The Mercedes-Benz C-class, updated in 2008, can be a great car, depending on the options. The recent example of a C350 we tested showed exactly how not to option it.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
The C-class, Mercedes-Benz's least expensive car imported to the U.S., is a midsize luxury sedan. It was updated in 2008, with a reworked body and new cabin tech.
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In Sport trim, the badge on the hood of the C-class is embedded. In standard trim, the badge is the traditional standing hood ornament.
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The C350 comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 producing 268 horsepower. A C300 is also available, with a 3-liter V-6 producing 228 horsepower, a not overly significant difference.
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The cabin holds five in comfort, with plenty of room in the back seat.
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Our car came equipped with AMG wheels, an expensive and mostly useless option. We would have preferred the navigation system option, which would have improved the cabin experience.
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The C350's ride befits its level of luxury, but is also firm enough to thrash in the corners.
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The C350 is poorly equipped in the cabin, lacking the navigation system. It does have an iPod kit, but it offers a very poor interface.
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We like the arrangement of buttons on the steering wheel, using a center button and four surrounding buttons on each spoke. They are easy to use and suit a variety of functions.
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The display in the speedometer shows a variety of information, such as trip, audio, and navigation (when present).
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The C350 comes with a seven-speed automatic transmission. A button near the shifter toggles between Sport and Comfort modes.
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Even lacking the navigation system, the car includes the COMAND controller on the console, along with a small LCD in the dashboard.
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Satellite and terrestrial radio tuning uses this treatment, mimicking an analog tuner. CD information is also shown on this screen, but not the iPod library.
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These speaker grilles across the rear deck look impressive, but without the Harmon Kardon audio upgrade they are placeholders. The standard system uses eight speakers, and the audio quality is mediocre.
