I've got this C220 CDI because I took in consideration a balance between power and consumption.
More power will help one to overtake another vehicle, to get faster the cruising speed and nothing else.
If I'm not wrong in U.S. the fines and penalties for over-speeding are quite high up to losing your car.
Since we are not living in Germany where I heard there is no speed limit on some highways I do not see why more power.
In my country one gets a fine and some penalty points for over-speeding, if the speed limit is exceeded with more than 50 km/h , they take your driving license for 3 month and same for 16 points of penalties accumulated in 6 month.
The only difference between two cars one of 100 HP and one of 400 HP when cruising at the same (legal) speed is the higher fuel consumption of the more powerful car.
Please post your comments/ points of view.
And what are the penalties for over-speeding in your state.

 

you make some good points.

however, some high powered vehicles can be very fuel-efficient if driven over-aggresively.

also, while power is used to go fast, it actually has safety purposes too.

if you need to avoid a car swerving in your lane, or a car is coming at you, if you have no power, you may not get out of the way in time. the lag of the car or lack of power will prevent you from moving out of the way in sufficient time.

also, if you need to switch lanes quickly, this can allow you to do so. if the car has no pickup, you will end up having to speed to switch lanes or will unable to do so at higher speeds.

 

alot of ppl get it because its FUN! I love flooring my car sometimes and getting that rush feeling. but that's me

 

if only there were no lag / downshift delay... anyone been in an automatic without it?

 

Here's the converse. Why less power!!!!

Some people don't get penalties in North America, so that's not a consideration for me. It's a different experience having a more powerful motor, it all depends on what suits your preferences. If you're happy with the C220, enjoy it! If gas prices weren't so unstable I would have gone for a different vehicle with more power and less money.

 

This sentence as written doesn't make much sense.

 

Mainly it about status.

If not driving in Germany, pulling a trailer, or lots of mountain driving the other motivations have to do with "size" and ego.

Some people take penalty risks with speeding and drag racing - they need the power - and it is fun. So do very heavy cars.

My friend tested the SL65 in Germany and he said it had too much power - traction control always on. He drives a Porsche 993 and BMW 635.

Unfortunately only Germans are permitted to have fun with speed but that's shrinking every year - mainly because of the traffic volumes and the intelligent road systems that have variable speed limits.

 

actually - it makes no sense at all...

with you 100% RLE

 

I think he meant he does not give a crap about what is being discussed!!!!! LMAO

 

I'm on vacation in turkey (was just in Germany... autobahn FTW... but..[read on]) right now and I'm seeing tons of C180's and C200's...
no offense, but those must be slow

WOW, us north americans are spoiled. We get all the huge engines here. ex:

I see a lot BMW 520d's. The hell is a huge car like a 5 supposed to do with a 2 litre? It must be really slow. My Camry can beat a 535i... i wonder what the 0-60 in a 520 is.

Infact, most cars in Europe have tiny engines 1-2 litres... but then most cars themselves are tiny, so they drive fine.

But then they take those engines and stick them in huge luxury sedans... probably not very fun driving.

I see S320's... again massiv car, engine smaller than my Toyota, and probably 80k more. It's just weird.

Moral of the story:

I LOVE north america lol

 

You are a bit misled about those euro diesel engines. Many have turbos and massive low end torque. The MB C-Class C220 puts out 295ft-lbs at 2000 rpm ... a lot more than you's expect from a 2.2L engine. And 41 mpg's is nice these days.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog...s/4246024.html 2008 Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI Test Drive

 

I don't think you'll get much argument against what you say here, because in the real world, one sees exactly what you've described. But.......

In America, and other places in this world that I've been, there is this underlying spirit, found in many areas of life including cars, of a kind of rebellion against the common sensibility.

Bigger motor is kind of rebellious. More power isn't used much at all in sensible driving in cities, but hit the on-ramp to a freeway, or interstate, or autobahn, or whatever you call it where you are, and you can drop the hammer and for a few seconds, LIVE that rebellion against the boring.

And that can be everything in that otherwise fairly boring driving experience.

I don't think there's a car guy out there who doesn't understand this.

 

haha....i meant to add "not" in there. as in "if 'not' driven over-aggressively" oops

and yah, my gas mileage is bad enough. i enjoy the extra power. getting 14-15 in the city doesnt bother me. i get 25 on the highway going 65 and 22 going 75. once i get my custom supercharger shutoff switch, it will bump up to 30 or so with the s/c off.

 

Another way to look at the "Why More Power?" question is this:


In North America (especially the U.S.A.), the power of earning and buying is a lot higher than in other parts of the world. Over here, the car market is in HUGE competition for customers (even before the "financial crisis"), which means lower prices compared to other countries. At the same time, the average rate of earning in the U.S. is a lot higher than in many other countries. And couple that with a stable currency (at least before the "financial crisis"), and CHEAP gasoline prices (compared to the rest of the world) you've got a car buyer's dream!

So how do car manufacturers attract buyers? American mentality has always been "bigger is better" (as mentioned in other posts), so many car manufacturers put large engines in their vehicles. Well, that basically sets the "standard" for other car manufacturers to do the same as well, since they can't be seen as "falling behind" or "inferior" to the cars with bigger, more powerful engines. U.S. customers will like the increased power, and won't mind the decreased fuel economy as much (since gas is so CHEAP here).

In contrast, a Mercedes-Benz cost 200% as much in China as it does in the U.S (for example, around $70,000 for China's equivalent of the U.S. C300... one configuration). Earnings in China (at least in the major cities) are sort of comparable to the U.S., but in RMB (which is around 1USD=7RMB). Prices of goods, utilities, real estate, and rent in China is SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than in the U.S. To put it into perspective, the average employee in an ENTRY LEVEL position in a government-owned corporation (arguably the "best-paying" and definitely the most stable companies in China) spends the vast majority of his/her monthly income on necessities (food, rent, utilities, taxi/bus fare or gas if he/she is so lucky to own a scooter/petrol vehicle... which easily costs over $6 USD per gallon). The "savings" afterwards is enough to buy 1 pair of generic Chinese-brand office shoes (high-heels). 2 months savings is required to buy a "decent" Chinese-brand jacket (thick enough for cold winters). 1 year of continuous saving (or more) is required to buy a LV luxury handbag. And going by the same logic, that would mean around 60-70 years of continuous saving is needed to buy the equivalent of a U.S. Mercedes-Benz C300 in China (without spending anything on any other non-necessity). And remember that the most common way of purchasing anything in China (including real estate and cars) is 100% cash... no loans, no mortgages, no credit cards, just cash.

The example above is referencing a fortunate individual who is ABLE to compete for and win a coveted entry-level position in a government-owned corporation in a major city (Beijing, Shanghai, etc). Pay can varies from position-to-position, company-to-company, and location-to-location. Keep in mind that this example is probably representative of the top 7% of China's population... with 3% in better positions than this and 90% of China's population is in positions less fortunate than this one (with most farming in rural areas, and a portion as soldiers in the military).

Many people in the U.S. are able to save enough money to buy a Mercedes-Benz C300 in just a few years (without loan), or save up for a down-payment within 1-2 years! We really are very lucky to live in a country that allows us to own luxury cars without working and saving for our entire lives...

 

yeah, I knew the diesels were fast in the low-end. that's a crazy lot of torque.

all these tiny euro engines (gas engines included) (im driving one) have a lot of low end torque, which makes them feel fast, but when you try to go higher in the range, they lose it and you realize you love your big gas guzzler... (actually my 3.5L isnt that bad, but when you compare it with these little guys...)

also, damn, what is everyone complaining about, in germany the gas was at 2.18 euro where I stayed... that like $3.00 per litre. Not sure how much that is for a gallon, i heard around $10, but I'm not sure if it's right. And everyone back home was complaining about $4 per gallon last year