08 Mercedes-Benz C-Class By ALAN GELL (6/07) www.CarColumns.Net . I recently attended a terrific event up in Portland, Oregon hosted by Mercedes-Benz.  They were introducing their 4th generation of the popular C-Class  This model is critical to the success of Mercedes-Benz in the United States and they are raising the bar.

The entry level model, which we call the C-Class, was first introduced back in 1982.  A second generation came along in 1993 and the third generation in 2000.  Now the fourth generation is here.  It is important because the C-Class is the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand, it will attract new customers to two distinct models -- the luxury or the sport, and it is designed to be the major volume driver in the US market of entry level luxury sales.

The Sport Model takes an aggressive approach in its appearance.  It has a coupe-style grille in the front that has the Mercedes 3 pointed star integrated into the styling.  This has been done in other Mercedes products, but the first time it's been done on the C-Class sedan.  Usually, we expect to see that Mercedes star emblem as a hood ornament, which is where it is on the new luxury model.  The sport model also has dual exhaust maple wood trim, a silver instrument panel, lowered suspension, and staggered 17 inch wheels.  The sport model offers manual transmission as an option.

My driving partner and I chose the luxury model C-Class for our morning drive time.  The luxury Elegance model  has an all-black instrument panel, burl walnut wood trim, a traditional grill, and the Mercedes star emblem is positioned as a hood ornament.  The trim had an elegant look, much like a new piano with a fine coat of lacquer.  The huge circular dials were easy to read with their black faces, white lettering, and orange needles.  We followed the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area for quite a while before turning up into the mountains.

Sometimes you hear the phrase, "Wheels make the car," and a lot of folks subscribe to that theory.  Mercedes is offering 18 inch wheels as an option -- the first time that 18 inch wheels have been offered on the C-Class.    To provide more value for the cost, Mercedes provides a lot of extras as standard equipment, such as dual-zone climate control with 2 charcoal filtration units, Bluetooth connections,  8 way power front seats for the driver and passenger, and a powered sunroof. 

We took these gorgeous cars out of downtown Portland and headed up into the mountains, straight for Mt. Hood., usually staying on the route marked "Oregon National Historic Trail."   The agility of this new C-Class was very noticeable.  The wider track and quicker steering ratio allowed the vehicle to hug the road as we twisted and turned all the way up to the Timberline Lodge.   Mt. Hood is over 11,000 feet - the tallest mountain in Oregon.  The luxury model we were driving was a little bit smoother on the road, but you still had the feeling of being in a sports car.  We changed drivers at a rest break at the Lodge, then ventured towards Mt. Saint Helens.  There was still a lot of snow in the area, although we didn't encounter any on the roadways.   The new series of C-Class serves up a very balanced blend of safety and comfort.  The adaptive braking system, the intelligent light system, the agility control suspension system -- these all combine to provide what might be called a "culture of driving."

After taking some breath-taking photos of Mt. Saint Helens, we followed the Columbia River Gorge back towards Portland.    The day was full of sunshine, allowing great views as we crossed over into Washington State and wound our way back towards Portland.  After a full day of sitting in the car over an approximate stretch of 260 miles, we weren't tired out.  The all new C-Class Mercedes has a lot of room, many new features, an abundance of safety innovations, and dynamic driving.

Rather than present a complicated array of choices, the Mercedes folks offer only three optional packages.  The first includes heated seats, Satellite radio, rain sensor, and auto dimming folding mirrors.  The second option adds Package 1 items plus a rear sunshade, split folding rear seat, corner illuminating foglamps, and Xenon headlamps.  The Multi-Media package offers Navigation, a 6 disc DVD changer, a LOGIC7 surround sound, and voice control.  Individually, you can add leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, or a 7 speed automatic transmission in the Sport model.