Do you own a computer? If you're reading this, I'm pretty sure you do. You probably don't know how to use most of the features in your word processor and spreadsheet software, but that's okay; neither do I. There's no use learning functions we'll never need, don't we? So why pay for them if we'll never use them?Well, consider the new C230 sedan as the C-Class Lite. Pay for the good stuff, not for the superfluous stuff.
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| The C230 is offered in Canada and in certain European countries. |
Lite power Hey, a
C350 is pretty quick, with its 268-hp engine, but let's face it; the highest speed limit is 100 km/h, a velocity you'll reach in any car. With that much firepower, you're just that much closer to a speeding ticket.The C230 is offered in Canada and in certain European countries, but not in the U.S. It's powered by a 24-valve, 2.5-liter inline-6 that develops 201 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. That's more than enough, as our test car, equipped with the 4MATIC all-wheel drive hardware and 7-speed automatic, can reach 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds.We noticed two things about this small 6-cylinder engine, which powers no other Mercedes model in their Canadian line-up. It's not a screamer; floor the throttle, and the revs climb moderately quickly, but it won't get you an adrenaline rush. Sometimes, the transmission takes a second or two to think about which gear to choose when you summon some extra forward motion.
Great highway cruiser On the other hand, the engine is buttery-smooth and silent. And the gearbox still gets a manual mode as well as Comfort and Sport shift patterns. Fuel consumption isn't really better than with the two bigger engines, though, averaging 12.3 L/100 km.The C230 handles pretty nicely, too. The 4MATIC system isn't breaking a sweat during the test, as winter is over now. Yet we know it performs admirably, as a C350 4MATIC won our recent
all-wheel drive sedan comparison test . The C230 also changes directions the same way as the C350 does, with a peculiar delay between steering inputs and execution.
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| It is powered by a 24-valve 2.5-liter inline-6 that develops 201 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. |