This has been a great car so far. There are lots of standard features, both for convenience and for safety. These include: dual climate control zones, automatic locks and power windows, alarm system, ABS, traction control with electronic slip protection, 8 standard airbags, and alloy wheels. Standard maintenance is included for the first 4 years. I also have the panorama sunroof. The view and openness is fantastic. Automatic transmission does well, and has a auto-stick type feature.


Front to back critique of the C230 sports coupe:

Looks: this car takes some getting used to. Once you adjust to the unique body shape, the car looks fine. The standard alloy wheels add style, and the rear spoiler adds a sporty appearance.


Engine: standard is 1.8L supercharged 4 cylinder with 189 hp. This engine accelerates well from a stop and for passing. 22 mpg in mixed driving so far. Premium fuel required.

Mercedes has just begun selling this same car with a 3.2 L 215hp engine, except it is called the C320 sports coupe. If you compare the two engines, the 3.2 has better pickup from a stop and for passing. The 1.8L really does very well though, and you have to consider if you want to put out an extra $2500 or so for a little more power.

Handling: The handling is tigher than a sedan, but not sports-car tight. The ride is firm, but not too stiff. Overall, the ride is very comfortable.

Controls: The sound system can be run off the steering wheel. The climate control buttons are easy to get at. Reading through how to run the climate control is a bit cumbersome though, only because there are so many features that you could use if you wanted to. The exterior lighting and cruise control switches are effortless to use. However, the power window switches are too far down on the door to be reached without taking your eyes off the road.

Audio: The standard sound system isn't bad. The premium Bose system has 8 speakers, and a subwoofer. There are alternate listening modes on the premium system that aren't available on the base stereo. These modes are similar to the DSP (digital signal processing) modes on most digital home theater receivers, and add some reverberation and depth/3-dimensionality to the sound. The upgraded stereo is probably worth the money if you listen to a lot of music.

However, the stereo could use a little more bass, and an equalizer would be a nice touch. The Bose Autopilot feature that is supposed to keep the perceived volume constant doesn't work so well. The volume seems to go up and down a small amount when you accelerate, stop, open the windows, etc. Autopilot is more of an annoyance than anything. Nonetheless, the upgraded stereo is very good.

This car does not have a standard CD player. Most of these cars are sold with a 6-CD changer installed as a factory option. The CD changer sits in the glove box and chews up a good bit of the glove box storage space. The dealer can put in a CD player if the car doesn't have one from the factory, but this is actually more expensive. Also, you have to have Mercedes CD equipment--you can't put in an aftermarket CD player or changer because of the fiber optic connections that make up the wiring of the sound system.



Interior: The cockpit is a bit tight for larger than average people (either tall or wide-bodied people).The steering wheel and seats have so many positions that it is almost difficult to find the perfect seat postion because there are so many choices ( I really did have a hard time finding the most comfortable seat position). Lumbar support is lacking in the front seats though. The interior workmanship is high quality and stylish.

The panorama sunroof is worth the extra money. It gives this smallish car a very open feel. The retractable shades that can cover the roof glass are great on hot days for keeping the direct sun out of the car. You have to close both or neither of these shade (there is one for the front roof glass and one for the back roof glass). It would be nice if these shades worked independently so that you could let the sun and air in up the front, and keep the back seat out of the sun for the small kids that I will have back there.

The backseat legroom isn't bad. If the front seats are not all the way back, 2 adults could ride short distances without much problem. Longer trips would be tedious though. For kids, these seats are more than adequate. If you have car seat sized children, getting in and out of the back is a little tight but doable.

Anyone of more than average height will find rear headroom lacking.

The view through the rear window is small. There is a plastic window built into the bottom of the spoiler but it isn't very useful. The view through this is warped/distorted. Glass here might be a better choice, if the engineering could be worked out.

The side mirrors are smaller than average. The rear pillars also leave you with sizeable blind spots. For these two reasons, you turn your head more than you might like when you need to change lanes.

Storage: There are lots of nooks and cranies up front for storage. The glove box would be good sized, if the CD changer wasn't there. The trunk is good sized, but if the back seats are folded, you more than triple the cargo room. I found this possibility very appealing and that influenced my decision to buy this car more than anything.



Overall, no major problems with reliabilty/workmanship. So far this has been a very comfortable and practical car.
Amount Paid (US$): 28800
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: 2003 C230 Kompressor Coupe; automatic, C-5 pkg