32: Mercedes-Benz C-Class – Well-thought out premium saloon

No longer the smallest Mercedes-Benz saloon (step forward, the CLA not-really-a-Coupe) the C-Class is one of those well-thought out cars that, after a while, just gets under your skin to the point where you don’t want to let go of it.

That goes double if you’re talking about either the estate version (capable, capacious, handsome) or the Coupe (which is just stunning at which to look). The estate especially appeals to us, not only because there has always been an extra appeal to Mercedes estates, but because it’s also really sweet to drive, with steering superior to that of a BMW 3 Series.

Most basic 180d diesel (actually a 1.6-litre engine, shared with Renault and Nissan) is actually the pick of the range, with the 180 petrol coming up fast behind. AMG models are awesomely quick, but we (just) prefer the 43 V6 model, for its crackling, cackling exhaust note. C350 plugin hybrid clever, but suffers from the weight of its batteries.

Best model: C180d AMG-Line estate