Long-term test drive: 2008 Mercedes C300 Sport 4Matic
2-day long-term test drive: Mercedes C300 Sport 4Matic
Price as tested: CDN$47900
Total mileage through the test: 560km
Since Mercedes introduced the current iteration of C-Class, we love it so much that we have named it our 2008 sports sedan of the year. We finally have a chance to put C-Class’s most popular model, C300 Sport with 4Matic for 48 hours to completely enjoy the vehicle.
For a sports sedan that is equipped with a 3.0 liter V6, its fuel economy is a delightful surprise at 12.5L/100km with an average of 70% highway and 30% of highway driving. Mercedes’s excellent 7-Gronic auto gearbox helps this a whole lot thanks to high 7th gear ratio for superb cruising. Mercede’s usual smoothness, quietness and refinement have lived up to its high standards. 228 horses and 221 lb/ft of torque provide plenty of power. It all have done in typical elegance Mercedes fashion.
Steering provides decent feedback, even though its light. Sports suspension provides excellent damping on both well-paved and poorly-paved roads. We were really enjoying its true sports sedan driving feel, which were a dream in previous C-Class save for the AMG.
Its the interior that is a great place to spend time in. Unlike the last C-Class, which have been ruined by poor plastic materials. The new one is nicely finished. In our Sport model, its level of aluminum trim creates a sense of character with thick sports steering wheel. Although the seats are leatherette, the comfort and support are very much a Mercedes. Firm and comfortable thoroughout the whole trip. The climate control is easy to figure out, without all those quirks once in Mercedes-Benz. Its also lack of rattles and cracks that were so infamous in its predecessor.
The bottom line? We are really looking forward to have a full test drive of the C63 AMG rocketship. 
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