Mercedes C180 large enough for 5 people?
 

Hi-I have a &quot;Premium Mercedes-Benz C Class 180 OR Similar&quot; reserved through Autoeurope (I only reserved it because it was on sale!). Does anyone know if this car class is roomy enough for 5 people (4 adults and 1 child)? If not, does anyone have advice for type of automatic car to rent for this size group? thanks for any help!<BR>Joann

I am concerned that you will be able to get all your luggage in the trunk. I am not familiar with the size of the luggage compartment on the C180, but most cars in that class would be hard pressed to accommodate 4 regular suitcases and 5 overnight bags.<BR> <BR>If the passengers are tall and/or large, the interior is going to be cramped. <BR><BR>I have a 3rd concern about the 1.8 liter engine with an automatic and a very full load. In the standard transmission models, acceleration is nothing spectacular. With a full load and an automatic, I hope you are not planning on driving over the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse or the Grimsel Pass.<BR><BR>

No- car is way too small-- it is for 4 passengers with only enough trunk ( boot) space to hold 2 large suitcases and 2 small carryons--<BR><BR>We had on in London 2 years ago ( we were just a couple) and put our 2 large suitcases in the trunk, and a smaller suitcase had to go in the back seat--<BR>trunk only held the 2 large suitcases and our carryons-- <BR><BR>reason for so much luggage- we were in the English Countryside for a week PRIOR to a cruise in the MED --so we had 2 different climates in Mat...<BR><BR>Still did not matter- car was too small...<BR><BR>A few years ago,we had a FORD VECTOR-now , that was HUGE!!! Would easily seat 5 people and had big trunk...<BR><BR>Hope this helps

To give you an idea of how small, my friends and I are always commenting on how we want one because they're so tiny and cute! We've also called them Barbie Vans :)

I had a c240 in Germany which I just loved but I think even that may be pushing it for your crew. 5 people, you almost need a van, especially b/c kids come with their own special heap of stuff!

I concur--too small. With 5 people and luggage you will need a van or a full sized wagon. The Passat wagon may work but even it may be tight.

thanks everyone for your advice - another option I have is renting a VW Caravelle. I keep hearing horror stories about maneuvering large vehicles in Italy - does anyone have experience driving vans in Italy? We are staying for a week in Tuscany near Montaione. I don't mind parking outside of towns and walking so I was already prepared to do this but what about driving in and out of Florence? (the rental location)thanks again!

susjc: Thanks for asking this question! We have s similar situation (2 adults, 2 teens, 1 pre-teen) and had booked a C180 through Autoeurope (with their sale price). The chart I'd looked at indicated it seated 5 and had sufficient luggage room (we have 3 26&quot;, 1 22&quot;, and 1 18&quot; pieces). Since we're staying in a self-catering for the week, I figured if we could just get the luggage there to unload, we'd be OK to tour around the UK Cotswolds during the week. <BR><BR>The other Autoeurope options for an automatic seating 5 (since driving in UK, I want an automatic) are 1) Opel Omega 2) Seat Alhambra 3) Volvo V70 Wagon 4) Mercedes E220. All of which are significantly more expensive than the C180. <BR><BR>I'm not familiar with any of these except the Volvo. Any others of you with recommendations or experiences to share?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR>

The C180 is more suited for 4 people. 5 can fit if you don't have a lot of luggage as it will not fit 5 suitcases.<BR><BR>Don't they have a C class Mercedes in the city that you live? Look in the parking lot of a shopping center or street.<BR><BR>I would say that it looks a bit bigger than a BMW 3 series, but you may ask &quot;what's that?&quot;<BR><BR>Look up yahoo.com then autos (under where you enter your search word). You can compare the C class Mercedes with cars that you are familiar with. You can only compare it with current cars. Old cars such as the Studebaker, American Motors, or Packard are not shown.