So yesterday I went to a drive event for the new C Class at Union Station here in Chicago. I wanted to share my impressions and my pictures.
I actually really like the C Class and might just buy one next year. I was able to see the good and the bad with the car. To me the good far out weighs the bad. I particularly liked the C 350 sport.
The car rides very nicely, but it does have a slight air of econcar to it. Which is a major problem for a $40,000 vehicle. I really like the styling of the car too. It looks fast, upscale and sporty. I think Mercedes nailed it. The C Class is no longer a chick car. The size is good, the engine and the power are just fine. In comparison to the 335i the Benz's engine is defintely short a few ponies. But on the other hand I am not one to race away from every stoplight so the Benz's six is just fine. It still has ample power. The 350 owner will NEVER feel cheated. The interior in the black car that I drove was nice, but I didn't like the gray stained wood. I'd have to find a way to get the regular burl. The plastics are fine, they have a real soft touch and all but I think they may need to rethink the graining. I like the pop up screen but it seems to leave a hole in the dash. The radio unit is so big and it looks like a mass of buttons because it lacks a screen down low. It functions very well though. The COMMAND controller is just Mercedes version of iDrive. Its easier to use though and the screen looks much better to me.
One problem with the event though, is that it was held in downtown Chicago on a saturday. It was a lead follow arrangement and was really only 3 square blocks. You couldn't really get a good feel for the car. You couldn't stretch its legs any. The event should have been held on dealer lots or even the racetrack where Audi held theirs a few weeks ago. That way you could get a good feel for the car and drive it at more than 20 mph.
Enjoy the pictures and I'd like to know your impressions if you've driven the car.
T