2001 Mercedes Benz C-Class...Continued

Inside, the sporty tone is set by aluminum trim strips, a three-spoke steering wheel with illuminated controls for the radio, telephone and other functions, together with the sporty cockpit design. With its well-perfected ergonomics, the interior fits like a perfectly tailored garment. The driver has all the controls at his fingertips - a key requirement for dynamic driving.

Mercedes is aware that over 70% of all their sales are in the mid-30s segment and they have rolled out their all new C-offering in an attempt to double their current market share in the swelling and competitive entry level luxury market.

According to Ken Enders, vice president of marketing for MBUSA, "The C-Class will be the most youthful and exuberant cars in our model line. For many buyers - and for a wider variety of customers - this will be their first Mercedes."

The new C-Class has more power, more standard features, improved ride and handling and is quieter than the previous generation. It has a smooth aerodynamic shape that boasts an impressive 0.27 Coefficient of Drag (CD). The C-Class comes standard with V6 power and a smooth shifting 5-speed automatic transmission in the C320 and a great 6-speed manual transmission in the C240 (A 5-speed automatic is optional in the C240).

Mercedes is openly envious of the brisk sales of the sportier BMW 3-Series and notes new challenges from the potent Lexus and Lincoln competitors. They are going back to the sporty part of their tri-star heritage and the C-Class reflects there are still some enthusiasts in the design department.

The C320 has an impressive 6.9 second 0-60 time with its automatic transmission, and even the standard transmission the C240 clocks in at 8.2 seconds.

C-Class uses sports car like multi-link independent suspension fore and aft. It also uses the rear wheel drive (RWD) layout preferred by enthusiasts, unlike a number of other competitors in the class.

There may be some benefit to front wheel drive (FWD) in adverse traction conditions, however, with the advent of Anti-lock Brake Systems (ABS) and electronic traction control, some of those advantages of FWD have been neutralized. With new generation stability control programs, RWD can in fact overcome conditions that FWD cars without similar dynamic controls cannot handle.