MB-JIM

<http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_drive.php?sid=568&page=7>

ayilar

Here is AutoCar's (very short) first drive of the new W204 C320 CDi, dated 3-8 but also posted 3-12:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_d...sid=568&page=7

drho2004

hmmm nice review, makes the car sound awesome...i want to see the specs of the US engines! grrr...nice find man!

ayilar

Yep, it does sound good. The key test will be the comparison with the E90/91/92 (and the new A4, if the dynamics are indeed improved).

The ride is what sold me on my 2005 SC -- on bad roads, it is more relaxing than the E46 Bimmer with which it competed for my interest 3 years back. Still, after 2.5 years, I want an even better ride/handling compromise. I also want more communicative steering. The E90 does not do it for me. I like the E91 (yep, the wagon) and love the E92 (the coupe) -- but the E92's ride can be fidgety on 18-inchers, and access to the back is much worse than on my SC.

Looks like the W204 Avantgarde/Sport might be a good compromise, if it's more entertaining to drive than the SC.

ayilar

Here is a Times (UK) review of the new C, with a comparison to the (more or less) equivalent Bimmer:

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol...cle1492257.ece

In a nutshell: refinement = MB, excitement = BMW. Let's see what the comparo tests of the two cars will look like.

drho2004

hmm i see that the euro version of the new w204 will use the same engines than the old w203. i might be wrong, but isnt the us version suppose to get more powerful v6's? C300 (im guessing 3.0L) and C350(3.5L) the current 3.5L V6 is rated at 268hp, sill less than the BMW the guy drove (286hp) but less than the US 335i (300hp). i wonder how MBusa would response to this? im guessing (hoping) C300=230-235hp, c350=300hp. THAT would make me trade mine in...as soon as im done with school :-P

ayilar

True for the V6 units. The fours, which are not for sale on the U.S. market, get power boosts.

In all three reviews, the test car was a C320CDi (diesel) -- not comparable with the BMW335's powerplant. The C300 uses what looks like a rebadged version of the W203 C280's engine (which was a 3-liter anyways) at 170 kW/231 hp; the C350 uses a 3.5-liter 'plant rated at 200 kW/272 hp. The W203 C280 and C350 are rated at 228 and 268 bhp, but I would ignore the slight difference with the W204 ratings -- I believe the US hp ratings may be slightly lower, so 228 and 268 sounds right.

ayilar

Three more reviews in today!

AutoExpress (UK) liked the C320 CDi, giving it 4 stars out of 5:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi...es_cclass.html

Also, the first two reviews of the C350 are in!

AutoCar (UK) is quite positive:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/...s-C350/224462/

Edmunds is less enthusiastic:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=119950#6

Looks like the trick dampers will not make it stateside till the 2009 MY, unfortunately.

GPI

I was wondering, will the new C300 sport and C350 sport gonna be equipped with the COMAND system(i-Drive of Mercedes) as standard?

drho2004

hmm interesting reviews. the look is starting to grow on me haha, it does look much better than the 3 series by far. too bad they didnt give it the power to match the 335i still, i might trade mine in hopefully for a 2009 model..who knows...see what 'issues' arise once it hits the streets....nice looking car specially comming from a curve

ayilar

Here is a well-organized review by What Car (UK):

http://www.whatcar.com/car-review/me...-c-class/2721/

as well as a detailed review by the UK's Telegraph newspaper:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...t/mfmerc17.xml

Looks from the latter review that the trick dampers will be worth waiting for.

ayilar

Nice review of a C320 CDi in Top Gear:

http://www.topgear.com/drives/C7/K1/...8/01.html?text

More interestingly, the C350 Elegance gets a nice review from AutoExpress -- the mag calls it a bit of a bargain in the UK, compared to the Sport version:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi...es_cclass.html

drho2004

ah...i love Top Gear very honest and to the point. i hope they have a TV espisode pretty soon, id like to see them test drive it. yeah it seems the only thing all these reviews are picking on is the fact that the BMW engines are better and more powerful. hopefully Benz gets new engines for the 2nd or 3rd gen w204 to match or surpass the 3 series. wow...the c63 is gonna be a monster...with 480hp (in europe at least) its gonna be a monster.

ayilar

One more reviews in today. AutoCar (UK) is quite positive on the C200k Elegance:

http://autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/Firs...egance/225997/

ayilar

AutoCar, which has done several small reviews of various W204 models, has finally come out with a Road Test -- of the C220 CDi in Sport guise.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/...-Sport/226062/

While the review gives the new C high marks overall, the most relevant pieces of info, for me, are the following:

"The chassis and steering feel of the 3-series isn’t quite matched by the Mercedes (...)"

"And there’s a price to be paid in ride quality, historically one of the C-class’s strongest suits. The C220 CDI lacks the trademark Mercedes saloon glide. Once up to speed it’s very comfortable and compliant, but around town it feels unsettled over ridges and potholes, and even on coarsely surfaced but otherwise smooth roads the ride is just a little fussier than we’d either expected or hoped for."

Bummer -- all the more so that I read similar comments in Moniteur Automobile's (a Belgian/French mag) comparo of the same car with a 320D in yesterday's issue.

I put most of my miles on badly surfaced roads, so would like something supple. Yet, I would like (much) more feel and agility than my W203 SC is providing, and a 328i is giving oodles of that. Looks like the W204, even in Sport guise, is not it for me. Perhaps when the advanced agility package is available in the US market, though?