cawimmer430
Piston Pioneer
Reviewer: Christian A. Wimmer
Weather Conditions: Light rain and humid
Photo Shoot Location: Mühldorf am Inn, Germany
2007 Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor (W204)
I was up at the local Mercedes-Benz dealership hoping to drive the Dodge Nitro and Chrysler 300C CRD but both those cars were out for a testdrive. Luckily they had a base Obsidianblack C200 Kompressor Classic with the 6-speed manual transmission on the lot. Of course I wanted to try out that baby, especially because Mercedes supposedly improved the 6-speed.
The thing you immediately notice about the Classic trim is how plain it looks, especially in black. The Elegance and Avantgarde versions look so much more premium and expensive, while Classic simply looks cheap. This has always been the case with Mercedes, so I feel. The inside was actually quite nice, except for the wood, which I found to dark and depressing. Material wise, it's the same soft leathery type of material found in the Elegance and Avantgarde versions. Basically, the interior was well made and felt solid. The weakspot was again the center console, but the panel gaps were so small and this I suppose reassured me.
I found the C-Class to offer a lot of interior space upfront. The rear is a different story, especially if you're tall and big. Smaller people will fit in without problems, but this car is really nothing for a tall family. Either way, the driving position was nice and the interior ergonomics were superb. Everything within reach. I did find the radio volume placements on the steering wheel to be a bit off and they should have been where the cellphone operation buttons (hang up / call) were. Other than that, the ergonomics were top. The seats were comfortable, but the side support could have been better. I assume this was the case because this was a Classic trim car.
The engine is a 1.8-l supercharged 4-cylinder with 183-horsepower and it worked quite nicely with the 6-speed manual. The motor is generally quiet and very refined for a 4-cylinder engine. Vibrations? Couldn't feel any, except at low speed in 1st gear, where the car seemed a bit "jerky" when you accelerated. Noise wise, it wasn't loud either, not even on the outside. The engine response was good, especially considering this was a forced inducted motor. I tapped the pedal and the car responded on cue. Power wise, the 1.8-l motor is not as anemic as it sounds. Sure, the name "C200 Kompressor" sounds weak, but this wasn't the case at all. With 183-horsepower on tap it was more than adequately powered. First gear featured very short gear ratios, so that you had to quickshift into second gear. Here the car really pulled nicely with fluid acceleration and a sporty engine note to accompany it. Sort of addicting to be honest. I wouldn't call the C200 Kompressor blisterringly fast, but it wasn't a slouch either. Based on the way it felt, this car probably rocked to 100 km/h in the low 8 second range (MB claims 8.6 seconds).
The 6-speed manual transmission was absolute rubbish. Junk. Garbage. 1st and 2nd gear were ok, but the shifts into 3rd all the way into 6th gear lacked smoothness and precision. Shifting from 2nd into 3rd gear actually felt like you were going from 2nd into 5th gear! Needless to say this made speedshifting from 2nd gear into 3rd impossible. I missed the 5-speed automatic. Back at the dealership, I confided my dissapointment in the manual to the salesman who agreed with me and explained that an automatic is the default choice for most Mercedes'. In fact, the local dealer has NOT sold a single W204 C-Class with a manual! They've sold about 20 so far, and they were all automatics (and most of them were C220 CDI's).
Handling was decent, but the C200 Kompressor Classic clearly felt inferior to the C220 CDI Avantgarde I drove a few months ago. Whereas the C220 CDI Avantgarde had a direct steering response and sportier suspension, the C200 Kompressor in Classic trim felt much softer. The suspension was clearly comfort oriented and did an excellent job at that. It was quiet and smooth and the comfort was top notch due to suspension doing a great job of absorbing rough roads and the occupants not feeling much. The steering feel was pretty responsive, but lacked the directness of the Avantgarde model. Nevertheless, it responded quickly enough to input enabling me to drive the car in a sporty fashion. I did miss the road feel I felt through the steering system of the Avantgarde C220 CDI, which was absent here. Overall, the car didn't feel sporty, really. It could cope with sporty driving, quite well I should add, but it didn't quite inspire the confidence that the Avantgarde W204 gave you. I suppose this is irrelevant for a Classic trim level car because if you wanted sport, you would have gone for the Avantgarde trim.
The infamous wind noises were not so bad. I turned off the radio and airconditioning and drove on the Bundestrasse 12 where I could legally drive 100 km/h (120 km/h max and pay a 50 Euro fine...). At 100 km/h, you could hear a slight whistling sound near the driver side mirror. It wasn't very loud, but audible nonetheless. I took the car up to 120 km/h on a long empty stretch and the wind noises didn't increase much. It's more around 140 km/h where the wind noises increase, and the strangely calm down at higher speeds (guess it has something to do with high-speed airflow etc.). It has to be said that the interior did a very good job of keeping outside noises where they belong: outside. The cabin sound isolation is impressive. I don't think it's as extreme as Lexus, but it does a very good job of keeping most unwanted noises out and at the same time still allows you to hear the growl of the Kompressor 4-cylinder motor.
I drove the car for about an hour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the trashy manual transmission, it was still a fun car but I felt an automatic would seal the deal, and Elegance or Avantgarde trim. This particular C200 Kompressor Classic cost 35,438.20 Euros by the way (base C200K costs 29,780 Euros). Here's the optional equipment included in the car: Radio Audio 20 CD, heated seats (front only), luggage compartment extension (Durchlademöglichkeit), leather steering wheel, rainsensor, comfort-steering wheel and a child seat detection system.
Overall, an enjoyable and capable car - except better in Elegance and Avantgarde trim. I'd pay more for a more premium looking trim level just so my car will look visually more pleasing and sportier.
End of Review
Weather Conditions: Light rain and humid
Photo Shoot Location: Mühldorf am Inn, Germany
2007 Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor (W204)
I was up at the local Mercedes-Benz dealership hoping to drive the Dodge Nitro and Chrysler 300C CRD but both those cars were out for a testdrive. Luckily they had a base Obsidianblack C200 Kompressor Classic with the 6-speed manual transmission on the lot. Of course I wanted to try out that baby, especially because Mercedes supposedly improved the 6-speed.
The thing you immediately notice about the Classic trim is how plain it looks, especially in black. The Elegance and Avantgarde versions look so much more premium and expensive, while Classic simply looks cheap. This has always been the case with Mercedes, so I feel. The inside was actually quite nice, except for the wood, which I found to dark and depressing. Material wise, it's the same soft leathery type of material found in the Elegance and Avantgarde versions. Basically, the interior was well made and felt solid. The weakspot was again the center console, but the panel gaps were so small and this I suppose reassured me.
I found the C-Class to offer a lot of interior space upfront. The rear is a different story, especially if you're tall and big. Smaller people will fit in without problems, but this car is really nothing for a tall family. Either way, the driving position was nice and the interior ergonomics were superb. Everything within reach. I did find the radio volume placements on the steering wheel to be a bit off and they should have been where the cellphone operation buttons (hang up / call) were. Other than that, the ergonomics were top. The seats were comfortable, but the side support could have been better. I assume this was the case because this was a Classic trim car.
The engine is a 1.8-l supercharged 4-cylinder with 183-horsepower and it worked quite nicely with the 6-speed manual. The motor is generally quiet and very refined for a 4-cylinder engine. Vibrations? Couldn't feel any, except at low speed in 1st gear, where the car seemed a bit "jerky" when you accelerated. Noise wise, it wasn't loud either, not even on the outside. The engine response was good, especially considering this was a forced inducted motor. I tapped the pedal and the car responded on cue. Power wise, the 1.8-l motor is not as anemic as it sounds. Sure, the name "C200 Kompressor" sounds weak, but this wasn't the case at all. With 183-horsepower on tap it was more than adequately powered. First gear featured very short gear ratios, so that you had to quickshift into second gear. Here the car really pulled nicely with fluid acceleration and a sporty engine note to accompany it. Sort of addicting to be honest. I wouldn't call the C200 Kompressor blisterringly fast, but it wasn't a slouch either. Based on the way it felt, this car probably rocked to 100 km/h in the low 8 second range (MB claims 8.6 seconds).
The 6-speed manual transmission was absolute rubbish. Junk. Garbage. 1st and 2nd gear were ok, but the shifts into 3rd all the way into 6th gear lacked smoothness and precision. Shifting from 2nd into 3rd gear actually felt like you were going from 2nd into 5th gear! Needless to say this made speedshifting from 2nd gear into 3rd impossible. I missed the 5-speed automatic. Back at the dealership, I confided my dissapointment in the manual to the salesman who agreed with me and explained that an automatic is the default choice for most Mercedes'. In fact, the local dealer has NOT sold a single W204 C-Class with a manual! They've sold about 20 so far, and they were all automatics (and most of them were C220 CDI's).
Handling was decent, but the C200 Kompressor Classic clearly felt inferior to the C220 CDI Avantgarde I drove a few months ago. Whereas the C220 CDI Avantgarde had a direct steering response and sportier suspension, the C200 Kompressor in Classic trim felt much softer. The suspension was clearly comfort oriented and did an excellent job at that. It was quiet and smooth and the comfort was top notch due to suspension doing a great job of absorbing rough roads and the occupants not feeling much. The steering feel was pretty responsive, but lacked the directness of the Avantgarde model. Nevertheless, it responded quickly enough to input enabling me to drive the car in a sporty fashion. I did miss the road feel I felt through the steering system of the Avantgarde C220 CDI, which was absent here. Overall, the car didn't feel sporty, really. It could cope with sporty driving, quite well I should add, but it didn't quite inspire the confidence that the Avantgarde W204 gave you. I suppose this is irrelevant for a Classic trim level car because if you wanted sport, you would have gone for the Avantgarde trim.
The infamous wind noises were not so bad. I turned off the radio and airconditioning and drove on the Bundestrasse 12 where I could legally drive 100 km/h (120 km/h max and pay a 50 Euro fine...). At 100 km/h, you could hear a slight whistling sound near the driver side mirror. It wasn't very loud, but audible nonetheless. I took the car up to 120 km/h on a long empty stretch and the wind noises didn't increase much. It's more around 140 km/h where the wind noises increase, and the strangely calm down at higher speeds (guess it has something to do with high-speed airflow etc.). It has to be said that the interior did a very good job of keeping outside noises where they belong: outside. The cabin sound isolation is impressive. I don't think it's as extreme as Lexus, but it does a very good job of keeping most unwanted noises out and at the same time still allows you to hear the growl of the Kompressor 4-cylinder motor.
I drove the car for about an hour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the trashy manual transmission, it was still a fun car but I felt an automatic would seal the deal, and Elegance or Avantgarde trim. This particular C200 Kompressor Classic cost 35,438.20 Euros by the way (base C200K costs 29,780 Euros). Here's the optional equipment included in the car: Radio Audio 20 CD, heated seats (front only), luggage compartment extension (Durchlademöglichkeit), leather steering wheel, rainsensor, comfort-steering wheel and a child seat detection system.
Overall, an enjoyable and capable car - except better in Elegance and Avantgarde trim. I'd pay more for a more premium looking trim level just so my car will look visually more pleasing and sportier.
End of Review
. I hope the facelifted model comes with proper gearbox.
