2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport - Comparison Tests

What we noticed first inside the Mercedes-Benz C300 while running through the canyons near Ojai, California, is that the road felt as if it were coated with Crisco. Or as one staffer noted snarkily, “I’ve never hydroplaned on a dry road before, until now.” While the other sedans gripped, pounced, and powered through the corners, the Benz, wearing all-season tires that are a part of the Sport model, slid and protested its way through the Highway 33 jaunt. Mercedes does offer an 18-inch wheel upgrade for $1000 that adds dedicated performance tires, but our $37,410 example didn’t have the option and likely suffered for it as the rest of the sedans in the test benefited from having more serious performance rubber.

Step the C300 away from the performance precipice, and the Benz seemingly finds itself and connects with the driver. A comfortable ride, a nearly silent engine, a solid structure, and the low-set multifunction turn-signal stalk will have Benz owners and luxury seekers feeling right at home. Making S-class customers feel right at home should they get a C300 as a loaner is the excellent COMAND system that combines controls for navigation, audio, and a multitude of other settings into a single knob. Unlike BMW’s iDrive, the Mercedes system is intuitive and doesn’t leave an unsightly growth in the middle of the dash.

Aside from the electronics, the rest of the interior fails to impress. Much of it is made up of shiny, hard plastic that is low-rent enough to suggest that maybe it was Chrysler that divorced Mercedes. In back, a rear seat with very little space was rated the least comfortable and serves as a reminder that the C300, and the 328i, for that matter, is barely larger than a Honda Civic sedan—a Civic, in fact, has more interior space than the Benz. So Mercedes has built a refined, small sedan. It’s sporty on an intramural level; too bad the rest of the class plays on varsity.

© Source: caranddriver