Mercedes-Benz C350 - Enough "Mercedesness"

One of the issues that the German luxury car companies deal with in America is maintaining their exclusivity while still increasing sales. The guy who buys a 7 Series BMW or a Mercedes-Benz S Class doesn't really want to share the brand with some dude with a four-cylinder hatchback that's wearing the same distinctive emblem on its nose. So, the companies have been reticent to send over their more modest offerings.

That's why the C Class is the smallest Mercedes we've had on these shores, and still is--for now. The C-Class has been a four-door sedan in the U.S. for many years, since the cute little hatchback three-door was marketed here. You still see the hatches on the road.

Now, there's a new C-Class coupe, and it is one handsome piece of work. It wears the latest face of the brand and has a dramatic shape that is not so much "cute" as it is slick and compact -- but not tiny. You take it seriously, and it elicited some nice compliments from passers-by. One guy in front of the Starbucks said to me, "Cool ride, dude!" I told  him I was "just playing with it" and he found that very amusing. Yeah, right.

I spent a too-short week with a Mars Red example and it possessed that quality that keeps buyers coming back for more. Mercedes seems to have figured out that its cars have to have a solid and well wrought quality inside and out to not seem like Hondas, and they do.

The body design is unmistakably Mercedes, with its three-pointed star up front. The interior, though, where drivers spend their time, is especially striking. The surfaces are padded--but not too softly. The seats are firm and gripping. The burl walnut trim is from a real tree--as it should be in a car like this.

The entertainment system gave a fine sound, but I was unable to figure out how to pair my phone with Bluetooth without consulting the instructions. It's easier in a Kia--and still works fine.

My tester was a C350, meaning it had a 3.5-liter V6 putting out 302 horsepower under the shapely hood. It all ran through a seven-speed (!) automatic, which mean no effort to shift it, but no manual--like you can get at the BMW and Audi dealers (in some models). It makes it easy to not miss the self-shifting experience, and its Touch Shift program lets you select gears with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, even if you don't have a clutch to play with.

I got 21 miles per gallon over my week. The EPA says 19 City, 28 Highway, 22 Average, so I was right in there. Not a super economy car, but not a gas guzzler either. The EPA says 6 for Air Pollution and 5 for Greenhouse Gas--mid pack.

You can opt for the 201-horsepower turbo 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine in the C250 and have much of the goodness of the C350, but for a whole lot less cash. My tester came to $50,835 when all was said and done and all the packages were added ($42,370 suggested retail). The C250 starts at $37,995 with shipping, which is what cars like this cost these days.

The C-Class Coupe is a subcompact, so it has back seats but is not spacious. It's cozy--and makes you feel good--but it'll cost you. Many people think it's worth it.

Love those Surprise Car Discoveries

Yesterday, as I parked my car in a major downtown parking garage, I looked over and saw a small minivan. I thought it was a Mazda5 at first, until I noticed the Mercedes-Benz badge on its tail.

It was a B200--a car that Mercedes sells in many other places, including Canada--but not in the United States. This one had British Columbia license plates and was presumably down here for a vacation.

There are many cars that manufacturers, for one reason or another, don't sell in the States. I saw a tiny Ford Fiesta a few years ago that I'd never seen before and actually followed it for several blocks until it parked and I was able to check it out. It had Mexican plates. This wasn't the Fiesta that's now sold here.

The Mercedes-Benz B class will probably appear in the U.S. before long, as part of the company's efforts to market cars that are more fuel efficient. Despite having more efficient 6-cylinder engines and some Diesels, the company will have to meet higher fuel economy standards in coming years. The four-cylinder B class seems like a fine product--it's just a question of whether the company can make money on it and also whether it wants to possibly dilute its image with the public. BMW has been very careful with its 1 Series sedans to avoid making it seem too "cheap." You can't get one with a four-cylinder engine, for example, which would seem like a natural.

I'm always on the lookout for unusual cars--old, brand new, or "not sold here." Seen a Pontiac Firefly lately?

Mercedes-Benz Club Fun--Saved by Roadside Assistance

Thanks to Adam at my friendly and helpful press fleet, I was able to secure a Mercedes-Benz CL 550 this week so I could attend the Mercedes-Benz Club of America San Francisco chapter's First Sunday Drive yesterday.

We drove a convoy of vehicles, ranging from a couple of early 70's 280 SE sedans to a couple pretty little silver SLKs to my brand new car. We were undeterred by drizzle--we even took two very short ferry rides out in the S.F. Bay Delta area.

Appealingly curving roads with nobody on them, great conversations, a nice brunch at the Ryde Hotel in Walnut Grove, and, then, a small Mercedes adventure.

On the way home, I got a message on my instrument panel that my right rear tire was losing pressure. New cars do this--they inform you of things. I pulled off into a Chevron station and was able to contact Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance. That's one benefit of driving an expensive car.

A polite young man called me and came out just a few minutes later with his ML 350 crossover with Mercedes emblazoned on it. In a few minutes (and in the rain) he applied the spare for me. He also showed me the big nail that was stuck in my tire!

The day was saved!

I wonder where the club is going on April 3?