Driving Report: C 200 K Classic

Zuffi · 03-21-2007, 11:49 AM

Hi guys, here’s my driving report as promised earlier.

I will post some pics tomorrow (I don’t have my digicam at hand right now).

For those of you guys, who are not so much interested in reading my long report with all the details, here is my

Executive summary:
The new C-Class is a perfectly engineered car with a strong focus on comfort and ease of operation.

The tested car was a black/black C 200 k Classic 6-spd manual with the Audio 20 CD and seat-heating as the only items picked from the extensive option-list.

I’ve been the first one (except for a MB salesguy) to drive the car (car had only 50 km on the clock) and I’ve put some additional 150 km on the odometer (of which 80 km Autobahn, 55 km country roads, 15 km city).

Visual impression (exterior):
Appears definitely bigger compared to it’s predecessor W 203. The styling appears "sharper" in the pics than in real life (though a lighter metallic colour and the chrome goodies in the Elegance or Advantage package may leave another impression). The short front overhang is somewhat unfamiliar for a MB car, but there is no doubt that the overall design language is typical MB. The car even seems to blend so naturally into the MB family that it attracted attention from only a few other drivers on the Autobahn.

Overall quality impression:
Excellent, especially if one considers that I tested a pre-production model (which will be scrapped btw after it has served as a testcar

).

The carkey is niceley shaped and handy (not such a bulky mess like my P-car key).

Interior impression / ergonomy / comfort:
Once you’re sitting behind the steering wheel you instantly senses the roomier feeling in the cabin (compared with either W203 or 3er BMW/ A4). This feeling is further accentuated by the concave curved dashboard/center console. Though the massive appearing dashboard/center console is a bit too much black plastic in my eyes (certainly a nicer equipped car with a lighter interior colour and/or some wood/alu elements will help in creating a more cosy atmosphere). The problem with the dashboard design is that the eye doesn’t find a "halt" in the all black dashborad/center console. The plastic material used for the dashboard/center console is O.K. in terms of quality impresssion, though the door-armrests appear a bit too plasticky/cheap IMO (a nice leather interior should cure this).

View in all directions is excellent and with the panorama roof you may get almost cab-like sunlight/brightness into the car. The huge side mirrors offer a spectacular rearview "panorama" never experienced before, though designwise I’m not a fan of the Dumbo ears.

The integrated sidemarkers add to the impression as they appear kind of prominent against the black exterior colour (should be more harmonious with lighter colours).

The entire ergonomy is typical MB – everything is easy to reach and intuitive to operate.

The seats are easily to adjust and roomy, but offer not enough lateral "grip" IMO (maybe that’s just me being spoiled by the sports-seats in my Porsche and BMW). My wife complained about the seat being a bit too hard. I wouldn’t go that far, but indeed the standard seats didn’t provide a real comfy feeling (though I’m sure they are fine in the ergonomy department – at least my notorious bad back didn’t complain).

So my single criticism regarding ergonomy refers to the turn-signal lever sitting a bit low (though not a problem to operate at all, one just has to get accustomed to it).
Also I found the diameter of the steering wheel a bit too large (though the thickness is very fine).

The aircon is completely draft-free and the seat-heating warms your butt in no time.

Driving impressions:
Of course the engine hasn’t been broken in yet, hence a real assessment wasn‘t possible.
Overall I’d say it feels/sounds/behaves pretty much similar to the "old" 200k, but it seems to pull the car with a bit less effort and seems to provide some noticeable more low-range/mid-range torque.

The biggest surprise has been the new 6-spd gearbox and the clutch, both to operate almost without any effort at all, very precise. The old 1st/2nd gear roughness is completely disappeared, the shifting travel of the gearshift lever is super smooth (though I’d prefer both lever and shifting travel a tad shorter).

Next surprise is the steering feel: you can turn the wheel super easy with two fingers. The steering itself is very direct and it needs a small turning angle only to change directions.
However IMO the steering wheel lacks response from the street, hence I had the impression that now and then I turned the wheel to much when entering some corners.

Talking about corners: as it has been raining I intentionally tried to provoke some corner slide action in order to check how effectively the ESP works. The new ESP works just like a charm: You really only can tell by the flashing yellow light that the ESP has kicked in (same feeling if it kicks in to fight traction probs when you try a catapult start off the line in the wet) – no intrusive feeling at all, though working super effectively at the same time. With the light and direct steering it’s a joy – once you’ve asked the rear for a little dance – to redirect the car onto the "road of virtue" almost by a flick of your finger (very impressive).

In terms of precision and directness the brakes are in the same (new) league: very direct and precise.

The new adaptive dampers and the suspension provide a completely new driving experience: on the one hand it’s super comfortable absorbing any bumps/potholes perfectly, on the other hand it informs the driver pretty well about what’s going on on the road.
I guess that’s what we Germans call a "eierlegende Wollmilchsau" (egg laying wool milk sow).

For my personal taste a little bit less body roll in fast driven corners would be nice (though I’m sure the sport suspension or the electronically adaptive suspension /advanced agility package will do the job for the more sporty oriented driver)

Needless to say that the car’s ability to hold direction at higher speeds without getting disturbed by lane grooves is extremely good, hence it’s a very relaxed drive at higher speeds on the Autobahn.

Talking about higher speeds: I didn’t push the car beyond 200 km/h due to the not yet broken-in engine, but it seemed to me that wind noises have been a tad louder compared to the W 203 (maybe the huge side mirrors ?). If this impression is not only a trick played by my mind it’s a small nuance only (nothing to worry about) and I should add that it has been rather windy also, which might have contributed to the impression. Also the overall sound damping is very effective, hence you might focus more on wind noises, as noises from the engine and from the tires are very low.

Talking about sound: the entry level audio system is very nice IMO and unless you’re a real HiFi freak it should be sufficient in the entertainment department. BTW there is no snap-in adapter for your mobile phone, so if you want to recharge the accu during a spin you have to use a cord to connect it to the power socket in the rear center console.

(Subjective) conclusion:
The new C-Class is a perfect car for those looking for a very comfortable and easy to drive car. MB engineers have done a great job in perfecting suspension/dampers, brakes, steering, clutch and gearbox

. Though for my personal taste they have driven the "easy to drive" philosophy a bit too far. Sometimes the drive feeling is a bit "synthetic" so that I have been wondering whether I’d operate a Gameboy or a driving simulator instead of a car.

Of course this is completely subjective and has nothing to do with the quality and technical class of the car.

I assume that the marketing strategists at MB (after realising that the attempt to gain customers from BMW via the W203 did not result in higher sales numbers) have decided to refocus on traditional MB values (of course by using latest technologies) rather than positioning the C-Class as a 3er competitor. IMO that makes a lot of sense from a business and marketing point of view, as there will be less overlap in the targeted audience (C-Class / 3er customers), which of course works either way: IMO MB will "steal away" less customers from BMW with the new C-Class and vice versa.

If I’m talking "comfort vs sportiness" make no mistake: I’m sure that in the right hands equally powered C-Class/3er will show similar performance. It’s more the perception of drive feeling / driver’s involvement which makes the difference.

Greetings to all from Germany

Achim

Mirage77 · 03-21-2007, 12:37 PM

Karma for you, bro!

I don't have time to read the review right now, will do so later!

etlomotey · 03-21-2007, 02:37 PM

Hi Zuffi

Thanks for the review/driving report.

Zuffi · 03-21-2007, 05:44 PM

I add my small pic series now - enjoy

The Artist · 03-21-2007, 06:02 PM

very nice review..
it feels good to hear a unbiased voice about this car..

i think MB has a winner on their hands..
its brings something new..but still is true to the star..
thats the way i like it

cant wait to drive it

MB-JIM · 03-21-2007, 09:24 PM

I really appreciate your detailed driving report. It's good to read real world drivers evaluating a car rather than magazine editors who may not be knowledgeable or objective

My one serious concern about the W204 is the steering based upon your paragraph below. I gave up an E350 to buy my C350 because I felt the E350 steering was numb. The C350 steering feels heavier but it has great road feedback. Did you feel on the autobahn that you had to constantly make small steering corrections?

Thanks again for the report.

Jim

"Next surprise is the steering feel: you can turn the wheel super easy with two fingers. The steering itself is very direct and it needs a small turning angle only to change directions.
However IMO the steering wheel lacks response from the street, hence I had the impression that now and then I turned the wheel to much when entering some corners."

Merc1 · 03-21-2007, 11:52 PM

The interior looks well built, almost Audi like in the doors and such. It is very bare and spartan though.

M

mrkc77 · 03-22-2007, 12:54 AM

Thanks Zuffi for the review and pics.

For a review its short but very informative, I thought.

Zuffi · 03-22-2007, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MB-JIM

My one serious concern about the W204 is the steering based upon your paragraph below. I gave up an E350 to buy my C350 because I felt the E350 steering was numb. The C350 steering feels heavier but it has great road feedback. Did you feel on the autobahn that you had to constantly make small steering corrections?

Hi Jim - I just found that the the author of the Toronto Star article (see other thread) seems to have the same impression:

Quote:
"The steering is smooth and liquid, although without a great deal of road feel."

Though IMO it's not an issue at all on the Autobahn - the steering feels somewhat firmer at higher speeds and there is absoluteley no need for steering corrections at higher speeds (unlike in the 3er, though in the 3er the need for steering corrections is not triggered by the steering system, but by the firm suspension causing the car to "jump" on bad road surface). IMO the new C-Class will be perfect for long Autobahn rides (very relaxed driving even at higher speeds).

I only found the light steering disturbing at typical countryroad speeds, but again it's all a matter of personal preference.

Having said that I personally liked the steering feel in the W203 better

Achim

Mr. Mercedes · 03-22-2007, 05:28 AM

Thank you for the balanced review Zuffi.

Have you by any chance driven a comparable 3-series and have comparative impressions?

Nice pictures also.

03-21-2007, 11:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
Zuffi Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 33 Times in 10 Posts	Driving Report: C 200 K Classic Hi guys, here’s my driving report as promised earlier. I will post some pics tomorrow (I don’t have my digicam at hand right now). For those of you guys, who are not so much interested in reading my long report with all the details, here is my Executive summary: The new C-Class is a perfectly engineered car with a strong focus on comfort and ease of operation. The tested car was a black/black C 200 k Classic 6-spd manual with the Audio 20 CD and seat-heating as the only items picked from the extensive option-list. I’ve been the first one (except for a MB salesguy) to drive the car (car had only 50 km on the clock) and I’ve put some additional 150 km on the odometer (of which 80 km Autobahn, 55 km country roads, 15 km city). Visual impression (exterior): Appears definitely bigger compared to it’s predecessor W 203. The styling appears "sharper" in the pics than in real life (though a lighter metallic colour and the chrome goodies in the Elegance or Advantage package may leave another impression). The short front overhang is somewhat unfamiliar for a MB car, but there is no doubt that the overall design language is typical MB. The car even seems to blend so naturally into the MB family that it attracted attention from only a few other drivers on the Autobahn. Overall quality impression: Excellent, especially if one considers that I tested a pre-production model (which will be scrapped btw after it has served as a testcar ). The carkey is niceley shaped and handy (not such a bulky mess like my P-car key). Interior impression / ergonomy / comfort: Once you’re sitting behind the steering wheel you instantly senses the roomier feeling in the cabin (compared with either W203 or 3er BMW/ A4). This feeling is further accentuated by the concave curved dashboard/center console. Though the massive appearing dashboard/center console is a bit too much black plastic in my eyes (certainly a nicer equipped car with a lighter interior colour and/or some wood/alu elements will help in creating a more cosy atmosphere). The problem with the dashboard design is that the eye doesn’t find a "halt" in the all black dashborad/center console. The plastic material used for the dashboard/center console is O.K. in terms of quality impresssion, though the door-armrests appear a bit too plasticky/cheap IMO (a nice leather interior should cure this). View in all directions is excellent and with the panorama roof you may get almost cab-like sunlight/brightness into the car. The huge side mirrors offer a spectacular rearview "panorama" never experienced before, though designwise I’m not a fan of the Dumbo ears. The integrated sidemarkers add to the impression as they appear kind of prominent against the black exterior colour (should be more harmonious with lighter colours). The entire ergonomy is typical MB – everything is easy to reach and intuitive to operate. The seats are easily to adjust and roomy, but offer not enough lateral "grip" IMO (maybe that’s just me being spoiled by the sports-seats in my Porsche and BMW). My wife complained about the seat being a bit too hard. I wouldn’t go that far, but indeed the standard seats didn’t provide a real comfy feeling (though I’m sure they are fine in the ergonomy department – at least my notorious bad back didn’t complain). So my single criticism regarding ergonomy refers to the turn-signal lever sitting a bit low (though not a problem to operate at all, one just has to get accustomed to it). Also I found the diameter of the steering wheel a bit too large (though the thickness is very fine). The aircon is completely draft-free and the seat-heating warms your butt in no time. Driving impressions: Of course the engine hasn’t been broken in yet, hence a real assessment wasn‘t possible. Overall I’d say it feels/sounds/behaves pretty much similar to the "old" 200k, but it seems to pull the car with a bit less effort and seems to provide some noticeable more low-range/mid-range torque. The biggest surprise has been the new 6-spd gearbox and the clutch, both to operate almost without any effort at all, very precise. The old 1st/2nd gear roughness is completely disappeared, the shifting travel of the gearshift lever is super smooth (though I’d prefer both lever and shifting travel a tad shorter). Next surprise is the steering feel: you can turn the wheel super easy with two fingers. The steering itself is very direct and it needs a small turning angle only to change directions. However IMO the steering wheel lacks response from the street, hence I had the impression that now and then I turned the wheel to much when entering some corners. Talking about corners: as it has been raining I intentionally tried to provoke some corner slide action in order to check how effectively the ESP works. The new ESP works just like a charm: You really only can tell by the flashing yellow light that the ESP has kicked in (same feeling if it kicks in to fight traction probs when you try a catapult start off the line in the wet) – no intrusive feeling at all, though working super effectively at the same time. With the light and direct steering it’s a joy – once you’ve asked the rear for a little dance – to redirect the car onto the "road of virtue" almost by a flick of your finger (very impressive). In terms of precision and directness the brakes are in the same (new) league: very direct and precise. The new adaptive dampers and the suspension provide a completely new driving experience: on the one hand it’s super comfortable absorbing any bumps/potholes perfectly, on the other hand it informs the driver pretty well about what’s going on on the road. I guess that’s what we Germans call a "eierlegende Wollmilchsau" (egg laying wool milk sow). For my personal taste a little bit less body roll in fast driven corners would be nice (though I’m sure the sport suspension or the electronically adaptive suspension /advanced agility package will do the job for the more sporty oriented driver) Needless to say that the car’s ability to hold direction at higher speeds without getting disturbed by lane grooves is extremely good, hence it’s a very relaxed drive at higher speeds on the Autobahn. Talking about higher speeds: I didn’t push the car beyond 200 km/h due to the not yet broken-in engine, but it seemed to me that wind noises have been a tad louder compared to the W 203 (maybe the huge side mirrors ?). If this impression is not only a trick played by my mind it’s a small nuance only (nothing to worry about) and I should add that it has been rather windy also, which might have contributed to the impression. Also the overall sound damping is very effective, hence you might focus more on wind noises, as noises from the engine and from the tires are very low. Talking about sound: the entry level audio system is very nice IMO and unless you’re a real HiFi freak it should be sufficient in the entertainment department. BTW there is no snap-in adapter for your mobile phone, so if you want to recharge the accu during a spin you have to use a cord to connect it to the power socket in the rear center console. (Subjective) conclusion: The new C-Class is a perfect car for those looking for a very comfortable and easy to drive car. MB engineers have done a great job in perfecting suspension/dampers, brakes, steering, clutch and gearbox . Though for my personal taste they have driven the "easy to drive" philosophy a bit too far. Sometimes the drive feeling is a bit "synthetic" so that I have been wondering whether I’d operate a Gameboy or a driving simulator instead of a car. Of course this is completely subjective and has nothing to do with the quality and technical class of the car. I assume that the marketing strategists at MB (after realising that the attempt to gain customers from BMW via the W203 did not result in higher sales numbers) have decided to refocus on traditional MB values (of course by using latest technologies) rather than positioning the C-Class as a 3er competitor. IMO that makes a lot of sense from a business and marketing point of view, as there will be less overlap in the targeted audience (C-Class / 3er customers), which of course works either way: IMO MB will "steal away" less customers from BMW with the new C-Class and vice versa. If I’m talking "comfort vs sportiness" make no mistake: I’m sure that in the right hands equally powered C-Class/3er will show similar performance. It’s more the perception of drive feeling / driver’s involvement which makes the difference. Greetings to all from Germany Achim

03-21-2007, 12:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mirage77 The Doughnutman. Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 5,438 Thanks: 1,473 Thanked 1,225 Times in 722 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic Karma for you, bro! I don't have time to read the review right now, will do so later!

03-21-2007, 02:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
etlomotey Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Orpington, Kent Posts: 101 Thanks: 186 Thanked 35 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic Hi Zuffi Thanks for the review/driving report.

03-21-2007, 06:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
The Artist Shaolin Shadow Boxer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sweden Gothenburg Posts: 11,414 My Mood: Thanks: 122 Thanked 712 Times in 444 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic very nice review.. it feels good to hear a unbiased voice about this car.. i think MB has a winner on their hands.. its brings something new..but still is true to the star.. thats the way i like it cant wait to drive it

03-21-2007, 09:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
MB-JIM Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 12 Thanks: 6 Thanked 14 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic I really appreciate your detailed driving report. It's good to read real world drivers evaluating a car rather than magazine editors who may not be knowledgeable or objective My one serious concern about the W204 is the steering based upon your paragraph below. I gave up an E350 to buy my C350 because I felt the E350 steering was numb. The C350 steering feels heavier but it has great road feedback. Did you feel on the autobahn that you had to constantly make small steering corrections? Thanks again for the report. Jim "Next surprise is the steering feel: you can turn the wheel super easy with two fingers. The steering itself is very direct and it needs a small turning angle only to change directions. However IMO the steering wheel lacks response from the street, hence I had the impression that now and then I turned the wheel to much when entering some corners."

03-21-2007, 11:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
Merc1 Contributor Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Aurora IL USA Posts: 4,955 Thanks: 363 Thanked 672 Times in 346 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic The interior looks well built, almost Audi like in the doors and such. It is very bare and spartan though. M

03-22-2007, 12:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
mrkc77 Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 141 Thanks: 33 Thanked 23 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic Thanks Zuffi for the review and pics. For a review its short but very informative, I thought.

03-22-2007, 05:28 AM	#10 (permalink)
Mr. Mercedes Fanatic Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 1,285 Thanks: 96 Thanked 77 Times in 52 Posts	Re: Driving Report: C 200 K Classic Thank you for the balanced review Zuffi. Have you by any chance driven a comparable 3-series and have comparative impressions? Nice pictures also.

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