susjc

Hi-I have a "Premium Mercedes-Benz C Class 180 OR Similar" 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!
Joann

bob_brown

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.

If the passengers are tall and/or large, the interior is going to be cramped.

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.

andy

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--

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--
trunk only held the 2 large suitcases and our carryons--

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...

Still did not matter- car was too small...

A few years ago,we had a FORD VECTOR-now , that was HUGE!!! Would easily seat 5 people and had big trunk...

Hope this helps

sardog10

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

flygirl

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!

bobthenavigator

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.

susjc

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!

TT

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", 1 22", and 1 18" 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.

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.

I'm not familiar with any of these except the Volvo. Any others of you with recommendations or experiences to share?

Thanks!

Hiroshi

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.

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.

I would say that it looks a bit bigger than a BMW 3 series, but you may ask "what's that?"

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.