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Mercedes-Benz C280 Avantgarde
This C makes sense
Used to driving hard in his sports cars, Botchi Santos tries a more refined way of going around town... And likes it
Photography by Charles Custodio
'C' in Benz-speak is the compact, entry-level executive, luxury or sports sedan, depending on the trim level and specification. It can also mean comfortable, comprehensive in terms of goodies, or simply classy.
Driving the handsome C-Class around town for a few days forces one to rethink his accepted standards in luxury car perfor-mance and comfort. The Benz has that big car feel, yet it wraps around you ever so slightly as you press on. It's roomy inside—roomier than its predecessor—and is about on a par with an Audi A4 and slightly roomier than a BMW 3-Series. In C280 trim, it's also far more expensive than readily available German competitors. But it's slowly morphing into something different from the traditional Benz set.
The suspension hits you first. It's firm for a Benz, but still more supple than its rivals. Steering's still a bit wooly but it's very accurate; you know where the wheels are pointed and how much grip they have left despite lacking a little more raw feedback. It's like handing over processed information to the chairman of the board: It doesn't tell the boss every little thing that happened, just the really important parts. There is such a thing as too much information for some people.
Inside, there's the 'less is more' ethos prevalent in the class, simpli-fying the previous button explosion of the COMMAND control system. Instead of a plethora of buttons, you have simple knobs and switches for HVAC and audio, plus a retractable multifunction display for the COMMAND. It's manipulated by a big rotary knob reminiscent of BMW's own infamous iDrive conrol.
The new C has also got keyless go: Walk near the car with the key fob in your pocket, and the doors automatically unlock. Get in, depress the brake pedal and push the start button to fire up the engine. But you'll have to listen carefully or watch the rev counter since engine operation is very silent. There's a nice, rumbly noise from the exhaust at wide open, high rpm blasts but it's not intrusive. Canning the Benz is beside the point.
The point here is that if you really need to rush, the Benz is a most capable ally that won't let its feathers be ruffled despite dispensing great speed and distance with aplomb. The Audi A4 encou-rages hooliganism and BMW's 3 delivers precision, but the C is all cool confidence. The brakes are powerful and there are stability/traction/ABS/EBD safety nannies.
There's enough soft and smooth leather to drive most Hindus mad, and it has quite possibly one of the very best audio systems I've ever encountered. With Logic 7—similar to high-end BMWs—the sound truly gets better, crisper and clearer once you have 70 percent of total volume on tap. Rock, pop, house music, even classical arias sound really good. It's probably better than most sound systems at home that cost millions. Quite a bargain for the audiophile.
City driving nets about five kilometers to a liter, but the engine is very new, with barely 400 kilometers on the odometer when we got it. It should loosen up with a few thousand miles of driving.
The definitive drive for me was when I drove my father to the airport. Talking business and cars, we both noticed that the Benz was amiably cruising at just over a hundred clicks, with heavy rain and slower traffic around. It seemed to cut through these like an adult overcoming obstacles made for children. Anything that can mute the kind of traffic environment we have is a solid example of engineering. No wonder the stereo sounded so good—sound insulation is a vital element of car audio. Sheer poise, finesse and composure—they're what you would expect from a car with a three-pointed star in front (which we noticed had gotten noticeably bigger). Obviously, Mercedes won't cede the luxury compact sedan segment without a fight.
| C280 Avantgarde |
| We say: A new executive sports sedan aimed at a younger generation, but still retaining Benz values. |
Price: P5,180,000
Engine: 3.0L V6
Power: 231hp
Torque: 300Nm
Transmission: 7-speed A/T
Layout/Seating: 5
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Of course, the car isn't perfect. The Continental tires feel like they're treading on black ice with stilettos, but they do gather feel on the move. The brakes are over-assisted, and the left-right toggling for manual override of the 7G-Tronic seven-speed slushbox feels just plain weird and counter-intuitive. And the controls for the COMMAND are not instinctive. You really need to sit down and study them.
But this is nitpicking. Foibles aside, the new C is a true class act. And it will appeal to a broader, younger market dominated by BMW. Now the only problem left is to get these people inside the car and try it. With the semi-bling 17-inch multispoke wheels and the sporty Avantgarde body kit, that won't be difficult at all. Trust the elegant controls and sublime audio system to do the rest.
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Top Gear Philippines - October 2007
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