An Analysis of 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe

Jan 31
07:41

2012

Alissa

Alissa

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When I first got in the C350, I had the immediate sensation of being behind the wheel of a powerful sports car. It is amazing.

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With this car,An Analysis of 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe Articles you are getting everything that a Mercedes is for an extremely reasonable price. I had the opportunity to experience the coupe for more than just an evening, logging some decent time over the weekend down to Ohio. The navigation system was genius, warning of upcoming traffic conditions and providing alternate route options. Road time was not tiring in the least. Night driving was almost indescribable; I felt one with the car in the silence with the stars above. Auto-dimming headlights worked seamless and accurately. LED turn signals easily lit up anything reflective for nearly two blocks ahead. The front seats automatically move forward and the headrest dips to allow easy access to the rear seats, albeit a bit slowly if you find yourself in a hurry. It's really impressive what this car offers for the price. Granted, it's also surprising what's not offered, as Donny mentioned above.

When I first got in the C350, I had the immediate sensation of being behind the wheel of a powerful sports car. You sit low and snug in the bucket seats. The stubby shift lever feels almost like it should be attached to a manual transmission. The steering wheel is just the right diameter and has perfect thumb-shaped indentations at the three- and nine-o'clock positions. The pedals (even the foot-operated parking brake) have very cool aluminum covers. I felt like I was strapping into the world's hottest performance machine.

Why did Mercedes-Benz wait so long to release this two-door C-class? It's very attractive, surprisingly spacious inside, and drives with all the abundant excellence of the C-class sedan. Although I didn't ride in the back seats, they seemed pretty comfortable and not cramped at all when I climbed back there to check things out.

The familiar 3.5-liter V-6 engine offers plenty of power -- although this isn't a sports car, as Jake pointed out -- but I'm looking forward to trying M-B's new turbo four-cylinder in the C250 coupe, which has a base price $5150 cheaper than the C350.

The C-class coupe is very attractive, giving the C-class line a more dynamic-looking model than the more sedate sedan. I'm not usually a fan of white cars, but this arctic white coupe with black interior is very striking. Whereas some black interiors can be dour and oppressive, this C350 coupe feels inviting. The black seats feature contrasting white French-seam stitching, the wood is rich and lustrous, and the metallic accents provide a nice contrast to the dark upholstery and wood. Plus, the panoramic roof allows plenty of light to enter the interior.

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