Buellwinkle

There's an article on the C-Coupe in the LA Times, www.latimes.com . It basically says it's a great car if you can stand the looks. Not to flattering but looks are very individual, for example I can't imagine a sporty coupe that's uglier than the RX8 but some people like it.

jo17jC230

You got that right... that thing is ugly!

VoyagerDude

I remember reading in a magazine that the new RX8 "is the prettiest car to come out of Japan in a while"
Maybe it was before the new Z350.

I don't mind the RX8 looks.
C230K looks much better though

amdeutsch

How about a link that doesn't require to be a registered user.

Lynn

Okay, here

Outland

Yeah! I remember that one, it was from an R&T or Car and Driver flunky IIRC. What a total tool that dude was! Um...Hi, I'm on the Mazda payroll, yeah, um, so....

BTW, the 350Z was penned in the states, by a Portugese stylist, IIRC...

Tai230K

As quoted from the article

" The car's supercharged 1.8-liter inline-4 engine was lifted from the more expensive SLK roadster. "

I thought the 1.8L was new and the first car to get it were the 2003 C230K's......

Damn is the C-coupe really that ugly... the writer of this article keeps repeating that.... oh well i guess it all depends on people's tastes...

c230 sport

All in all, I think the writer actually likes the car. Most people doesn't even know Mercedes makes hatchback coupes, so it's rare to have to accept the fact of a hatchback Mercedes! Wait until they see an A-Class!

KompMan420

A few oddities in that article:

The model he drove was over $30k yet they had 16" wheels/tires??

The back "glass" under the third brake light isn't glass at all.

As mentioned previously, the 1.8L did not come from the SLK.

Good article though. Thanks for sharing Buellwinky

darkfact

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?
The only reason I got the C coupe is its looks! I LOVE the way it looks!

if there is someone stupid who thinks its ugly then why the hell did they get it?!?!?!

for the same price they could get instead:
Audi A4
Jaguar X type
Lexus ES
BMW 318i
BMW 318 Ci
Rover
Land Rover
Mercedes C sadan

and I'm sure there are many many other cars.

jo17jC230

I think its a great looking car... but coupes/hatchbacks are not too popular in the states... not like in europe... people here are more biased to sedans and what not...

darkfact

exactly... thats what adds more to the excitement! and thats what makes the car look even more cool!

here... the only hatchbacks that u see teenagers drive are either this c-coupe or the bmw 316ti.
They look weird. people think they are weird looking cars!

when I got my car a year ago... it was so strange! I used to get looks from people like if I was driving a ferrari or something! (of course now that doesn't happen anymore. )

KompMan420

Not I. I have always owned a hatchback. Not really on purpose, but that's the way it has worked out.

J P

I think a lot of "rich" people hate the hatch look. A lot of them have already made up their mind that the car "sucks" & is not a "real" Benz before they've even driven it just based on the behind look & the "cheap" base price.

tberry

well this is my first hatchback and i love the cargo space flexibility! I've been observing mine and a few other c coupes in Houston and I came to this conclusion (also i take many pics of my car ) The c coupe looks great from front, back, angles, top, and bottom? but its not very flattering from the side (direct side, not angle). Some of the lines cut too sharp where in think a little curve, or smoother angle could have been acomplished. Overall? I love it...all my friends tell me when i'm on freeway at nite it looks awesome....wish i had the bi-xenons though. How much are those running now a day anyway?

*I just read the article. The guys seems like a nice person but definitely doesnt know what the heck he's talking about (some descriptions were wrong, some things he tries to describe you just cant visualize, doesnt sound like a prof automobile reviewer, etc). Now aday i'm surprised they'd let anyone review a car after throwing keys to 'em and give a weekend.

Buellwinkle

I think MB was targeting a younger crowd with the styling, one that was raised on Civic and the like and are ready for something a little more expensive but keeps the virtues and some styling cues of the Civic but is a little more grown up or sophisticated in their eyes. Look at the C-Coupe demographics of this forum, either they are very young, under 25 or very old like me in their 40's. I bet this reviewer is in the middle, a 30-something, married with kids and it's not his ideal car, he needs an mid-size SUV or minivan that targets that audience. Nothing wrong with that, I drove SUV's and minivans when I was younger but I'm over that now

Matt230K

I just happened to be reading my Motor Trend (current May issue) and unless you are talking about something else, noticed this quote. It is an article for the RX-8, but the quote is "Yet many still say the last-gen RX-7 remains one of the most attractive cars ever to come from Japan."

I definitely agree with this statement more than a similar one about the RX-8.

jo17jC230

I agree also... the RX-7 was really nice... but the RX-8 just isn't as attractive as say the 350Z.

Nola

Epizootics of the blowhole n 1. a metaphorical disease where one speaks at length about something one knows nothing about. In other words, running off at the mouth without a clue. Submitter John Voight knows the term existed in deep south (United States) during the 1940's and 1950's as his dad used it frequently. He notes that his dad may have picked it up in World War II. ("All that meaningless spew coming out of his mouth is just a bad case of epizootics of the blowhole.")

bzcat

I know by tomorow the article will be for subcription only so I copied and pasted it for late comers... overall good review... he just didn't like hatchback. typical american...

FIRST DRIVE
When looks don't matter
The Mercedes-Benz C230 drives like the real thing but its styling is not easy on the eyesBy Barry Stavro, Times Staff Writer


Does the "cheap" Mercedes-Benz C230 hatchback sports coupe, with a sticker price of about $25,000, drive like a real Benz?

I found the answer while chasing a motorcycle on a side road high up into the Santa Monica Mountains. The cyclist was attacking the S-curves so hard he almost scraped the leather off his pants at the knee, but I kept pace with him in the C230 for about a mile and the race sold me on the car.

The rear-wheel-drive model is Mercedes' effort to squeeze the essential design, handling and comfort features of the legendary luxury brand into a relatively affordable package, one priced at the top end of a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

I spent a week driving the 2003 C230, and the only major flaw I found is that its styling doesn't nearly measure up to its performance. This is a car to admire from behind the wheel and not from a distance.

The front half of the exterior looks fine — with the double-teardrop headlights common to the C-Series and the signature broad Mercedes grillwork punctuated with the distinctive round Benz ornament.

But the back of the car comes straight out of the ugly-duckling school of design. Under the rear windows, the designers cut the sheet metal so it rises at a rakish 25 degrees to the hatchback. The rear wheel wells are cut very low and give the illusion of metal touching the tires; in the front, the wheel wells rise almost to hood level. All this creates a disjointed geometry — part of the design soars toward the back, while another portion dips — so the eyes can't really fix on any one point.

A Mercedes marketing executive told me, a bit defensively, that the C230 does look like a Benz from the front. The problem is the rest of the car doesn't — and the styling really hurts the eyes. Perhaps the flawed design is because a hatchback is a rarity for Mercedes: Other than its sport utility vehicles and the occasional station wagon in the lineup, all Benzes have trunks.

Inside the C230, though, things look better.

There's plenty of technology packed into the car, starting with the ignition fob. It's not a conventional metal key, but a plastic remote-control gadget with buttons to pop open doors, trunk and gas flap, check the battery and trigger the alarm. The device also has a plastic nub loaded with a computer chip "key," and this end is slipped into a wide slot on the dashboard to start the car. (Hidden inside the plastic piece is a small foldout metal valet key.)

More gadgetry is built onto the steering wheel. By tapping buttons on the wheel, the driver can adjust the volume or skip songs on six CDs or change radio stations.

Other buttons prompt digital dashboard displays of engine oil, coolant and temperature levels, trip mileage, the time, the outside temperature, plus warnings to replace brake pads or replenish the oil and power steering and windshield washer fluids.

In all, eight knobs covered the steering wheel, which cut down on the real estate left for a horn. I discovered this while on the Ventura Freeway and a driver cut across two lanes to make an exit ramp. When I stabbed at the horn, I mistakenly hit a button and changed the song on my Ry Cooder CD.

The C230's base sticker price is $24,950, and that means cloth — not leather — seats; they come with eight-way manual adjustments, though I yearned for extra lower-lumbar support for the driver's seat. Also included are electric windows, front and side-door airbags, anti-lock brakes, a security alarm with a siren that goes off if the car is towed, an electronic stability program for surer footing and dual-zone climate controls inside the cabin.

The car's supercharged 1.8-liter inline-4 engine was lifted from the more expensive SLK roadster. It delivers 189 horsepower and plenty of pep, covering zero to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds with the standard six-speed manual transmission or 7.5 seconds with the optional five-speed automatic I tested. Gas mileage is a government-rated 23 miles per gallon in city driving, and 32 mpg on the highway for the automatic, though I found it thirstier. The C230 also requires upscale 91-octane fuel.

Options can quickly pad the car's price. The model I drove cost $31,205, including $655 for a blue paint job and $1,995 for a Motorola phone — I would skip both — plus $400 for the CD player. The automatic transmission added $1,325 to the tab.

I liked the automatic's winter- summer drive mode switch; in "winter" the car starts in second gear to minimize skidding when accelerating on wet roads. I found the automatic buttery smooth as it sped through the gears, save for a slight pause in the engine whenever I floored it, and a noticeable down-shifting sensation whenever I took my foot off the gas. All in all, I would give the manual transmission a try.

The last option was the best — a $1,215 package offering a sunroof, automatic dimming rearview mirror and rain sensor that automatically adjusts wiper speeds. The sunroof was a delight, the best I've tested. A toggle switch rolled back the first panel to reveal a tinted roof that stretched over the back seats. Another flick of the switch and the roof popped up; it also can be rolled away for an open-sky view, and it was large enough for passengers in the rear to enjoy.

Interior legroom in the C230 is ample — drivers taller than 6 feet will have no complaints — and the telescoping, up-down adjustments on the steering wheel are just right. Legroom in the back is fine for elementary school students; anyone older will feel cramped. And note: The rear windows don't open.

Sightlines from behind the wheel are spotty. The sloping hood makes it hard to see much of the front, and the fenders also fade from view. The view from the rearview mirror is awkward, because the jumbo-size hatch has a conventional glass window, then a strip of plastic with an extra stoplight, followed by another glass panel beneath it. Unfortunately, the bottom glass strip sits at a different angle from the main window, thus offering a blurry view.

Drivers who like to work the details will savor the encyclopedic 342-page owner's manual. But I stuck with the CliffsNotes version — a well-illustrated 36-page booklet — to navigate through all the gadgetry. A nice touch is the first-aid kit stored in the trunk, with bandages, ointments, waterproof adhesive tape, scissors and a CPR guide.

The car's dual-zone climate control system was a big hit with my wife, Vani. On long trips, we've had many a tough negotiation over the proper cabin temperature: She usually wants the heater on even if we're in Death Valley, while I'm dying for AC.

The C230's dual temperature controls worked well. The heat blasted at Vani's feet, while I stayed cool. "We have to get this car just for the heating system," she said.

The most important thing about the C230 is that it feels like a Mercedes. Doors close with their trademark muffled thunk. The suspension is firm and offers solid footing around corners — the 16-inch Michelins added plenty of grip — and there's a supple feeling on straightaways.

Driving at 90 was so comfortable that I wanted even more speed. The C230's steering is smooth and tight, a style I remember fondly from the first Mercedes I drove 30 years ago.

Back then, when Richard Nixon was president and I was still in high school, I began a campaign to break my dad's 2-decade-old habit of buying a new Oldsmobile or Mercury every three years. I ordered him brochures about Mercedes' 280 SL convertible roadster, and to my surprise he bought one — and drove it with relish for 15 years. The handling on that car was firm yet athletic, and the brakes were like tiger claws. A German mechanic warned my dad that his car was designed to be driven fast on the Autobahn all day long, and that was the impulse it triggered in me.

I felt some of that too in the C230. Driving home, I kept getting the urge to stay on Highway 1 all the way to Big Sur, just to try those hairpin curves along the coast. The car may be ugly, but it drives well, and that's good enough for me.

*

Barry Stavro is an editor in The Times' Business section. He can be reached at barry.stavro@latimes.com.

darkfact

You’re talking about those who pretend to be rich!
Those who can offer it will get it cuz they like the way it looks and how its handled. Take Smart for example… why do people buy it here? Is it because strong car? because we can’t find parking space?

No… because it’s a weird looking car. same as with mini cooper.

I agree with u 100%. The only bad thing about it is the side… especially when u look at the rear wheel area. It looks boring over there. they must do something about it.

yeah… its funny how the xenon makes a lot of difference! Heh… it even make the c coupe look like the CLK too!

ya know… most of who drive this car around here are probably under 24 or 23. the oldest person I’ve seen driving C coupe here is a girl in my college… she bought her car about two years ago.
Don’t take it personally, but I really hate those old people who drive the c-coupe… it feels like if they are interfering with us, young people, and trying to be like us!

LOL… the feeling that I get when I see one of my neighbor’s parents driving their daughter c-coupe is the same feeling that I get when I see an old man hitting on a young girl with me in college :p

oggle

Darn that author's comments about the sloping rear end is right on the spot. That's what I and most people I've asked thought about the hatchback. Front is nice (better looking than the sedan in fact), but the back just totally kills it.

Buellwinkle

You see, we both have similar needs. When you are inbetween, 25-39, people with families with real needs. Getting the baby seat in/out of the back, the stroller, the diaper bag, dropping them off for soccer, softball, little league, I know, been there, done that. Then you get into your mid to late forties, fifty is just around the corner. Life once again takes on the more carefree, me, me, me attidude because the kids are grown. So I didn't buy the car because 18 year olds like it, I got it because it's more a personal "me" car not a compromise for the family's sake.

KompMan420

Some people call this a mid-life crisis - :p

trench

I think the problem with the Coupe's flanks is there is too much sheetmetal between the top of the rear wheel arch and the bottom of the rear side window (note the red parallel lines in my enclosed picture). If either the wheel arch were a little higher or the rear window were a little lower (black lines in picture), or maybe a combination of both, then it would look better. My choice would be to lower the rear window line, this could be accompanied by a resculpting of the entire back end to match, which would remove some of the Coupe's "big-buttness" when viewed from the rear.

Cheers, BT