a bonus. Unlike the smaller-engined version though, it’s sedan only; no station wagon or coupé. Further, you don’t need to upgrade to Avantgarde trim, buy the sterling silver-coloured wheels with different-sized tyres or add on a seven-speed automatic because they’re all included in this version.

Engine: In keeping with the present German tradition of confusing engine nomenclature, this C300 displaces 3.5 litres rather than three. The engine is available in a C350 with more power and torque, but then it won’t be an Edition C. As for the power plant, it’s a variant of the Chrysler Pentastar V6 that displaces 3499 cc. Mercedes calls it the M276 series and is not to be confused with the old 3498 cc M272. The new engine is a 60-degree, all-aluminium V6 with dual overhead camshafts and constantly variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust. Because the V is built to a narrower angle than the old 90-degree motor, there is no need for the expensive balance shaft that led to allegations of premature wear in early models and to class-action lawsuits in the US.

Standard equipment: There’s ESP, ABS brakes with EBD, acceleration skid control, six airbags, hill start assist, flashing adaptive brake lights, headlamp assist, tyre pressure loss warning, intelligent bi-xenon lights, through-loading for the back seat and the theft protection and special mirror packages (folding and automatically dimming). Presafe braking, rain sensing wipers, cruise control, six-disc Audio 20 sound system, automatic climate control, powered windows and auto stop-start are there too. Because the front and rear tyres are of different widths, the emergency wheel is a spacesaver.

The experience: The big six-cylinder engine has plenty of power for effortless cruising and for those not yet ready to trust turbochargers, it’s comforting to know that no expensive pressurising surprises lurk in your future. The boot opens with a touch of the button on the fob, is quite nicely shaped with only slight intrusion from the wheel arches and features a netted side compartment, a light, two bag hooks and four rings for lashing stuff down. It’s only about 10 centimetres deep, so it’s easy to pack. A pair of handily placed remote releases lay the seatbacks down almost flat, so you don’t have to walk around when dealing with longer loads.

The back seat area, like other C-class cars, is best kept for shorter passengers although they enjoy separate air vents, a 12-Volt socket and ashtray, reading lights and cup holders. Both front chairs adjust electrically for reach, height and recline, and mechanically for tilt and lumbar support.  The gear shift lever with Tiptronic style manual override is on the console where such things belong. Those who prefer their music, computer and phone repeater buttons to be on the steering wheel will be happy too.

Summary: This unfussy big C-class is proof that it’s possible to have all the power and luxury any normal person needs, without going overboard on the options list.

Test car from MBSA press fleet

The numbers
Price incl. CO2 tax: R506 112
Engine: 3499cc, V6, DOHC 24-valves
Power: 185 kW at 6500 rpm
Torque: 340 Nm between 3500 and 4500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 6,7 seconds
Maximum speed: 250 km/h
Real life fuel economy: About 9,6 l/100 km
Tank: 66 litres
Warranty and maintenance: 6 years/120 000 km



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

My reviews and launch reports appear on Thursdays in the Wheels supplement to The Witness, South Africa's oldest continuously running newspaper, and occasionally on Saturdays in Weekend Witness as well. I drive eight to ten vehicles each month, most months of the year (except over the festive season) so not everything gets published in the paper. Those that are, get a tagline but the rest is virgin, unpublished and unedited by the political-correctness police.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.



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