DriveTech

Cars at a Glance
2008 Mercedes Benz C300

It has been awhile since I have slid behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz, so I decided to call my buddy Randy Johnson Sales Manager of Mercedes Benz of Escondido, CA. I asked him what was new and exciting and he responded, fuel mileage and the entry level C-Class.
I said sure sounds like fun, get her ready. When I arrived I had a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300 with the optional Navigation. What I liked about this test car is it came out of the Mercedes Benz Loaner Fleet, so it had miles on it, OK only 1,454, but hey at least it wasn't brand spakin new. Sometimes you can tell a lot more about a vehicle with miles on it, but this one drove just like a brand new car, oh well good thought!
My tester was fire engine red (that is not what Mercedes Benz called the color) with the 3.0-liter V6 that produces 228 horsepower and 221 pound foot of torque at 2700 rpm which relates good acceleration on to the freeway. The seating is typical Mercedes Benz, a little on the harsh side but, after a long trip your back will feel just fine. Center console that opens like a clam shell, center mount shifter and a knob control for the radio and other features I didn't try. The transmission is a 7-speed electronically controlled automatic. This is an option, standard you get a 6-speed manual transmission which would have been my preference, but I actually enjoyed the 7-speed automatic. By having a 7-speed automatic your fuel mileage will be 17-18 in the city and 25-26 on the freeway. I felt the fuel mileage numbers were a little low, but at least they have room to grow and who knows if you have good driving skills you might be able to do better.
You get a lot for your $31,600 base price like air conditioning a great sound system and a lot of other standard features like a sun roof, power windows and door locks, CD player just to name a few, and of course you can opt for three other models, the C300 Luxury, C350 Sport sedan and the C63 AMG equipped Sport sedan. The AMG model will give you a 6.2-liter 451 horsepowered V8 that pumps out 443 pound foot of torque at 5000 rpm, talk about a ride but of course the price goes right up there but if you have the coin it is the only way to go!
My driving experience in the 2008 C300 Mercedes Benz on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a solid 8. For the price the competition list is long so you're going to spend a lot of time looking and driving.
One more thing to consider when shopping is what kind of fuel do you need to burn in your new car and what is the warranty. The C300 has a 48 month 50,000 mile basic warranty and the powertrain is the same, 48 months 50,000 miles (If I was going to buy and keep this car longer than 48 months or 50,000 miles I would opt for the extended warranty.
Great entry level car for Mercedes Benz and once behind the wheel you might be pleasantly surprised!

Stay tuned for another Car At A Glance and if you have one you would like tested email me at stalld@cox.net and I will do my best to get that vehicle!