Entry-level Mercedes-Benz C-Class takes on its rivals from Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, and Lexus at a dragstrip. Will it come out on top?
There may be no replacement for displacement, but there’s also no discounting the value of acceleration, even in base model luxury sedans. Just because the Mercedes-Benz C300 is at the bottom of the performance ladder in the C-Class lineup, that doesn’t mean its 0-60 mph and quarter mile times are irrelevant.
Acceleration isn’t just for bragging rights or impressing the opposite sex or getting better lap times. It’s also useful for getting up to speed with or out of the way of traffic. Cars.com knows its value and tests entry-lux cars for their forward-moving abilities at a dragstrip in the video above.
As the results show, not all turbocharged fours are created equal. 0-60 mph times range from a low of 5.2 seconds to a high of 7.6 seconds. There’s a 1.8-second gap between the fastest quarter mile time of 13.7 seconds and the slowest of 15.5 seconds. Some of the vehicles tested have all-wheel drive, such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia and the C300.
Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities between the Italian sedan and the German four-door end. The 280-horsepower/306-lb-ft Giulia lights up the strip, putting down the fastest 0-60 mph (5.2 seconds) and 1,320 ft times (13.7 seconds). The C300 4MATIC runs behind it in terms of specs and tics; its 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft limit its 60 mph dash to 6.3 seconds and its quarter mile blast to 14.5 seconds. Those times not only put the C behind the Alfa, but also behind the Audi A4 (5.4 and 13.9 seconds)…and the BMW 330i (6.1 and 14.3 seconds)…and the Cadillac ATS (6.2 and 14.3 seconds). On the plus side, the Mercedes is ahead of the Jaguar XE (6.9 and 15.1 seconds) and nothing but tail lights in the windshield of the last-place Lexus IS 200t (7.6 and 15.5 seconds).
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Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
