2008 Mercedes C Class Review

Specifications

Mercedes-Benz traditionally builds larger cars, or at least that’s a common North American image of the brand. Even after more than two and a half decades of selling compact luxury cars, starting with the classy little 190 in 1982, more often than not we think of M-B’s E- and S-Class sedans, SL sports car and ML-Class crossover SUV when conjuring the three-pointed star in our collective minds’ eye. In reality, however, Mercedes has an expansive product lineup covering each core market segment and just about every vehicle niche as well. With regards to dimensions, here in the US it starts out with the C-Class sedan and tops off with the full-size GL sport utility.

And while small by Mercedes’ standards, the C-Class made me feel like I was living large. It looks bold, whether wearing its classic M-B grille, as it comes with on the standard C300 model, or when swapped out for one related more to the SL and the marque’s big coupes, as with Sport models of the more basic models and our C350 tester, plus its wide stance adds a solidity to its design that BMW’s 3, for example, doesn’t exude. Actually, the new Merc has somehow trumped the Bimmer in both class and sportiness, offering a great deal more presence from nose to tail, and a more athletic visual appeal.

Inside it’s no contest, with one of the best interiors in the class. Its layout is near perfect, with everything I needed intuitively placed for easy access while driving, and the quality of each surface, every button, toggle and knob, first rate. Compared to almost everything else in the category, the C brings a sense of occasion to an everyday drive, thanks to more bright metal accents than its rivals, except maybe Audi’s A4. But compared to previous Cs, this one doesn’t need to make excuses when its cabin is held up against the Ingolstadt car, which has long been the standard bearer as far as interiors go. Mercedes says that the interior was designed to feel like it had been “cast from a single mold”, and to that end everything inside this car seems to have been orchestrated by one very bright mind, rather than the hodgepodge of surfaces and controls that some of its rivals try to pass off as a premium experience.

In this class, each brand brings something unique to the table, with BMW legendary for handling prowess, and now regarded for straight-line performance along with Lexus and Infiniti, while Audi has long set the perceived quality benchmark for interiors, and quite often styling leadership. The C, other than in AMG trim, has never really been particularly stellar in any one category, but rather managed each attribute well enough to appeal to many more buyers than the Asian upstarts, at least. The new car, however, transcends anything Mercedes has previously done in this segment, delivering more appealing design, craftsmanship, and performance.

In fact, the C is now so good that it’s gone from the car I’d least likely buy in the segment to one of the top contenders. No, it won’t dance through corners with the “flickable” nature of BMW’s 335i, but it’ll out-handle the current A4, feels lighter on its feet than Cadillac’s CTS and Lexus’ IS, and would no doubt put up a good fight against Infiniti’s G35. And that’s saying something. After all, the outgoing C was only a marginal performer. Sure, it would take to the corners with reasonable agility, but never felt sporting unless tuned by AMG. Now, even this C350 moves like Steve Nash, and that’s partly to do with Mercedes’ standard Agility Control, which adds a six-percent more sharply tuned steering rack than the previous generation C, plus continually adaptive dampers.

Fortunately the front seats are wonderfully supportive with good lateral resistance to keep you in place while tackling the twisties, and those in the rear will just be happier there’s now more room to stretch out than in any previous C. Cargo volume is improved too, with 12.4 cubic feet of cargo capacity, up from 12.2 cubic feet in the old C.

Standard on all Cs are eight-way power front seats with adjustable lumbar support, MB-Tex man-made “leather” interior trim, a genuine leather-wrapped steering wheel and aluminum shift knob, Bluetooth hands-free, a glass sunroof, plus the usual array of safety features including front, side and curtain airbags. The C-Class also gets brakes that have a hill-holding feature (especially handy for manual-equipped cars). C300 Luxury models gain wood trim and a leather-wrapped shift knob, amongst other features. In addition, all C350s get rain-sensing wipers, mirrors that auto-dim and power-fold, heated front seats and more. Check off the Premium II package and your C350 will come with split folding rear seats, a powered rear-window sunshade and xenon headlamps. A Multimedia package will get you a stereo system with four gigs of internal storage plus a PCMCIA link, all routed through Mercedes’ very user-friendly COMAND S-Class style navigation system. An absolutely spectacular panoramic sunroof can also be had as a standalone option.

Considering all this technology, I was surprised that the new C continues forward with an archaic foot-operated parking brake and hand-pull release lever, when most others offer either a hand-pull center-mounted brake lever, for sport-driving, or a fully electronic system. It’s a minor point that I could live with, but a bit of a killjoy after adjusting the seats by way of the best controls in the segment, while taking in what is otherwise a breathtaking interior, highlighted by the infotainment screen popping out of the dash and needles spinning in its exquisitely detailed gauge cluster. Yeah, I can live without it, but change it anyway, Mercedes. And it’s hard to believe a keyless access system isn’t offered as an option, let alone a standard feature. In other markets, opening the doors via proximity sensing keyless access and then
pressing the start button to ignite the engine without even touching
the remote is standard fare in the C350.

After a week’s worth of driving I could only come up with these few gripes, which are pretty minor, I know. All said Mercedes has created one of the most appealing cars in the compact luxury segment, a car worthy of the three-pointed star on its grille. In fact, it’s a car that might entirely change perceptions about the Mercedes-Benz brand in North America, from the purveyor of large, comfortable and luxuriously equipped vehicles, to one as well known for sleek, sporty, efficient smaller cars.