A couple of minor misdemeanours have occurred this month. First, while simply closing the rear hatch the parcel shelf broke at the point where it's glued together. Surprising one this, as the rest of our C220 is so nicely bolted together.

The second was just pure bad luck as a flying stone struck the front windscreen leaving a seven-inch hairline crack. This happened when the car was on its way back from Mercedes where it had spent a couple of days having a CD player fitted and that broken rear shelf fixed.

In stark contrast to the flimsy rear parcel shelf are the bits that make our Merc such a lovely place to be, especially on long journeys. Everything in the interior works perfectly and it's quality all the way. I also appreciate the snug front seats which can be adjusted in three different places to get the driving position 'just right'. The interior lights are very plush too, and fade out in that heartening and classy way when you turn the key. Another nice touch is the remote key fob which has an impressively long range, enabling me to pinpoint KN02 straight away when I return to a packed and dingy underground car park.

Dynamically I'm getting used to the steering, which is precise and well balanced but a bit over-weighted when turning quickly at low speed. The 17-inch wheels and lowered suspension that came with our car's Evolution pack make for a very planted ride but somehow this car doesn't quite live up to the expectation of the Sport Coupe name. At 1500kg, our C220 is the heaviest car in the 'small coupe' section of The Knowledge and you really feel that weight. This makes for a stable and civilised life on the M1 (where I do most of my miles) but becomes a hindrance on the twisties when I want incisive turn-in and agility at speed.

Fuel consumption is of course where our diesel-drinking Merc repeatedly hits the bullseye. evo designer and resident mpg obsessive Chee-Chiu Lee was truly overwhelmed recently following a weekend with the Sport Coupe: '52mpg Allan!' he exclaimed with an emotional tear in his eye. 'Did you hear that? 52mpg!'

I think the biggest compliment I could currently give KN02 is that it has repeatedly passed my all-important evo Car Park Test. This takes place when a tasty visiting test car could be exchanged for the C220 over a weekend. And yet on nearly all occasions the Merc key has stayed firmly in my hand.