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Mercedes C
Class Coupe and Sedan Road Test
There are some vehicles that
set standards for quality and value. Those that come to mind immediately are the
Toyota Corolla, the Honda Accord,
Volkswagen's Beetle, the
MINI Cooper, the
Hyundai Santa Fe,
the CR-V from
Honda, Nissan's swift 350 Z
and the solid Saab 9-3.
So how does a Mercedes Benz get on the bargain list? Can you say C Class? You
can own a great handling, gas sipping C class sports sedan or hatchback coupe
for under AUD$53,000.
The question is whether or not Mercedes did the right thing in bringing these
two price leaders into the fold at a time when people are lusting after
AUD$70,000 luxury SUVs that get ten miles to the gallon and cost a bundle to
insure? The answer isn't simple. Mercedes is known as a luxury car manufacture
and does well in this regard. Pricing its cars close to that of a Ford Crown
Victoria could tarnish this image unless the product delivers. Thus we tested
the coupe and sedan with that in mind and came away impressed, but with
reservations.
First, these are sold handling, good braking, and worth the money if what you
want is basic transportation with a little glitter. Indeed, without the Mercedes
name these cars would be hard to discern from others if you just based your
findings on the interior and freeway ride. But, if you like to drive and not
just aim your car down the highway, these Mercedes come alive and quickly
separate themselves from the more mundane vehicles in this price category.
We tested the
C320 coupe with the
optional 215 horsepower V6 engine priced just over $89,000. If you stick with
the C230 you can save several thousand as it lists around $68,500. We recommend
the more powerful engine because it makes it a more capable and fairly spacious
two door. It handles well, but not to
BMW 3 Series limits. However, it is easier
to drive in traffic than the BMW and we found it roomier and more eager to
accelerate. We also tested the C Class sports sedan with the supercharged
1.8-liter dohc 4-cylinder supercharged engine C230 Kompressor sedan offered at
$68,500.
Inside, the front seats are comfortable with plenty of room to stretch except
for the intrusion of the power window controls that rub against your left leg.
The back seats fold down and are best used for short hauls with short people.
The interiors are dull. You get the usual array of gauges and steering wheel
controls, but the appearance is more business-like than any other Mercedes,
although the coupe uses aluminum trim to add a sporty touch. At night we
particularly missed having all the buttons lighted as the interior lighting
wasn't the best.
Mom's view: Both the coupe and sedan are handsome vehicles that feel
connected to the road. The brakes are very reassuring and I above all liked the
many safety features. You get 4-wheel ABS, emergency braking assist traction
control, stability control front and rear side-mounted airbags, front and rear
head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, child seat anchors,
emergency interior trunk release, remote anti-theft alarm system engine
immobilizer, daytime running lights dusk sensing headlamps, auto delay off
headlamps front fog lights, and turn signals mounted in the side mirrors. The
C-Class scored high marks from the government and the Insurance Institute. More
importantly, I felt safe driving them. However, I must remind my fellow
womenfolk that the coupe doors are very long and if you are parked on a slope or
hill you may need to use your leg to hold the door open. Wearing the wrong
length dress may attract a crowd during this maneuver so be warned.
You get plenty of features with either model, although I much preferred the
six-cylinder hatchback coupe because of the more potent engine and its faster
reaction to my acceleration needs. The supercharged four cylinder had enough
propulsion once underway, but it took a bit for the smaller engine to perform to
my expectations. By the way, both vehicles need high-test gas and delivered
nearly identical 24-mpg averages in mixed driving conditions. With its 16 gallon
tank and you find yourself looking for gas stations after 340 miles.
Although I liked the way the
Sports Sedan handled better, the coupe had a lot more bargain hauling room than
the smallish 12.2 cubic foot trunk in the sedan and was definitely the more
attractive of the pair.
Dad's view: I was overwhelmed by the Sports Sedan with the Kompressor
engine. It is not a particularly rapid vehicle, but the handling is remarkable.
This is a sedan that is a kid at heart. If you put more handling oriented tires
on this Mercedes you could have a lot of fun just going to the corner store. Of
course, the engine didn't have the power to push the chassis and so I would
recommend considering the six cylinder engine if smooth power is on your needs
list. The coupe was faster, but it never felt as connected as the sedan. Both
cars have plenty of features of which the ignition key was my favorite. It is
called the smart key and uses infrared and radio waves to start the vehicle and
also lock and unlock it. The keys smooth shape makes it easy on your pockets and
you can even open and close the sunroof with it.
All Mercedes C Class cars come pretty much loaded. Power steering, cruise
control, air conditioning with dual-zone automatic climate controls, interior
air filter, heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote
keyless entry, AM/FM stereo, tachometer, outside-temperature, heated
intermittent wipers, and a universal garage-door opener are standard.
An option that is certainly
unique is the panoramic roof, which covers, or should I say uncovers, nearly the
entire roof.
With either car, the first thing I would change would be the tires. They are a
nice compromise between highway ride and handling, but when you want to make
either the coupe or the sedan perform the tires quickly limit your adventures. I
especially felt that the coupe's tires were not the best match since they tended
to follow ruts in the roads, were noisy, and didn't like my approach to
cornering and let me know about it. Of course, they could be right since I have
never been mistaken for an FI driver leaning heavily to the drifting type of
cornering.
Young working woman's view: The coupe was the better half, although I
found both C Class vehicles easy to love. In the past we have tested the C Class
station wagon, which is very useful and nicely styled, and the AMG C32 version
that nearly destroyed The Car Family as arguments ranged well into the night
about who was going to drive this remarkable vehicle the next day. Which reminds
me, the C32 AMG is twice as expensive as our test cars and worth every penny so
don't test drive one unless you want to become spoiled.
Anyway, C Class owners get the Mercedes 4year, 50000-mile warranty and they are
currently offering a free maintenance program that covers everything except the
brake and tires.
I prized the way the coupe
could easily find its way into the smallest parking spot thanks to its tight
turning radius. Of course, the long doors necessary for people to gain access to
the small rear seats make it a challenge to ladies to open. The aluminum trim on
the interior wasn't as Mercedesish as I would have liked. In fact, the interior
bordered on boring. Of course, for real excitement stand close to the trunk lid
when you click the opener. It swings up with significant speed and force. Stand
clear or else.
As a businesswoman I have concerns about the coupe's pricing. With the six
cylinder engine the price reaches $55,000 well loaded. This places it in the
same league as the much more powerful and similar sized
Infiniti G35 (Nissan Maxima).
Although I prefer the more civilized ride of the Mercedes, it is hard to argue
with the value the Infiniti offers. The same can be said of the sports sedan
whose 189 horsepower engine and under $40,000 price places it in the same
category as the G35 sedan. I doubt people will cross shop these vehicles, but it
is clear to me that if Mercedes wants to appeal to more youthful buyers they
need to offer more horsepower without adding much more cost. So my best guess is
that the C Class coupe and sedan are going to appeal to those who are captivated
by the German craftsmanship.
Young working man's view: The coupe should have been my favorite, but it
just didn't look right. The sedan was more balanced and handled crisper. I
enjoyed the way the sports sedan's speed-proportional power steering felt.
Getting into the coupe's backseats wasn't easy, but the front seats retained
their memory and so they did return to their position. Unfortunately, I could
not get the rake on the front seat back to return so I had to adjust it
manually. Not a big deal. The stereo wasn't the best and the radio reception on
both vehicles was average. On the other hand, these cars have the best horn
sound outside of a Cadillac. People know you are there when you use this
auditory warning system and that should be the goal of every manufacture. (See
dad, I finally used the thesaurus).
I think that you should
consider the coupe if you like its looks and price. The hatchback is certainly
handy, but it looks too Hondish for me. It is interesting that the new Chrysler
Crossfire has the same six-cylinder engine and nearly the same amount of room
and yet the Chrysler costs more. Yep, the Chrysler costs more than the Mercedes
with the same engine. Of course, I like the looks of the Crossfire best and find
it more of a babe magnet.
Family conference: These are two are bargains plain and simple. They
reflect true value and are a brave move by Mercedes to gather a larger customer
base. There have been reports of quality problems with these models, but we
found them sound and glitch free. We felt that the sports sedan was the best buy
and certainly must be sampled if you like to drive. The coupe with the
six-cylinder engine was impressive, but we were not as enamored with its
versatility in daily use for a family. For a single person it would be an
excellent entry vehicle.
Good points: Performance, handling, cost, gas mileage, brakes, horn
Needs improvement: tires, interior materials, fast opening trunk lid
Written by The
Car Family |
