C Class Mercedes Coupe and Sedan

The interiors are dull. You get the usual array of gauges and steering wheel controls, but the appearance is more business-like than any other Mercedes, although the coupe uses aluminum trim to add a sporty touch. At night we particularly missed having all the buttons lighted as the interior lighting wasn't the best.

Mom's view: Both the coupe and sedan are handsome vehicles that feel connected to the road. The brakes are very reassuring and I above all liked the many safety features. You get 4-wheel ABS, emergency braking assist traction control, stability control front and rear side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, child seat anchors, emergency interior trunk release, remote anti-theft alarm system engine immobilizer, daytime running lights dusk sensing headlamps, auto delay off headlamps front fog lights, and turn signals mounted in the side mirrors. The C-Class scored high marks from the government and the Insurance Institute. More importantly, I felt safe driving them. However, I must remind my fellow womenfolk that the coupe doors are very long and if you are parked on a slope or hill you may need to use your leg to hold the door open. Wearing the wrong length dress may attract a crowd during this maneuver so be warned.

You get plenty of features with either model, although I much preferred the six-cylinder hatchback coupe because of the more potent engine and its faster reaction to my acceleration needs. The supercharged four cylinder had enough propulsion once underway, but it took a bit for the smaller engine to perform to my expectations. By the way, both vehicles need high-test gas and delivered nearly identical 24-mpg averages in mixed driving conditions. With its 16 gallon tank and you find yourself looking for gas stations after 340 miles.

Although I liked the way the Sports Sedan handled better, the coupe had a lot more bargain hauling room than the smallish 12.2 cubic foot trunk in the sedan and was definitely the more attractive of the pair.

Dad's view: I was overwhelmed by the Sports Sedan with the Kompressor engine. It is not a particularly rapid vehicle, but the handling is remarkable. This is a sedan that is a kid at heart. If you put more handling oriented tires on this Mercedes you could have a lot of fun just going to the corner store. Of course, the engine didn't have the power to push the chassis and so I would recommend considering the six cylinder engine if smooth power is on your needs list. The coupe was faster, but it never felt as connected as the sedan. Both cars have plenty of features of which the ignition key was my favorite. It is called the smart key and uses infrared and radio waves to start the vehicle and also lock and unlock it. The keys smooth shape makes it easy on your pockets and you can even open and close the sunroof with it.