1994 - 2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan Pre-Owned

1999 was the banner year for the base model, receiving a 'kompressor' or supercharger for its 2.3-litre 4-cylinder. Output

The wickedly quick 302-horsepower V8 powered C43, replaced the inline-6 of the C36 in 1998. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

was raised from 148 to 185 horsepower while torque improved from 162 to 200 lb-ft. What's more, Xenon headlights, leather seats, a 5-speed automatic transmission and traction control system were made standard on C-Class cars.

Model year 2000 brought the Touch Shift auto-manual transmission to all C-Class models while stability control was made standard. Mercedes' Telaid, a GPS communication system that is able to summon help if involved in an accident, similar to GM's OnStar, was introduced as standard equipment too.

I remember test driving a dark green metallic 1999 C280 Sport with perforated tan leather hides that hardly seemed worn. The same went for the entire interior. While the odometer

The C280's inline 6-cylinder made plenty of power and ample torque, preferable when mated to an automatic transmission. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada)

had just ticked over 39,000 km everything looked in excellent condition.

Being a C280, its inline 6-cylinder made plenty of power and ample torque, preferable when mated to an automatic transmission. Its stepped manual-type automatic worked seamlessly, holding gears through corners or simply staying in drive through traffic. Safety features on this particular car included ASR traction control, dual front and side-impact airbags and ABS. While antilock brakes can help to avoid an accident in a crisis, the C280 Sport's performance-tuned suspension helped to ensure the crisis never occur in the first place. All in all, it was an impressive car in excellent condition.