Wanting to Test Drive Beyond Just Porsche

The other day, I had the chance to drive an Abarth and a McLaren on the Royu Driveway, and I truly felt that there are many amazing cars out there beyond just Porsche. Since then, I’ve become even more eager to try driving cars from various manufacturers.

By test driving different cars, I think I’ll be able to evaluate them more objectively. And since I’m a woman, it would be fun to report on cars that are enjoyable to drive from a mother’s and wife’s perspective.

By the way, the typical situations where I use a car are:

① City driving (picking up kids from kindergarten or daycare, shopping, etc.)
② Highway driving (medium-distance trips within about 100 km round trip)

I rarely drive aggressively on mountain roads like the Royu Driveway, nor do I go to racetracks. So, my priority is whether I can drive comfortably and enjoyably in city and highway driving without stress. I imagine many wives out there use their cars in similar ways.

To get a bit more specific, here are the key points I focus on:

✓ Ride comfort (I like a firm yet smooth ride)
✓ Rear seat spaciousness (if it’s too cramped, the kids in the back will complain)
✓ Handling (responsive handling and a steering wheel that’s not too light but has a proper weight)
✓ Accelerator and brake response (I want the car to respond proportionally to how much I press, not suddenly kicking in at a certain point)
✓ Adequate power (I don’t need a crazy 500 horsepower, but it should accelerate properly when I press the pedal, not just make noise)
✓ High-speed stability (stable straight-line driving and confidence when changing lanes at high speed)
✓ Driving enjoyment (it’s hard to describe, but a car that makes you want to keep driving more!)
✓ Simple and beautiful design (I dislike designs that try too hard to be unique and lose natural elegance)
✓ Reasonable cargo space (enough room for shopping bags, suitcases, strollers, etc.)

That’s about it. Although, I feel like not many wives out there have such detailed criteria (lol).

On the flip side, I don’t care if the interior isn’t luxurious, and I don’t mind if the car isn’t super nimble as long as it’s fun to drive. Also, I’m not too concerned about fuel economy… sorry for not trying to save on gas at all (lol).

So, after deciding I wanted to test drive various cars, I registered on the car-sharing app Anyca and checked out nearby dealer test drive campaigns. Then I suddenly remembered, when I visited Mercedes-Me recently, they told me to come try the C-Class soon. So I decided to visit Mercedes-Me at Grand Front Osaka again.

グランフロントのメルセデス・ミー（Mercedes me）に行ってきた！

At Mercedes-Me

I made a reservation the evening before and arrived at Mercedes-Me on time. There, I saw an unfamiliar car on display called the EQC 400 4MATIC. It’s the first mass-produced electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz, just announced recently in Japan.

The price tag on this display model said it starts at 10.8 million yen, which made me think, “Wow, that’s really expensive!” But maybe that’s just how it is. Still, once the EQC becomes available for test drives, I definitely want to come back.

After confirming my driver’s license and other formalities, it was time to head to the parking lot. Last time, I had reserved a highway test drive slot for the A-Class, so I got to drive on the Hanshin Expressway, but for cars other than the A-Class, there are no highway test drive slots. So this time, the route was about 40 minutes driving around Osaka city.

The C-Class I tested was:

【C 200 4MATIC AVANTGARDE】
■ Options: Radar Safety Package, AMG Line
■ Exterior color: Polar White
■ Steering: Right-hand drive
■ Facelift in autumn 2018
■ Price: 6.9 million yen

On the way to the parking lot, I mentioned, “When I drove the A-Class before, I was surprised how light the steering was”, and the staff said,

“We also feel the A-Class steering is too light. This time you’re test driving the C-Class, and it’s said that Mercedes really starts from the C-Class. I’m sure you’ll get to fully experience the Mercedes DNA this time!”

Hearing that made me even more excited!!

Next page → Finally, the C-Class Test Drive: How’s the Engine? How’s the Ride?