Mercedes-Benz of Westminster

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Driving Impressions

The C-Class offers an interesting performance bang-for-the-buck scenario at each end of the model lineup. At $32,000 the entry-level C300 Sport is the lightest and has the interaction of a manual gearbox to use engine power as you choose. At the other end, the C63 rocket is very competitively priced against its BMW M3, Lexus IS-F and outgoing Audi RS4 competition; only Cadillac's CTS-v offers significantly more power for about $4000 more.

A C300's 228-hp is a bit more than Audi's 211-hp turbo four, well ahead of Lexus IS250's 185, and on par with BMW's smoother inline six. Mercedes' 3-liter V6 is also quite flexible, with maximum torque for 90% of your driving needs available from 2700 rpm to 5000.

The standard six-speed manual is easy to operate with light clutch and shifter efforts; there is a hint of notchy-ness in the shifter we haven't found in cars with some miles on them. Ratios are well-spaced to take advantage of the power and deliver good highway fuel economy; we have bettered the EPA's highway value by 20% in some cases.

Whether in the C300 or 350, we find no fault with the seven-speed automatic transmission. It shifts quickly and cleanly, seamlessly transparent in comfort mode, with intelligent feedback in sport mode, and manually within parameters allowed by road speed/engine speed/gear.

Called 4MATIC, the all-wheel drive system offered on either C300 is fully automatic?the driver does nothing. At a cost of 1 city mile-per-gallon, 145 pounds of added mass and $2000 (remember the C300 Sport price does not include an automatic transmission) it adds inclement weather traction and directional control. All-wheel drive does nothing for braking in the snow, and many flat-grounders will do as well with a set of dedicated winter tires. An all-wheel drive with snow tires will likely embarrass most of your neighbor's SUVs.

At 268 hp the C350 packs the power of the very first C-Class AMG car, the C36. Plant your right foot and 60 mph comes up in a shade more than six seconds (one quicker than the 300), and there isn't much to it; Lexus' IS350 with its 306 hp and BMW's twin-turbo 335 are both faster but they both require more effort to extract maximum performance. Audi's 3.2-liter A4 V6 is very similar and usable as it comes only with all-wheel drive.

Both the Luxury and Sport versions have better road feel and steering than the previous C-Class, to the point that BMW's advantage is no longer as distinct and a rear-drive C-Class competes with a front-drive A4 or rear-drive IS. The C350 responds to the steering wheel crisply, allows minimal body roll to keep you more aware, and changes direction quickly all while retaining a compliant ride that moves only the tires around impacts, not the whole car.

The Luxury prioritizes ride comfort over ultimate response and grip, the shocks designed to allow free suspension movement over smoother surfaces while firming up on rougher roads so the car doesn't bounce and wallow about. Mercedes-Benz cars have always been extremely competent, inspiring driver confidence, but now they inspire the driver as well without losing any of the confidence factor.

Sport models flop the Luxury paradigm, with quicker reactions and higher cornering ability, without losing the compliance that maintains ride quality and automobile integrity. You can upgrade sporting ability with the 18-inch wheel package that adds a half-inch to front wheel width, a half-inch to rear tire width, and employs lower profile, stickier tires. If you local infrastructure is questionable consider this carefully?replacement wheels aren't cheap.

All C-Class brake systems are sized appropriately and get the job done. Initially you may feel there is a lot of pedal but this allows easy modulation from stopping dive-free to bruising your ribcage if someone pulls out in front and you hammer the pedal (as you should?and electronics will aid in that respect).

The C63 is in another performance dimension. At 6.2 liters its engine is larger than any Audi, Lexus or BMW so it makes a very quick compact sedan. Mellowed to 451 hp (from the 500+ in other Mercedes using it) the C63 has more horsepower than the M3, RS4 or IS-F but the 443 lb-ft of torque, 90% of it on tap from 2000 rpm-and-up, obliterates the competition's numbers. With traction control off it also obliterates the C63s rear tires.

When you do it right a C63 reaches 100 mph coincident with the average car reaching 60 mph, which the C63 eclipsed in just more than four seconds. The Speedshift AMG automatic can be shifted manually?be ready with that upshift trigger?and full-bore acceleration feels like you're driving a car with five first gears. Alas, at 12/19 mpg, there is no way to get good mileage with a 6-liter engine.

Unlike any previous C-AMG car this one has a unique front-end, including fenders, air dam, chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels. Steering resistance adds up nicely the harder you push, limits are a long way off but 3-stage electronic stability control makes them relatively easy to find when you have a racetrack for exploring, and the big engine's compression barking lets you just lift the throttle to load up the front tires for crisper turn-in, no braking needed to upset the balance.

The C63 is arguably the best-steering, best-handling, best driving car Mercedes builds; certainly it is in the sub-$125,000 range. And it does so without active suspension or other techno-wizardry that often uses electronics to fix a chassis that wasn't ideal in the first place. BMW and Audi loyalists will stick to their marques as each has advantages, but there is no denying that the C63 moves the C-AMG model beyond mere straight-line supremacy.

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