2004 mercedes c230 kompressor sport edition review

#2004 mercedes c230 kompressor sport edition review manual

Even though an electric motor pulls the front seats forward and out of the way at your command, you still have to fold yourself up to get in the back. Our biggest complaint about the interior is the drawback that it shares with all two-door vehicles: It's a pain in the tuchus to get into and out of the back seat. The only cure, aside from calling JC Whitney for a $39.95 set of simulated tiger fur seat covers, is to pony up another 1,300 bucks for leather seats. It looks tacky in a Subaru, even more so in a Mercedes, in our humble opinion. It reminded us of the wild, color-flecked fabric Subaru is fond of using, which should not be taken as a compliment. While the seats are firm, comfortable, and niceIy adjustable, the upholstery left something to be desired. It makes for a very airy and open feeling car, despite its size. But that doesn't mean you'll have to slather your bald spot with SPF-60 on sunny days - a single push of a button extends shades across both panels. Overhead, the roof is essentially two huge glass panels. There's a big window in the rear hatch with yet another smaller window below the spoiler and between the taillights, to provide greater visibility out the back. One of the best things about the C230 is the way the passengers are surrounded by glass. We noticed that the C230 slipped a bit on wet roads, which doesn't give us much confidence that it would keep you moving in the snow, even with its traction control.Īside from being small and light enough to be fun to drive, the C230 also felt solid and substantial. One note of caution: The C230 is rear-wheel drive, which means it's at a disadvantage in slippery weather. It scooted around corners with very little lean, and it felt solid and controllable at all times. It's a well-balanced rear-wheel drive car on a very solid suspension system. The six-speed transmission is well suited to the car, too, with the top gear cutting the engine speed at 70 mph from 3,000 rpm to around 2,600 rpm - for a noticeable improvement in noise, engine wear and gas mileage. The supercharged engine is an ideal match for this 3,300-pound car, providing plenty of pep without being overpowering. Solid is a word that always comes to mind when driving a Mercedes.

#2004 mercedes c230 kompressor sport edition review manual

You do get a choice of transmissions: a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. The C230 comes in only one body style and with just one engine choice: a 192 horsepower, 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine with a belt-driven supercharger (that's the Kompressor part). Mercedes also hopes these happy, young C230 owners will hop their way up the Mercedes line, from the C Class to the E Class, finally graduating to an S600 before bequeathing their worldly belongings to their future Mercedes-owning offspring. No doubt the company hopes that its new, spunky hatchback will attract younger buyers who thought they couldn't afford a Mercedes, or buyers who want the nicest damn small car they can own. The C230 is something of a departure for Mercedes, which has a reputation for making solid, conservative expensive sedans. It's well designed, beautifully made, fun to drive and nicely equipped at a target price of $24,950. The C230 Coupe is a new model for Mercedes. But this car is clearly the new king of that hill. It used to be that a fully loaded VW Golf was as upscale as you could go with a practical and sporty two-door hatchback. It's also the nicest two-door hatchback on the market. The C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe is the smallest and least expensive Mercedes you can buy. 'It's hard to think of another hatchback coupe that offers the combination of solid feel, safety, sporty performance, airy feel and distinctive looks.'