2012 Mercedes-Benz C-250
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Question: What’s the last thing you thought you’d ever see? A) a Unicorn; B) a Jewish delicatessen opening up in Tehran; C) the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series; or D) a Mercedes-Benz with a four-cylinder engine. If you answered anything but D you’re way off. Mercedes-Benz has always been associated with luxurious, performance automobiles — those that spend most of the time cruising the Autobahn at 135 mph (and slightly slower on North American freeways).
For 2012, the vaunted Mercedes-Benz C-Class has undergone a major restyling that involved 2,000 new parts — distinguished by new bumpers, headlights, front grille, an aluminum hood, LED taillights and a redesigned interior that incorporates color gauges, a new 5.8” display and new-generation telematics. There are three body styles in the C250 family – Sport Sedan, Luxury Sedan and Coupe. However, the big news regarding this entry-level vehicle is the development of a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The C250 is powered by a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out 201 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 229 pound-feet of torque from 2,200-4,300 rpm. The double-overhead cam engine features variable valve timing as well as twin-Lanchester balance shafts to neutralize the vibration inherent with in-line four-cylinder motors. There is the higher rev noise associated with a small engine but the speed it propels the C-Class eradicates all vestiges of driving a four-cylinder. We had the same feeling in the C-Class’s new V-6 that feels more like a V8, and the 1.8L operates more like a V6. There are a lot of people with nothing to do and all day to do it in who drive the roads of Maine and New Hampshire where we did our vehicle testing. Needless to say the C250 doesn’t take kindly to operating on somebody else’s timetable. There were many opportunities to pass and we took advantage of all of them.
The ride is outstanding. The vehicle’s traditional five-link independent rear suspension has been updated for the newest C-Class. Furthermore you can set the ride to either Sport mode or Economy mode. If you don’t like what Stuttgart has given you there’s a Dynamic Handling package that features stiffer springs and stabilizer bars as well as electronically controlled shock absorbers. The package also adds steering wheel-positioned shift paddles.
The entire powertrain ensemble was put to work in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The climb entails an incredibly-twisty route with no guard rails on the edge. There must have been a 40-degree drop in temperature from the base of the mountain to the crest Inside the C-250 presented us a toasty-warm, silent cabin, all the while listening to a delightful 450-watt harman/kardon LOGIC7Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1 discrete multichannel surround system.
The interior is right out of a high-end fashion magazine. A special production process leaves a seamless surface with no lines or joints. Robots spray a surface skin onto the dash backing. The glove box and other interior panels are finished the same way, giving them a uniform, high-quality appearance. The instrument cluster features larger displays. The front seats are contoured to fit a wide range of physical sizes and they’re bolstered to offer support when cornering during aggressive driving. A controller on the center council serves as a “command center” to use for setting the Nav, Audio, et cetera. It isn’t initially 100% intuitive but after some use it becomes so. If nothing else it’s forgiving and doesn’t permanently screw you up if you fumble a few times.There’s a lot of safety equipment in this vehicle. Try not to get into an accident but if you do Mercedes has you covered, starting with two-stage front air bags, three types of side air bags and a knee air bag.
Fuel economy is pretty decent; 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and a combined figure of 25 mpg. With a 17.4 gallon tank you’re going to go very far – especially on long freeway drives. MSRP for the C250 Sport Sedan is $35,675; $36,095 for the C250 Luxury Sedan and $38,095 for the C250 Coupe (costs include $875 destination charge). There are a lot of package and stand-alone options that allow you to practically custom-build your vehicle.— Al Vinikour
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