2007 Mercedes-Benz C280 Avantgarde 4MATIC Road Test

Small is beautiful

Mercedes-Benz and its C-Class can trace their roots way back to 1886. This was the year that Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz literally invented the automobile albeit separately. Mr Benz had acquired a vast amount of wealth thanks to the two-stroke gas engine he had developed in 1879/80. So much so, that from 1883 on, he concentrated solely on creating a motorised road-going vehicle. He obviously succeeded in his endeavour and was awarded the Benz Patent Motor Car No. 1.

2007 is the last model year of this generation of C-Class.

This is an amazing piece of history, especially for us car lovers as we owe our passion to Mr Benz. What really intrigued me about this story was what Bertha Benz, Karl's wife, and her kids did with car #1; she undertook the world's first long-distance drive. Although 180 km two-way trek is child's play by today's standards, Mrs Benz and her sons worked extremely hard to make it to their destination. The story has a happy ending as everyone arrived safe and sound, dirty and tired at the end of the day of their first leg of the trip.

120 years later
If the same voyage is done today, the 90 km one-way distance is covered in under an hour and in the lap of luxury, especially in a modern-day Mercedes. The entry-level W203 C-Class is nearing the end of its trip after having served a 7-year term. Even so, this car is still pertinent when stacked up against its most direct competitors, the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4.

From small E-Class to small S-Class
If you have read my review and seen pictures of the 2008 C-Class (W204), you will know that the new car is heavily inspired by the S-Class. The W203 rather resembles the existing E-Class due mostly to shape of the headlights and the front grille. What can be most appreciated of any Mercedes is the way they are assembled. Regardless of whether the price is $40,000 or $400,000, every Benz car has exceptional paint finish and some of the smallest body panel gaps in the business. Interestingly, the C280's drag coefficient is of only 0.26; one of the lowest of any production car. The only one point that I particularly dislike about the car are its minuscule side-view mirrors.

The shape of the headlights is reminiscent of the ones found on the bigger E-Class.