Mercedes C320 CDI Sport: 13,620 miles

Busy, busy, busy! Our Mercedes C-Class has had one of the most hectic years of any car we’ve ever tested on our long-term fleet. You name it, and our diesel Sport model has done it!

We’ve put it through its high-speed paces on a demanding handling track at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey. Then there was the session on a skidpan, testing out the Merc’s excellent safety and stability systems. In addition, it’s been part of several high-profile tests, mixing it with fierce new rivals from the likes of BMW and Audi on road and track.

Oh, and it’s attended a photocall at one of the UK’s leading karting circuits, as well as being serviced by Mercedes’ own European-award-winning mechanics from south London.

Add in all the mileage that our C320 CDI has clocked up in motorway and town commuting, plus the many other demands of everyday life, and I think you will agree that this is one test car which has certainly earned its keep.

So, as we prepare to hand back the C-Class after 14 months, what end-of-term summing up does our sporty Merc get? Well, if this was a school report, we’d give it a ‘highly promising, but there’s room for improvement’. It looks good with its lowered suspension and AMG cosmetics, is surprisingly quick thanks to its powerhouse engine, and delivers highly respectable mid-30mpg economy. But we’d prefer to see a bit more personality in what is a bland cabin, while build quality, although better than the previous model’s, is still some way short of its predecessors from the Seventies and Eighties. We were also disappointed to find a rattly driver’s seat, squeaky electric folding door mirror and malfunctioning gearshift paddle.

Also, for a top-spec model with all the bells and whistles, I would have liked a bit more flexibility. I was forced to borrow another long-termer – a Jaguar XF – to transport a glass-topped coffee table. The British model swallowed this item with reasonable ease, thanks to its folding rear seats. If Jaguar fits this useful feature as standard, why can’t Mercedes?

And I guess that sums up life with the C-Class. There’s plenty to like about it, especially in Sport trim, but with a bit more attention to detail, it could go from being good to being great.