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PC Valkyrie · 05-31-2007, 01:53 PM

As good as the new W204 may be, it still has an uphill battle in trying to steal sales from the very popular 3 series. Imhotep is right that the BMW has the history and perception of being the most sporty and hip vehicle to drive in its class (compared to A4, C-class, and IS). The population that the 3 series appeals to is the young professsional earning a decent income, and it is hard for the C-class to break into that demographic (although it did make some strides with the W203, especially the facelifted version with the AMG Sports Package in the USA).

Even car journalists have an inherent bias against Mercedes being "sporty", given their past experiences with the brand.

As a good example, here is an excerpt from a test that MotorTrend did comparing the facelifted W203 C350, E90 330i, and IS350. Keep in mind that the C350 Sport Sedan was the "sportiest" non-AMG C-class ever, before the W204 came out.

[Surprising. The one word all three drivers uttered after exiting the Mercedes. "One loop, and if I hadn't known this was a C-Class, I never would've guessed by the way it devoured Angeles Crest," said Walton. "The biggest surprise of the bunch," declared Mortara. Take this Benz for a spin, and you realize how fun and able a C-Class can be. While softer than the BMW and the Lexus--the C displayed more pitch, dive, and body roll--the Benz nonetheless chewed up and spit out curve after curve, inspiring confidence with each turn of the wheel. Moreover, the C's softer legs afforded it the most compliant ride, smoothing out even the bumpiest roads. Though saddled with a subpar shifter and a brake pedal a bit too high for ideal heel-and-toeing, the Mercedes featured light, linear steering, communicative and strong brakes, and a soft spot for mild understeer, which made spirited driving easy and predictable, not to mention more fun--especially with Mercedes's unobtrusive ESP, which didn't rob the car of what it was capable of doing. A set of 18-inch wheels and grippier tires would undoubtedly help performance, not to mention aesthetics. As it stands, the C350 looks identical to its entry-level stablemate, the C230. All said and done, the Benz came across as quick, capable, and subdued. A sleeper. Did it just not wake us up? When the ballots were submitted and the votes counted, there were two cars ahead of the Benz--the winner and the biggest threat to the winner.]

So despite how much of an improvement it was over previous models, it still was considered to be inferior to the slower and less powerful E90 330i in terms of driving dynamics and enjoyment. Too bad the facelifted W203 didn't come out a year or 2 earlier, so that it would have been compared to the E46, which is the car the W203 was really supposed to battle head on.

Let's just hope MB learned their lesson from the pre-facelifted W203 and come out fighting right from the gates for the W204......in other words, don't wait for the facelift before coming out with your best stuff!!!

05-31-2007, 01:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
PC Valkyrie Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 497 Thanks: 0 Thanked 187 Times in 84 Posts	Re: Mercedes C350 Review (EVO) As good as the new W204 may be, it still has an uphill battle in trying to steal sales from the very popular 3 series. Imhotep is right that the BMW has the history and perception of being the most sporty and hip vehicle to drive in its class (compared to A4, C-class, and IS). The population that the 3 series appeals to is the young professsional earning a decent income, and it is hard for the C-class to break into that demographic (although it did make some strides with the W203, especially the facelifted version with the AMG Sports Package in the USA). Even car journalists have an inherent bias against Mercedes being "sporty", given their past experiences with the brand. As a good example, here is an excerpt from a test that MotorTrend did comparing the facelifted W203 C350, E90 330i, and IS350. Keep in mind that the C350 Sport Sedan was the "sportiest" non-AMG C-class ever, before the W204 came out. [Surprising. The one word all three drivers uttered after exiting the Mercedes. "One loop, and if I hadn't known this was a C-Class, I never would've guessed by the way it devoured Angeles Crest," said Walton. "The biggest surprise of the bunch," declared Mortara. Take this Benz for a spin, and you realize how fun and able a C-Class can be. While softer than the BMW and the Lexus--the C displayed more pitch, dive, and body roll--the Benz nonetheless chewed up and spit out curve after curve, inspiring confidence with each turn of the wheel. Moreover, the C's softer legs afforded it the most compliant ride, smoothing out even the bumpiest roads. Though saddled with a subpar shifter and a brake pedal a bit too high for ideal heel-and-toeing, the Mercedes featured light, linear steering, communicative and strong brakes, and a soft spot for mild understeer, which made spirited driving easy and predictable, not to mention more fun--especially with Mercedes's unobtrusive ESP, which didn't rob the car of what it was capable of doing. A set of 18-inch wheels and grippier tires would undoubtedly help performance, not to mention aesthetics. As it stands, the C350 looks identical to its entry-level stablemate, the C230. All said and done, the Benz came across as quick, capable, and subdued. A sleeper. Did it just not wake us up? When the ballots were submitted and the votes counted, there were two cars ahead of the Benz--the winner and the biggest threat to the winner.] So despite how much of an improvement it was over previous models, it still was considered to be inferior to the slower and less powerful E90 330i in terms of driving dynamics and enjoyment. Too bad the facelifted W203 didn't come out a year or 2 earlier, so that it would have been compared to the E46, which is the car the W203 was really supposed to battle head on. Let's just hope MB learned their lesson from the pre-facelifted W203 and come out fighting right from the gates for the W204......in other words, don't wait for the facelift before coming out with your best stuff!!!