After getting into an accident with my Audi A4, I was thrust into the market for a new car. I was looking for a sedan that was: 1) safe, 2) had decent gas mileage, 3) roomy enough for two car seats, 4) stylish, and 5) not too expensive.

The C-Class Mercedes fit all those criteria. Let me take each of these in turn.

1) Safety: The Mercedes has excellent safety ratings, comparable with the Volvo; moreover, the car "feels" solid and sturdy on the road. The handling is tight, even in slippery conditions (and it rained a lot the winter I bought the car, so I have lots of experience driving on wet roads!).

2) Gas mileage: I'm averaging about 24 miles per gallon for the first 20k miles I've driven, which is favorable to a friend of mine who has a Passat. It is roughly equivalent to the A4 I had.

3) "Roominess:" One of my big concerns was fitting two of the toddler car seats into the back. The Audi I had was too cramped to really fit two in the back seat without either limiting the kids' legroom, or that of the people in the front seats. The Mercedes - while not lavishly spacious - is noticeably larger. My 4 year old and 2 year old (who were 2 and 6 months when I bough the car), have been comfortable in the back for long trips.

4) Style: I've always liked the sleek look of the Mercedes; it is elegant without being presumptuous.

5) Price: I was surprised that this car was actually less expensive than the Audi A4. I got it for under $30k (it doesn't have a lot of options).

I do have a couple of small gripes:

1. The automatic windshield wipers (which supposedly automatically sense wetness on the windshield) don't work very well. I've found that I use the manual setting on the windshield wipers.

2. The leather seats don't clean very easily. Lots has been spilled in the back, and the stains aren't coming out. (Of course, this could be "user error" as well.)

3. The front bumper hangs down too low and is too easily damaged when you park, particularly up against curbs.

But overall I really like this car.
Amount Paid (US$): 30,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005