My Experience

I test drove two Mercedes-Benz C230 Sports Coupes at a local dealership--one with the six-speed manual, and one with the optional automatic. I drove the automatic for about half an hour, and then the manual for another fifteen minutes. Both test drives covered city streets, a winding frontage road, and the freeway.


Performance

The C230's engine is one of the weakest aspects of the car, both literally and figuratively. Its most obvious drawback is its relatively tame power output--the supercharged 1.8-liter Four makes just 189hp, where most like-priced competitors offer well over 200.

But horsepower isn't the real issue here. What I found far more disappointing was the C230's general lack of verve. Throttle tip-in is very soft, in the Mercedes tradition, so you have a bit of soft mush to step through before the engine responds to your right foot. And once you do get the engine spinning, you'll find it quite flat-feeling at low revs. Acceleration doesn't really pick up until the tach needle passes 4000rpms, at which point thrust builds to a pleasant, confident pull. Unlike most cars with weak low ends, however, the C230's redline is quite low--just 6000rpms--so the engine only feels responsive for a short time, and then you have to shift into the next gear.

The automatic transmission doesn't help matters--it tends to shift into high gear as soon as possible, and feels reluctant to downshift when you put your foot down. Also dampening the sporting mood is the extreme quietness of this engine. You can hardly hear it at all in gentle driving, and even when you rev it up, there's never much more than a subtle hum from under the hood.

The overall effect is an engine that feels adequate but unwilling to be hurried, and a sensation of speed so muted that 50mph feels more like 25. I found it hard to believe Mercedes' claims that the C230 Sports Coupe does 0-60 in 7.2 seconds (7.5 with automatic). Mid-eights sounds about right--and indeed, in a recent Car and Driver road test, they timed a manual-shift model at 8.1 seconds.


Transmission/Clutch

Whether you choose the six-speed manual or automatic, you're not going to find a lot of grins in this department, either. Both transmissions are adequate in their responses, but fall well short of sporting.

The six-speed is the more enjoyable of the two, but not by much--as manuals go, it's not a very good one. Its longish throws aren't endearing to those with enthusiast leanings, and while finding the gears is easy enough, the shifter feels clunky and plasticky going through the gates. The clutch is similarly unsatisfying--its very long travel and soft, vague engagement point make it difficult to use with precision.

But since most C230 Coupes are equipped with the automatic, that may be the more relevant option. If you go that route, you'll be pleased with the automatic's smooth shifts and unobtrusive nature in gentle driving. However, you'll probably be irked whenever you want to summon up some thrust. Jab your foot into the throttle, and there's a frustrating moment of lag before the transmission gets around to downshifting. You can shift for yourself in the transmission's manual mode by moving the lever left and right, but there's still at least a second of delay before the transmission carries out your requests, significantly diluting the feeling of control.


Steering/Handling

The C230 Coupe is by no means a poor-handling car--quite the opposite, really--but it fails to live up to its Sport Coupe nomenclature in this area as well. The issue, again, is control feel, especially when it comes to the steering.

The C230's steering is smooth and accurate in its responses, but it feels heavy and highly insulated from the road. The wheel rim is numb to the touch, with virtually zero road feel making its way to the driver's hands. And while I usually like heavily-weighted steering, the C230's feels artificially heavy, and somewhat rubbery as a result. It also feels slow to respond in the first quarter-turn of the wheel, making the car seem unenthusiastic about changing direction.

What makes all of this especially unfortunate is that the C230 Coupe's chassis is really quite good--there's a lot of potential here. You'll feel some body lean when you take turns briskly, but the suspension is otherwise steady and controlled in the corners. Tire grip is good if not outstanding, and the C230 shrugs off mid-corner bumps as if they weren't there at all. Also, the C230's rear-drive layout gives its handling a well-balanced feel that few front-drive cars can match--while understeer is still the default mode at the limit, it's easy to adjust the car's cornering attitude with the throttle and brakes.

Why Mercedes chose to cover all of this up with the C230's heavy, dead-feeling steering and squishy brake feel is a mystery to me. As it is, though, the C230's handling is competent rather than fun, and it seems to tolerate winding roads instead of enjoying them.


Ride

Here's where that stolid Mercedes conservatism pays off. The C230 has by far the smoothest and quietest ride of any sports coupe I've driven, and even shames a good number of mid-size sedans. The biggest contributing factor here is the C230's bank-vault-solid structure--while many cars feel like they're carved out of one piece of steel, the C230 feels like it's been carved out of one chunk of pig iron. This car feels heavy and substantial, and while that works against it in the twisties, it makes you feel invincible on the highway.

The well-controlled suspension also helps enormously. It absorbs bumps gently, and doesn't really feel firm until you realize how flat and stable it remains over wavy surfaces. The last link in the chain is the C230's quietness. I've mentioned the softly-muted engine note already, but there's also very little wind or road noise in the C230's cabin, even at freeway speeds. None of this helps the C230 cut it as a sports coupe, but it certainly helps it feel like a pint-size luxury car.


Interior

The C230's interior was a mixed bag. One one hand, it offered a much classier, more luxury-oriented look than the cabins of most sports coupes. The clean, modern styling of the dashboard and door panels made the cabin feel pleasantly indulgent without being ostentatious, and most surfaces were covered in smooth, soft-touch materials. The three-spoke steering wheel offered a satisfyingly meaty grip, and the faux-aluminum trim and subtle triple-hooded gauge cluster lent the cabin just enough sportiness without descending into tired performance cliches. Then there were the magnificent Mercedes seats--firm and very supportive, but just broad and soft enough to feel cossetting. All of this left me with a generally positive impression of the C230's interior, especially when it's compared to the sports-coupe norm.

However, I had some major reservations about the C230's cabin in other respects. One was the quality of the secondary controls. While the C230's dash, door panels, steering wheel, and console felt like high-quality items, most of the switchgear did not. The power-window switches moved with brittle clicks, the knob for the headlights was stiff and gritty, and a couple of the climate-control buttons were loose in both of the cars I drove. Switch blanks dominate the upper part of the C230's dashboard, to remind you of all the features you couldn't afford, and the instrument cluster looks empty, a result of the broad-faced speedometer. I can just hear the owners--"I- I paid thirty grand, can't I have some gauges, please?"

Ergonomics is not a high point for the C230, either. The climate controls are low on the dashboard, and the radio has no less than 27 buttons, most of them arranged in a closely-spaced grid with tiny markings. Just try and operate that without taking your eyes off the road.

Finally, there are several elements of the C230's design that seriously undermine its purported sports-coupe mission. For example, why would a sports coupe have such a tiny tachometer? And why would a sports coupe have a pedal-operated parking brake, crowding the footwell with four pedals? The C230's interior is certainly classier and more comfortable than most sports coupes', but it's not quite up to Mercedes' usual standards of quality, and it's not as driver-oriented as it should be.


Practicality

The C230 fares slightly better than other sports coupes in this department. I found the rear seat to be somewhat roomier than the sports-coupe norm, and while no one will call it spacious, it's certainly liveable for short trips. The cargo area is also decent, with a deep load floor and a low liftover. The rear seats fold down--and split 60/40--so if you need to haul bulky loads, the C230 could be quite useful in a pinch.


Reliability

Mercedes-Benz has fared surprisingly poorly in this area for the past year or two, and the C230 is no exception. The C-Class as a whole received Consumer Reports' lowest rating of "Much Worse Than Average" this year, along with most of the Mercedes lineup. Mercedes-Benz pays for scheduled maintenance for the first 50,000 miles, and the longer-than-average 4-year, 50,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty is reassuring as well. But the likelihood of mechanical breakdowns still bears careful consideration.


Overall

I came away from my test-drive of the C230 Sports Coupe unimpressed. While the C230 is a very solid, quiet, and composed automobile, its name is misleading--this is not a sports coupe, but a small two-door luxury car. And judging by the heavy, serious character of this car, It doesn't feel like Mercedes really wanted to build a sports coupe to begin with. Perhaps it's asking too much of the stern German automaker to build a lively, enthusiastic little hatchback--like asking Kaiser Wilhelm to DJ at your next party.

In any case, it means that the C230 doesn't add up to a very good value in its intended segment. For less than the C230 Sports Coupe's $26,020 asking price ($27,380 with automatic), you could get into an Acura RSX Type-S that offers far more athleticism without sacrificing refinement, a Subaru Impreza WRX with big power and all-weather versatility, or a unique, sharp-handling Mazda RX-8. Or, if luxury is as high a priority as performance, you could look at the Acura TSX, Nissan Maxima, or Infiniti G35--all of which offer more comfort and four-door passenger space for similar prices.

For some buyers, though, I imagine the C230 Sports Coupe is a perfect fit. They'll be mostly interested in having a three-pointed star on the hood and a Mercedes key on their keyring, and probably wouldn't be satisfied with the less-prestigious brand names of my suggested alternatives. For these buyers, the C230 Sports Coupe's prices will look like a bargain, and the youthful hatchback styling will allow them to convey a "young-and-successful" image to onlookers. However, if you're more concerned with how a car drives than how you look driving it, you'll probably want to pass on the C230 in favor of more dedicated sports coupes.




Feel free to check out my reviews on some of the C230 Sports Coupe's competitors:
Acura TSX
Lexus IS300
Mazda RX-8
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT
Nissan Maxima SE
Subaru Impreza WRX
Toyota Celica GT-S


Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 26,020