Getting your player ready...
The coupe has arrived – the two-door version of the C Class sedan showed up in Mercedes-Benz showrooms a couple of weeks ago.
We took the low-slung coupe to the high country for its tryout last week. The 2012 Mercedes C350 Coupe mixed its “BlueEfficiency” economy rating very well with its impressive rear-wheel-drive power in running up and down the mountains to the west. The 302-horsepower, direct-injection V-6 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission carried us smoothly to Vail, and for 422 miles, including stops at Breckenridge and Fairplay and home on U.S. 285, the C350 averaged 27.3 miles per gallon. That caught my attention, and I said to Jan, “This puts it right up there with BMW’s 3 series in fuel mileage.” In carrying comparison of the old German rivals further, it appears the new Mercedes coupe matches very closely with the upcoming 2012 BMW 335i Coupe. The Benz’s V-6 churns out 2 more horsepower than BMW’s inline-6, while the Bimmer boasts one more gear level, 8 speeds vs. 7 speeds for the Mercedes. Wheelbase is identical, 108.7 inches, the BMW is an inch longer overall and Mercedes sits a tenth of an inch lower. They’re within a pound or two of each other in curb weight. EPA ratings are the same, 19/28. Excellent acceleration and secure control in cornering made the C350 a desirable mountain climber. Mercedes, known years ago for “clunky” transmission shifts, is smooth as can be with its 7-speed, and using Sport mode and its well-designed paddle shifters added pleasure to the drive. Instant downshifts on descents and sharp curves were almost imperceptible. We breezed in to Breckenridge in sunny warmth with snow-covered peaks to the immediate west on Saturday morning, drove over Hoosier Pass and down to Fairplay and lunch in the Hotel Valiton dining room. We remembered more than 30 years before, waiting out a high school homecoming day parade in the same dining room before getting back to the new Ford we’d driven up there. The new Mercedes is the first real coupe to go along with the C Class sedan. A hatchback was produced in the early to mid-2000s. The large M-B three-pointed star in the center of the grille gives the new one an aggressive look.
Attractive inside is a new instrument panel, with a big round speedometer in the center, flanked by smaller fuel/temperature gauges to the left and tachometer at the right.
Rear seating is fairly comfortable, very firm, and legroom and headroom are somewhat minimal.
Not only is the rear-seat space somewhat limited, so is the trunk capacity. We filled it with two bags and an assortment of sacks and magazines and sweaters and jackets.
Optional upgrades in the C350’s $49,735 sticker price include navigation/audio system with restaurant guide and Sirius satellite radio, agility package with the steering wheel shift paddles, lane-tracking package with blind-spot assist, and rearview camera.
Sport suspension, panorama sunroof, dual-zone climate control, harman/kardon surround sound, intermittent wipers with rain sensor, driver and front passenger pelvic airbags and driver knee airbag are standard.
Also available is a C250 coupe model, powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine.
Notes from e-mail
Q: Bud, my vote for the best-looking Chevy is the 1963 Super Sport convertible, dark blue, with the top down. I look forward to results of the voting. – R.S.
A: Thanks, Rob, majority of the votes we’ve received have ranged from Chevys of 1955 through 1969 models. The ’63 certainly was one of the nicer ones.
Q: Bud, thanks for the blurb on 6-man football and the 1956 Ovid state championship in Saturday’s Post (Oct. 8). On the day before my 71st birthday, I sure didn’t expect to see my name mentioned in a car review. My grandsons were very impressed. – J.S.
A: Your correspondence, Jerry, is another reminder of my first year in newspapering with the Sterling Journal-Advocate and coverage of the old Lower Platte Valley League, which, in addition to Ovid, included Sedgwick, Crook, Iliff, Peetz, Padroni, Fleming and Merino. The opening for me at the J-A newspaper occurred when Don Miles was drafted into the service. Some readers in northeastern Colorado will remember that you continued strong football play at Northeastern Junior College following graduation from Ovid High School.
Q: Bud, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle pictured in Automotive last week looks different than the previous model. How do the two compare in size? – D.W.
A: Well, Dan, I take it you didn’t have time to read the Saturday Drive column. The ’12 model is an inch longer in wheelbase and 7 inches longer in overall length. It is more than 3 inches wider and 100 pounds heavier.
2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe
$49,735
(price as tested)
MPG City 19 Highway 28
Vehicle type: Entry-level luxury two-door
Wheelbase: 108.7 inches
Length/Width/Height: 180.7/69.7/54.8 inches
Weight: 3,565 pounds
Engine: 3.5-liter V-6
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 27.3 mpg
Fuel tank: 17.4 gallons
Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic, powertrain
Competitors: BMW 335i Coupe, Audi A5 Coupe
Built at Sindelfingen, Germany
THE STICKER
$42,370 base
$1,400 Advanced agility, parameter steering, 18-inch AMG wheels, shift paddles
$1,290 Active bi-xenon headlamps and washers, adaptive high-beam assist
$930 Navigation, audio, telephone features
$850 Lane-keeping, blind-spot assist
$460 Rearview camera
$875 Destination
PLUSES
Coupe style
Smooth ride
Steering, handling
Economy, power
MINUSES
Rear-seat tight entry
Luggage capacity
Pricey
We took the low-slung coupe to the high country for its tryout last week. The 2012 Mercedes C350 Coupe mixed its “BlueEfficiency” economy rating very well with its impressive rear-wheel-drive power in running up and down the mountains to the west. The 302-horsepower, direct-injection V-6 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission carried us smoothly to Vail, and for 422 miles, including stops at Breckenridge and Fairplay and home on U.S. 285, the C350 averaged 27.3 miles per gallon. That caught my attention, and I said to Jan, “This puts it right up there with BMW’s 3 series in fuel mileage.” In carrying comparison of the old German rivals further, it appears the new Mercedes coupe matches very closely with the upcoming 2012 BMW 335i Coupe. The Benz’s V-6 churns out 2 more horsepower than BMW’s inline-6, while the Bimmer boasts one more gear level, 8 speeds vs. 7 speeds for the Mercedes. Wheelbase is identical, 108.7 inches, the BMW is an inch longer overall and Mercedes sits a tenth of an inch lower. They’re within a pound or two of each other in curb weight. EPA ratings are the same, 19/28. Excellent acceleration and secure control in cornering made the C350 a desirable mountain climber. Mercedes, known years ago for “clunky” transmission shifts, is smooth as can be with its 7-speed, and using Sport mode and its well-designed paddle shifters added pleasure to the drive. Instant downshifts on descents and sharp curves were almost imperceptible. We breezed in to Breckenridge in sunny warmth with snow-covered peaks to the immediate west on Saturday morning, drove over Hoosier Pass and down to Fairplay and lunch in the Hotel Valiton dining room. We remembered more than 30 years before, waiting out a high school homecoming day parade in the same dining room before getting back to the new Ford we’d driven up there. The new Mercedes is the first real coupe to go along with the C Class sedan. A hatchback was produced in the early to mid-2000s. The large M-B three-pointed star in the center of the grille gives the new one an aggressive look.
