2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class

Presentation and comfort make an exceptional ride.

Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

This is an all around great vehicle. Cosmetically, this is a very sporty looking car. The Coupe model has a nice "long" appearance which is complimented by the black roof, which gives it a sport car presentation. While I love the other entry BMW and Audi coupe models, they sort of give off an unusual appearance where the door is not quite long enough for the body. This is not an issue with the Mercedes C250 Coupe because of the long doors and windows that compliment the coupe style very well. If you tint the windows, the front window and rear quarter window blend together perfectly with the black borders and the black roof, which makes the entire side look sleek and sporty from the side. The front end has a nice long hood with a really large Mercedes emblem. The tail lights look extremely sharp, and are all LED lights which makes the lights have a very distinct pattern you will not find on most vehicles. Essentially what I am saying is that cosmetically, the car looks more sporty and expensive than it actually is. Which in my opinion, is a good thing. The interior is also another exceptional feature of the car, because the large soft leather bucket seats that hug your body and huge amount of front seat leg room sometimes makes for a comfortable ride, even at long distances. No exaggeration, there were a few times where I pulled in the garage and just sat in the parked car and enjoyed the comfort while listening to music. The back seat is actually roomy for a coupe as well, but it is a coupe after all, so it is a little small. The back seat is a little uncomfortable, especially with the very out of place plastic console between the two back seats. The entire interior of the vehicle is high grade leather and other materials, while that center console is this really out of place cheap plastic that feels like it's out of a Honda Civic from the late 90's. The fine trim feautures of the vehicle are nice as well, such as the nice subtle orange glow in the consoles while driving at night and the light at the bottom of the door that illuminates the ground that you will exit the vehicle on. The electronics are easy to navigate, and the fine features of the interior make for an amazing driving experience. The stock Harmon Karmon speakers sound better than the sound system I spent several hundred dollars on in my last vehicle. The sound is clear and depending on your settings, there is a nice low rumble in the bass of the music. These manufacturers put so many fine details into the trim of this vehicle that you'll just appreciate the design and craftsmanship. The stitching, the perfect placement of buttons, its just a very well designed vehicle. There are a few unnecessary features like all of the buttons on the console, really though, who needs a 0-9 numeric pad to make phone calls right in the center of the console? It just feels like they added a little too much to the console. The GPS and little navigation wheel/button is extremely easy to use and is at a very comfortable location, which makes those console buttons even more unnecessary. The drive itself is excellent, what really stands out is the exceptional quick and responsive handling. The car grips the road very well and it feels so smooth on turns. The vehicle comes with sport and economy driving options, which is nice. I think essentially the vehicle is designed to operate in sport mode, but economy mode changes the gear ratios so it saves on gas, which I appreciate. While its not a sport car or a race car, it pulls a satisfactory amount of power out of the baby 1.8L four cylinder engine, obviously with help from the turbo. So don't expect to race any performance vehicles at red lights, but it accelerates quickly so that you can pass slow drivers safely. That being said, the car has a few flaws. Primarily, there is an annoying delay in the amount of time it takes the car to begin accelerating when you push the pedal. This is extremely apparent in economy mode, and honestly, somewhat dangerous. If you're crossing the road and there is a slight delay in the acceleration, that may cause you to miscalculate how fast the other car is approaching. So far, I haven't had problems with maintenance. But with a German car, you can anticipate a more costly maintenance repair compared to a Japanese car. The car has a "recommended maintenance schedule" from the engineers at Mercedes. The Germans believe in preventative repairs, so the schedule is designed for you to spend money replacing parts that do not need replacing. Personally, I think that is ridiculous. I know of other German car owners who avoid this stupid schedule and just repair things as they need repairing, and that is who I am. The Mercedes dealership is full of people who push the sales of "maintenance plans" and encourage you to replace things that are just fine. They will try to manipulate you and bully you into spending money on things you do not need. I avoid the dealership.