The Panorama is a power sunroof that's 30 percent larger than a traditional sunroof over the front seat, with a smaller, fixed sunroof over the rear of the cabin.Ī loaded Mercedes for $29,000 sounds very good, but for roughly the same money, potential buyers can also choose the BMW 325Ci coupe or an Audi TT.Ĭan the C-class sports coupe succeed? That may well depend on whether prospective buyers see it as an expensive hatchback or an inexpensive luxury car. Power-adjusted seats are also optional, as are a Bose stereo, a navigation system, and the Panorama roof. This is the only U.S.-market Mercedes to come standard with cloth seats-leather is optional. Prices haven't been finalized, but expect a base price of about $26,000 and an optioned-up sports coupe to cost about $29,000. The interior treatment reveals not just this car's sportier dressing but also its status as Mercedes' least-expensive car. Despite the cramped rear, the sports coupe has a big enough back seat to qualify by our reckoning as a sedan. And the rear-passenger quarters are sporting-car small. The seats are firm and have thicker bolsters than what you'll find in the sedan. Instead of wood-grain trim, the coupe uses satin aluminum bits. The five-speed automatic shifts beautifully, but this was supposed to be a sports coupe, right?Īlthough based closely on the four-door, the sports coupe's interior does have a dash of sport feel.
#C230 kompressor 2005 driver#
The six-speed, taken from the C240 sedan, allows a driver to keep the supercharged engine in its power band, but its shift feel is poor, rubbery, and uncertain.
#C230 kompressor 2005 manual#
And although the engine feels better in this application than in its original form in the SLK, it's still a little weak down low and slightly rough higher in the rev range.Ī six-speed manual is standard, and a five-speed manumatic is optional. Compared with most of the Euro-boxes on the roads we traveled, the sports coupe is pretty quick, although it's not as fast as the "sports" moniker might imply. With 190 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, the 2.3-liter Kompressor can power the coupe to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, according to Mercedes. For the sports coupe (and the 2001 SLK) Mercedes added a new fuel-injection system and upgraded the intake plumbing to increase low-end power and improve the engine's sound-both former weak points.
The only engine offered is an improved version of the familiar iron-block 2.3-liter supercharged four-cylinder found in the SLK roadster.
The car's body remains nearly flat going around corners, but it feels more confident and composed than frisky. As with most Mercedes, the coupe feels heavy, despite its reasonable 3300-pound heft. The result is an impressively smooth ride-at least on the nearly faultless roads of southern France where we drove the car.īut the sports coupe is no more sporting than the sedan. All U.S.-model sports coupes come with 16-inch wheels bearing 225/50VR-16 performance tires. The standard tuning of the coupe's strut-front and multilink-rear suspension approximates the C-class four-door's optional Sport package, although specific spring rates and shock valving differ slightly. It's vaguely French-looking, almost Renault-like. Only the rear view will be seen as controversial.
Viewed from anywhere but behind, the sports coupe is distinctive and attractive, with an aggressive wedge shape. Mercedes is counting heavily on this fact to convince shoppers that the sports coupe isn't just a budget-minded C-class but is something with a distinct image. Unlike BMW's failed U.S.-market hatchback, the Mercedes sports coupe does not share any body panels with its C-class donor sedan. The "sports" portion of its name is justified, Mercedes says, by the car's rakish styling and its standard sport suspension tuning. The sports coupe is based on the 2001 C-class sedan, sharing its 106.9-inch wheelbase, suspension, steering, and brakes. Forget for a moment that Mercedes sells a proper coupe, the CLK. "Hatchback" is such a marketing cuss word that Mercedes officials wince at the mention of it. That explains the calculated misnomer Mercedes has given to its new "sports coupe," although it's obviously a hatchback. Best Sports Sedans for $15K: Window Shop with C/D.
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