Wasn't impressed with the Merc 220. Test drive I could always hear the diesel clatter and the steering wheel isn't central to the driver. Plus rear legroom is worse than my current MkII VRS. 

I like the Jag XF Sportbrake, but again for the exterior size its small inside, although big enough. Residuals not great so PCP figures £100 more a month than my VRS offer.

Drove a Mazda6 Sport auto Tourer. That I liked. Well equipped and PCP price within a few quid before haggling. Rear legroom OK - although less than in the Mazda6 saloon! But no spare wheel option and it has 19-in wheels which could be expensive for tyres.

So I'm giving Skoda a few days to put a build date back on my VRS. If it goes beyond May I think I will go for the Mazda or maybe just keep my current VRS!

Wasn't impressed with the Merc 220. Test drive I could always hear the diesel clatter and the steering wheel isn't central to the driver. Plus rear legroom is worse than my current MkII VRS. 

I like the Jag XF Sportbrake, but again for the exterior size its small inside, although big enough. Residuals not great so PCP figures £100 more a month than my VRS offer.

Drove a Mazda6 Sport auto Tourer. That I liked. Well equipped and PCP price within a few quid before haggling. Rear legroom OK - although less than in the Mazda6 saloon! But no spare wheel option and it has 19-in wheels which could be expensive for tyres.

So I'm giving Skoda a few days to put a build date back on my VRS. If it goes beyond May I think I will go for the Mazda or maybe just keep my current VRS!

 

I really liked the Mazda 6, awesome car for the money. Dealer wouldn't even give me a value on mine or discount on list. Just seemed like he didn't want the business. Weird.

 

I agree the c220 is a bit agricultural, i had one for six months. It is a very good car. Kind of ticks the boxes in between a BMW and Audi.

I quite liked the A4 I drove today (even though it was diesel, I was looking at petrol as my mileage and cost of cambelt after 4 years being the main reason).

........ Until it broke down  The a police car turnd up and wanted to know what we were doing

That's aside, just one of those things (was a used 2013 model not a demo as I wanted to see what the multitronic box felt like).

Will see what my dealer says re the vRS tomorrow, and if nothing looks fruitful, will be looking to get a nice deal on an in stock A4.

So nothing from Skoda and I work on no news is bad news given they know I'm about to cancel...

Pushed on local Merc dealer and now have a C250 CDI AMG Sport Plus with Command (as opposed to full premium pack) on.the table at £7700 off list and 3 services included. Collection on 1st March on that.

Think I know which way this is going now....

I really liked the Mazda 6, awesome car for the money. Dealer wouldn't even give me a value on mine or discount on list. Just seemed like he didn't want the business. Weird.

 

 

Hadn't considered one of those ... looks to have a lot of spec for your money.

I uploaded a top of the range 2.2D 175hp to carwow ... only one reply so far and only £700 off .... I would expect to get more than that if  I walked into a dealers tbh ... or I would walk out again fast !

 

What is the build quality like ? as its Japanese, I am presuming reliability is top notch. Do they have a cam belt or chain ?

I sincerely hope that all you folks changing over to mercs have better ownership experiences than our fleet Senior employees at work. We've had a succession of major faults on C200 & C250 diesels in the last few years, so much so that when cars are reaching time for replacement people can now move away from Merc if the wish and almost all have.

The lower grade employee who's allowance only stretches to the new A class are in general far more complimentary about the marque than the current/former C class owners.

Even if the C Class has some issues it can't be as bad as my Vxr was, almost 40% of the time I owned it VX dealers had it in workshops!

Worth investigating further though so thanks for the heads up.

Two vehicles suffered from major electrical gremlins, one of which resulted in a replacement main wiring loom, was without the car for 6+ weeks. Mercedes openly admitted they would've replaced the car had it been a privately owned vehicle.

To a man everyone also decrys the performance in the snow, though perhaps as a rear drive car supplied with summer spec tyres that's no real surprise.

The CEO seems happy with his S Class AMG though!

Funnily my boss went from an Audi to a Merc (C220 CDi) this time around.  After only a few months he's decided he's going back to the 4 rings next time.

Merc would be a new experience for me, I do like the Audi 'style' having had an A5 and a Q7, the deal was excellent ont he A4 but I'm not jumping from one factory order to another and no stock of the spec I wanted. I've had BMW's too but have never really got exctied about them, i just really, really like the interior on the C Class and as that's where I spend most of my time........well anyway, looks like today is D day.

 

Got some good prices on a GT86 as a real curve ball, lol

Edited 25 February, 201412 yr by tuonopepper

GT86 would be a nice bet if you don't need the room, bet that will bring a smile to your face while driving

For those of you going for a C Class. Please remember that although it looks good today, in 3 months time it will be the old model and look like it next to the new one. My C Class is 18ish months old and feels every day of it when I get into it from the VRS. The C Class is a good car but drive it and the engine is no where near as refined as the VAG unit (Based on the Passat diesels we have at work) and the 7G Tronic is not as smooth as the DSG. You will feel the difference. I have not mentioned the manual Merc as you really don't want the Manual Box it is not a good unit at all which is why most C Classes are Autos.

 

Enjoy those C Classes the interior is superb but please think hard because in a years time I think you may regret it.

 

As for the XF Sportbrake...best looking estate on the road and in a different league to the other mentioned.

For those of you going for a C Class. Please remember that although it looks good today, in 3 months time it will be the old model and look like it next to the new one. My C Class is 18ish months old and feels every day of it when I get into it from the VRS. The C Class is a good car but drive it and the engine is no where near as refined as the VAG unit (Based on the Passat diesels we have at work) and the 7G Tronic is not as smooth as the DSG. You will feel the difference. I have not mentioned the manual Merc as you really don't want the Manual Box it is not a good unit at all which is why most C Classes are Autos.

 

Enjoy those C Classes the interior is superb but please think hard because in a years time I think you may regret it.

 

As for the XF Sportbrake...best looking estate on the road and in a different league to the other mentioned.

All valid points and indeed to be factored in.

 

Personally i prefer the current C Class 'look' to the new one and on what information I have manged to find the engines are the same as the current line up, though I guess they may have some tweaks. I drove an unregistered, 16 mile C250 CDI and it seemed more refined than the VRS diesel demo I drove at the Skoda dealer (depsite buying a petrol, lol) but I guess that's down to each persons individual ear so to speak.

 

I've never had any issues with the Mk1 or Mk2 VRS we have had in our houselhold so suspect the Mk3 would be bullet proof too, it will be with a heavy heart if I do cancel and go with the C250, although at least I know I will actually recieve the car and my wallet will be slightly better off each month.

 

I guess it's all about compromise, for me the VRS is a great compromise car, probably not the best at anything but a great all rounder, that's what attracted me. So the decision now based mainly on uncertainty in deliver (plus some financial benefit) is a different compromise.....such is life.

 

The Jag was too expensive against the Merc and the wife told me I wasn;t old enough to drive one, lol.

I really liked the Mazda 6, awesome car for the money. Dealer wouldn't even give me a value on mine or discount on list. Just seemed like he didn't want the business. Weird.

 

 

 

The first dealer I tried was like that too - really seemed like he didn't want to sell me a car. Second dealer was much better though - so he got my business.

 

You can get around £1,700 off on Carfile on a 2.2d 175 Sport Nav Auto - dealer was in Nottingham area, although I didn't go with them in the end as it was just too far away for me.

 

Mazda are doing 0% PCP with £1,000 deposit contribution at the moment too.

The first dealer I tried was like that too - really seemed like he didn't want to sell me a car. Second dealer was much better though - so he got my business.

 

You can get around £1,700 off on Carfile on a 2.2d 175 Sport Nav Auto - dealer was in Nottingham area, although I didn't go with them in the end as it was just too far away for me.

 

Mazda are doing 0% PCP with £1,000 deposit contribution at the moment too.

 

 Hmmm best offer from the 3 I got from carwow on the 6 was 700 ish ... ie nowt !

Have to say an A4 with decent spec around 23.5k looks good value to me...

I had a facelift Sport C Class in 2011 for six months and i was very impressed. I have had a new current A4 Sline to as well as a 3 series. The C Class has plus and minus's against all of them but was a very accomplished car with excellent build quality. 

 Hmmm best offer from the 3 I got from carwow on the 6 was 700 ish ... ie nowt !

Have to say an A4 with decent spec around 23.5k looks good value to me...

 

Sounds good! I fell in love with the Mazda though - I just love the styling (interior too - all the reviews call it dated but I like it - getting old ).  I would have preferred 17" wheels to the 19" ones, but I really wanted the Xenon headlights and you can only get those in Sport trim with 19" wheels.

 

Lots of toys on the Mazda too!

No deposit, 0% APR and £1,000 contribution on your finance on your PCP deal for a lovely shiney Mazda 6 sports tourer bet there ain't no 28-32 week wait for one of these. Tempted I am.

Yes I'm thinking of a Mazda 6 tourer sport.  Need to get a test drive. A very different car to the vrs though.   With military discount which I can get on the Mazda it's far far cheaper than an a4 or c class.

I pick mine up on Saturday Not sure how long it would be if they need to build to order, mine was from dealer stock. But when I first made enquiries in January all of the dealers I contacted said there would be no problem getting one for March.

 

I'll post some pics and let you know how I get on.

 

It is a very different car from the VRS, no doubt about it. I did think the VRS was nicer to drive (although the downshifts on the DSG were a bit vicious occasionally), but I wasn't sure I could have lived with the bucket seats in the Skoda  - with the seat in the position I usually have it in, it felt like the headrest was pushing my head forward.

 

I do prefer the interior on the Mazda. Maybe I'm suffering from the old rose tinted glasses, but I thought the interior in the VRS wasn't as nice as my old dear departed MkI VRS.

Well, another one bites the dust!

 

Cancelled my VRS order as still no idea on dates, dealer very understanding and professional and full deposit refunded.

 

Just ordered a C250 CDI AMG Sport Plus Premium and collect on Saturday, not a VRS I know but I do love the interior and there's always plusses and minusses with any car comparison, the great deal helped :-)

 

The irony is as I'm leaving the retail park they are all on I pulled up next to a VRS hatch in race blue, exactly the same as I've just cancelled, brought a wry smile to my face after what's been a difficult decision, feel strangely relieved now!

 

I sincerely hope my jumping ship helps some of you still onboard the good ship SUK get your motors that bit sooner!

Enjoy the Merc and post pics here when you get it

 

Chatted to my dealer today, very understanding and I know they are in the same boat, as they know no more than us.

Upshot is not yet cancelled but he knows if a tempting deal comes in on an A4, I may be off !

The Merc looks very nice!

 

Just had a call from the Mazda dealer to say my car has arrived and we are still go for me to pick it up on Sat. It has turned up with radar cruise control fitted, which I didn't order - so now getting that for free when it was an £800 option (got the Safety Pack free too - another £700 option)

 

Now expecting something bad to happen soon....

I think all the bad luck on orders and delivery has been used up by Skoda so you should be OK.

I'll certainly post more pics on collection.

A4 is a dull but accomplished cruiser. Nothing like a vRS.