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Two freeway lanes over a tailgating driver realized he was in
trouble and bolted from his lane cutting off an oncoming vehicle in the process.
The two cars then swerved into our lane where The Car Family was riding in a new
Mercedes Benz C320 station wagon. Too late to apply the brakes, I quickly turned
the wheel slightly and the Mercedes responded magnificently enabling us to avoid
a potential deadly accident with ease.
If we were driving in an SUV we could not have avoided this
accident, as they are much less manoeuvrable. That is what the new breed of
station wagon is about: handling and family safety without the roll over, gas
guzzling, and environmental worries of SUV ownership. The only downside was that
this tough but appealing wagon is it's costs.
Dad's view: Mercedes has
63.6 cubic feet of reconfigurable space with split rear seats and an easy to
lift tailgate so you can haul a lot of cargo in swift elegance. Our C320 Sport
Wagon is powered by a supercharged 3.2-liter, 18-valve twin-spark V6 producing
215 horsepower while coupled to a five-speed "Touch Shift" automatic
transmission. The engine is not a powerhouse, so shifting for yourself is very
worthwhile, as the engine loves to rev once the supercharger comes online.
However, Its real forte is handling. Our vehicle had the optional sport
package that is very worthwhile as you get
a tuned suspension, 225/50R-16 Michelin all-season radials, five-spoke alloy
wheels, leather upholstery, aluminum trim and tinted glass.
I didn't like a few things on the C320. I found the driver's space
cramped and the stereo wasn't very good with even weaker radio reception. The
dash layout could be made more elegant befitting a vehicle in this price
category. Other than that, it is a fun ride, but an expensive one.
Female graduate student: You get plenty of extras with
this Mercedes. Standard equipment includes a 10-speaker Bose sound system with glovebox-mounted CD changer, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats,
dual-zone climate control, power windows, heated driver-side mirror, and
automatic headlights. The car is great looking and I would be proud to own one.
There is no mistaking that this Mercedes is both elegant and useable.
The only drawback was that the engine was slow to accelerate when
loaded until about 3000 rpm when it came alive thanks to the supercharger. I
would love to own this car because it is very elegant looking and yet practical.
What a great way to say you are practical and classy at the same time.
Mom's view: This car has plenty of safety features
including dual front airbags with head protection curtains, side airbags front
and rear, BabySmart child seat recognition system, Electronic Stability Program
and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.
The C320 was very pretty in silver and the optional xenon
headlights made night driving easier on the eyes. The most important element in
driving this solid wagon was its sprightly character. You could park in the
smallest of spaces, load of bundle of bargains inside, get over 21 mpg, and
never worry because rolling over because you have a highly manoeuvrable car
under you with giant brakes that stop you right now. Very impressive.
Family conference: Consumers
continue to see the advantage of having a quality station wagon in their garages
because they offer safety features that are not required on SUVs, and wagons are
far more stable and economical to operate. The Mercedes C320 is a perfect size
with plenty of room for five and a sturdy ride that promises you years of
trouble free family motoring while offering you the ability to go from 0 to 60
in just over 7 seconds in safety. The warranty extends to four years or 50,000
miles.
Written by The Car Family |
