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As a businesswoman I have concerns about the coupe's pricing. With the six cylinder engine the price reaches $34,000 well loaded. This places it in the same league as the much more powerful and similar sized Infiniti G35. Although I prefer the more civilized ride of the Mercedes, it is hard to argue with the value the Infiniti offers. The same can be said of the sports sedan whose 189 horsepower engine and under $30,000 price places it in the same category as the G35 sedan. I doubt people will cross shop these vehicles, but it is clear to me that if Mercedes wants to appeal to more youthful buyers they need to offer more horsepower without adding much more cost. So my best guess is that the C Class coupe and sedan are going to appeal to those who are captivated by the German craftsmanship. |
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I think that you should consider the coupe if you like its looks and price. The hatchback is certainly handy, but it looks too Hondish for me. It is interesting that the new Chrysler Crossfire has the same six-cylinder engine and nearly the same amount of room and yet the Chrysler costs more. Yep, the Chrysler costs more than the Mercedes with the same engine. Of course, I like the looks of the Crossfire best and find it more of a babe magnet. |
Family conference: These are two are bargains plain and simple. They reflect true value and are a brave move by Mercedes to gather a larger customer base. There have been reports of quality problems with these models, but we found them sound and glitch free. We felt that the sports sedan was the best buy and certainly must be sampled if you like to drive. The coupe with the six-cylinder engine was impressive, but we were not as enamored with its versatility in daily use for a family. For a single person it would be an excellent entry vehicle. |
I prized the way the coupe could easily find its way into the smallest parking spot thanks to its tight turning radius. Of course, the long doors necessary for people to gain access to the small rear seats make it a challenge to ladies to open. The aluminum trim on the interior wasn't as Mercedesish as I would have liked. In fact, the interior bordered on boring. Of course, for real excitement stand close to the trunk lid when you click the opener. It swings up with significant speed and force. Stand clear or else.
Young working man's view: The coupe should have been my favorite, but it just didn't look right. The sedan was more balanced and handled crisper. I enjoyed the way the sports sedan's speed-proportional power steering felt. Getting into the coupe's backseats wasn't easy, but the front seats retained their memory and so they did returne to their position. Unfortunately, I could not get the rake on the front seat back to return so I had to adjust it manually. Not a big deal. The stereo wasn't the best and the radio reception on both vehicles was average. On the other hand, these cars have the best horn sound outside of a Cadillac. People know you are there when you use this auditory warning system and that should be the goal of every manufacture. (See dad, I finally used the thesaurus.)Good points: Performance, handling, cost, gas mileage, brakes, horn |
