Coming in a close second are the driver assistance options, costing $2,900 for a full suite of intelligent driving aids that can amount to L2 semi-autonomous in specific situations. Ultimate performance is not a primary objective, yet driving dynamics must be world-class and uncompromised. It has an excellent ride quality for everyday driving, and does a great job ironing out rougher road-surfaces. You might not have realized Mercedes has a new C-Class. My favorite design elements are the new squircle air vents, which have a really nice tactile feel. Steering the car in Comfort mode, on the highway, the effort was light in that familiar Mercedes way. RELATED: The 2000 Mercedes-Benz CL600 Is One Of The Cheapest V12's You Can Buy Today. The center screen is slightly smaller than what you get on the S-Class, but its functionality is exactly the same and it features the same great zero-layer display option. The rear seats are also roomier than before. So I did exactly that early the next morning as traffic slowed to a crawl on I-5 amid inevitable rush-hour congestion. My testers 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic transmission banged off shifts quite smoothly and effortlessly. Sitting longitudinally between the front wheels of the 2022 Mercedes C300 is the three-pointed stars turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, internally coded as the M254 E20. In terms of the latest design: The front end is very familiar when seen next to the E-Class or CLS. Passengers in front will look forward to the seats, which have been sculpted to hold occupants snugly and comfortably.
An air suspension is no longer an option and adaptive dampers aren't on the menu either, but I don't find myself missing these features. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Also included in this package is a Head-Up-Display (HUD), which projects detailed navigation instructions into the drivers line of sight on the windshield. My test car has the optional $2,000 all-wheel-drive system and there's virtually no understeer even when I push the C300 hard. A gorgeous interior with an 11.9-inch infotainment screen. The fifth-generation C300 not only makes its competitors feel outdated, it makes the larger E-Class feel a bit irrelevant. 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine with EQ Boost, Mercedes-Benz equips the C300 with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder combustion engine rated at 255 horsepower. Diving into tight corners, the brakes shone as a confidence-builder. Especially from a rear-quarter angle, it really does look like a smaller S-Class. Still, I'm bestowing it on an automaker that is credited with developing the first automobile (the 1885 Benz Patent-Motorwagen) and acknowledged for bringing advanced safety features such as airbags (SRS) and anti-lock brakes (ABS) to the masses. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. Every new C-Class has a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and an 11.9-inch central touchscreen, the latter of which is nicely angled toward the driver. This all makes highway driving a very stress-free experience as well. The cabin of the new C-Class is stunning it could easily be mistaken for that of an S-Class. The Alfa Romeo Giulia and Genesis G70 are still the driver's choices in this segment, but even this lowly C300 is a lot of fun on the tight mountain roads north of Ojai, California. This discerning buyer is likely new to the brand, and the C-Class will be the first of their many Mercedes-Benz products down the road. So even though the C-Class has long been one of the most important cars made by Mercedes-Benz, it seems no one noticed there's a new one. The C300 4MATIC is a sporty sedan, not a sport sedan (a title I reserve for vehicles with more power and aggressive suspension tuning). Now there's a totally new C-Class yet again, and it's even more worthy of the baby S-Class descriptor. This torquey aluminum powerplant produces 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, identical to its 2.0-liter Bavarian rival, the B48, which lives in the 2022 BMW 230i Coupe. The rear end gets a bit more of that S-Class stuff in the form of two-piece LED taillights. Rolls-Royce Is Testing Spectre EV On French Riviera (Because Of Course It Is), Tested: Three 2022 Hybrid Gas-Sippers From Lexus, Honda And Toyota, Back-To-Back, Future Tech Watch: Sono Motors Sion EV Is Covered In Solar Panels To Soak Up Free Power, The Unique Curtiss 1 Electric Motorcycle Is The Brough Superior Of The New Electric Age, EV Drivers Love That Quick Acceleration - And Thats Forcing Companies Like Pirelli To Rethink Tire Design, Mini Reveals Aceman EV Concept Ahead Of 2024 Production, General Motors EV Live Site Will Answer All Your Electric Car Queries, Rolls-Royces Latest Phantom Is The Most Imaginative Crafted Bespoke Collection. Mercedes-Benz has done more like the latter, and slowly refined its various product lines. It's definitely smoother in operation than the old motor, especially in terms of the start/stop system, and the new engine has better midrange response. The EQ Boost system utilizes a tiny 0.9 kWh battery (conserving space and saving weight). Despite only having a little over a day with the 2022 Mercedes C300 4Matic during its Spring 2022 launch event, it was a fun and relaxing time spent getting to know its latest luxury, tech, performance, and looks. Start your free trial today. It offers major value, and it's good enough to make the larger E-Class feel a bit irrelevant. My main gripe centered around the volume control. Later on, I asked Mercedes-Benz Product Manager Paul Harmon when and how to take full advantage of the L2 driver-assistance features. Mercedes-Benz fits the C300 with Dynamic Select to allow the driver to configure the vehicle to the driving environment. This 2022 Mercedes-Benz C300 is a well-rounded sports sedan with an attractive exterior design. I like my seating position more upright than most, so I brought the seat back a little more forward, but otherwise the fit was great. The all-new 2022 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC is the best premium compact luxury sedan I have driven in many years it has earned the coveted spot as the new benchmark in the segment. 2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. But Mercedes-Benz is usually a step ahead in tech and safety features, and this new C-Class is no exception. NJ Allegedly Hunting Facebook For Illegal Diesels, Honda SUV Wrecks McLaren 570s on Woodward Ave, Ford Will Reveal Next-Gen Mustang in September, Vettel to Retire From F1 at End of 2022 Season, The 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 Makes Over 400 HP, 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL: No More Mr. Nice Benz, 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS Is Impressive, Intimidating, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. The added 20 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque from the EV boost were most apparent when getting into the throttle at low rpm; that was especially appreciated since this is the first C-Class to feature a four-cylinder as its sole engine offering. So definitely test drive C-Classes of various specs to see whether the ride is to your liking. All Rights Reserved.
In "Sport" the steering is a bit too artificially heavy which is true of virtually every car that has adjustable-weight steering though there's an "Individual" mode that can be configured to pair light steering with sharper engine/transmission response. and 295 lb-ft of torque. If the C300s basic chassis and suspension design is anything to go by, the far more performance-oriented, rear-wheel drive 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 should be quite good. Mercedes has been on a roll with steering as of late, and it continues with the C-Class. My C300 4Matic tester had a Sport+ mode that added a decibel or two more to the exhaust system and livened up throttle response. The lower, wider grill is accented by the thinner and wider headlights. Then, to bathe in luxury a bit further, I turned on the massage option. When the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class debuted in 2013 it was dubbed a baby S-Class thanks to its class-above interior design and refinement. Despite a substantial shift towards SUVs and crossovers, with some automakers abandoning traditional sedans altogether, Mercedes-Benz is doubling down on its four-door vehicles and producing great sedans. The biggest issue with how the old C-Class drove was the ride quality and the new car fixes that. It's been offered with six-cylinder cars from Mercedes for a few years now, and here, it works just as brilliantly. It seemed to do a better job estimating what power I wanted, and when, in automatic mode than it did in manual mode. RELATED: Which Is Best? The technology options Mercedes has assembled are quite likely the most impressive part of the new generation C-Class, though you will certainly be paying a premium for those features. On that note, the four-door is perfectly comfortable tackling a twisty canyon road, yet it will lose its composure if pushed too hard (initial blame is pointed at the all-season tires, as they are first to throw in the towel). Mercedes-Benz is an innovator, leader, and its products are universally respected. This is just one of many upsides to the W206 that make it a great commuter and road trip rig. It's a sweet little engine for the most part. RELATED: These Are Our Favorite Features Of The 2007 Mercedes C63 AMG. Mercedes calls this a cab backward design, meaning the windshield and passenger compartment have been shifted further back than in previous models. Cresting a hill and seeing a valley of vineyards and little squiggles of road snaking off into the distance, I clicked over to Sport+ mode and swapped to manual shiftingbut found the transmission worked best left to its own devices in automatic mode. Driving this car was a pleasant experience, like going to brunch is a pleasant experience. While it projects a luxurious overall theme, Mercedes has done an excellent job ensuring that the passenger compartment retains a slightly more youthful and sportier aura. Others have made minor revisions, slowly but steadily, like the 2021 Toyota Supra 3.0 and 2022 Lexus LC 500 Coupe. The EPA has finalized fuel efficiency figures for the Mercedes-Benz C300 Sedan (25 city / 35 hwy / 29 combined) and the C 300 4MATIC Sedan (23 city / 33 hwy / 27 combined). It was only a few moments before I had to give a steering input after entering a construction zone with shifting lanes, bad road markings and heavy congestionprobably not the ideal first test. Plus, I don't need to remind you that sedans are out of fashion. The system makes subtle adjustments to the occupant's seat as if the person is readjusting their position and it's surprisingly effective. We may earn money from the links on this page. The first word that comes to mind regarding how the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C300 rolls down the road is confidence. Everything is tuned for low- and mid-range torque, and the C300 feels very strong up to around 5500 rpm. Mercedes invited us to sample the C-Class on an excellent route that included a lot of our favorite roads north of New York City. Peter Nelson is a freelance automotive journalist based in Southern California. I prefer a knob, but Ive always been a bit of a Luddite. The 2022 C-Class' exterior design is evolutionary and slots in well with the rest of the Mercedes lineup, though while it's handsome, I wish it were less boring. Throttle response is quick off the line (the 0-60 mph sprint should take about 6.0 seconds), and the transmission downshifts willingly for passing. 2022 Forbes Media LLC. It was alarming, but I place the blame on myself. Opting for 4Matic all-wheel drive increases the cost by $2000, while the AMG Line package is a little steep at $3050. Of course, it takes a while for the gearbox to re-engage and select the correct of its nine ratios when you suddenly need power, but for low-traffic highways, it's a brilliant system. You may opt-out by. Combined with refined, luxury-worthy sound-insulation and optional acoustic glass ($150), the C 300 makes for a great place to sit through some lengthy podcasts while cruising down the road. Mercedes-Benz has also fitted the C-Class with the latest safety tools. The C300 feels solid and well-damped, and it never exhibits any noticeable jostling over highway expansion joints, bumpy on- and off- ramps, and temporary laid-down construction zone tarmac. As part of the Multimedia Package, which is a $1,700 option, there is also a new feature called Augmented Video For Navigation. Instead, it made a host of mild revisions throughout, from what propels it down the road to how it looks, that ensure its relevance and position as a solid entry-level modern luxury offering. Then the car gave me an alert since Id been driving for a while: I should consider an alertness break. I can see the L2 semi-autonomous being a very attractive feature for those saddled with slow commutes. The C300s fuel economy bolsters this aspect, which is perhaps one its best benefits if you're thinking of buying the C-Class. Our tester came equipped with virtually everything, including $2590 worth of Napa leather, and stickered for $63,440. My favorite new input was automatically configuring an almost-perfect seating position for my height. I told him I tested it driving fast on a congested highway with poor road markingsprobably the most challenging set of conditions. The steering is sharper than before and though it has a bit of an on-center dead zone, it provides a nice amount of feedback. RELATED: 2022 Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic Review: Luxury At Its Finest. At idle, it can occasionally be quite rough, revs dropping and sending a vibration through the cabin. A gas-powered sport sedan might not be in vogue, but that doesn't change the fact that the C300 is an excellent luxury sport sedan. Those in the back seat will find room to sit behind six-footers without feeling cramped, although nobody wants to be the fifth passenger as the center cushion isn't molded for comfort. It's not hard to find other cheap interior materials, if you go poking around, not that this impacts the functionality of the C-Class. Top speed is limited to 130 mph, and this four-cylinder is currently the only engine available with the new C-Class, with an option to add the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system for an additional $2,000 over the base price. It might not please Mercedes traditionalists, but if you think the BMW 3 Series has gone soft, you'll like what you find. There was one moment while listening to a podcast where the MBUX system randomly shut off, though I attribute this to early test-car teething issues. More of that trickle-down effect in action, as the new C300 benefits from updated suspension geometry ported over from the S-Class. However, where the Bavarian option falls short is in the added electric power. One transmission is offered at launch, the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission. During my drive, the 3,957-pound 4MATIC model indicated an average of 35.4 MPG during the highway portion of the testing, beating its EPA estimates. This electrical system can provide a power boost for a short period during full-throttle acceleration, but also helps during normal driving to improve gas mileage. The cabin is quiet (unless the available Burmester surround-sound audio system is rocking), and the MBUX system includes a hands-free artificial intelligence voice control system (commanded with a simple "Hey Mercedes") that permits many operations from any seat.
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