Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor W204 Review

The C-Class has always been a favorite small executive sedan among the professionals since its debut in 1993. But in recent years (2000-2006), many of them have decided to opt for the 3-series instead because the C-Class doesn't look appealing enough. Let's see if the W204 C-Class will change the way around.


The car is very agile as it is fitted with a feature called Agility Control suspension. It uses a hard and soft shock absorber to face different types of road conditions to assure an outstanding ride quality. Besides that, the sound insulation of the car is great as they have designed the car to be as aerodynamic as possible. In terms of styling, the car has bits of the S-Class and CLS. Performance wise, the engine is smooth and produces a 184bhp. To me at least, I think there's not much issue with the performance.


The rear of the W204 C-Class is a big improvement over its predecessor. It has rear lamps with LED side indicator which looks great and sharp at night. Also, it has some chrome lines which dignifies a typical Mercedes-Benz. Safety wise, the car is fitted with adaptive braking system which brakes harder when much pressure is applied onto the brake pad.


The interior is very driver-orientated. Steering wheel is has a very sporty feel to it but it feels light (to me at least). The cabin is very well-built and the finishing is outsanding. Mercedes even put soft touch buttons into top notch quality. COMAND APS is not given in the car because only C230 Kompressor (now C250 CGI) only has the feature. The multimedia system in this car is an Audio 20 CD which features a 5 inch screen with a 6-CD changer. Furthermore, the sound system is great and there are various sound settings in the system.


The rear space is very roomy and could fit 3 adults comfortably for long distance travel. The seats are equipped with ISO-FIX which is the international standard for children attachment point seats. Hence, there shouldn't have any worries for children's safety.


The boot space is very generous as it could fit 2 golf bags perfectly. However, it has lack of practicality as the back seat could not fold. But I don't think this is a big issue because most of the typical Mercedes-Benz owners will not bother because practicality is not their main priority.


Summary

A Mercedes C-Class to remember.

  • Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
  • Model: C-Class W204 Avantgarde (C200 Kompressor)
  • Transmisson: Tiptronic
  • Engine: 4-Cylinder Petrol
  • Horsepower: 184hp 
  • 0-100km/h: 8.8 seconds
  • Top Speed: 232 km/h
Pros: 
  • Fun to drive
  • Economical
  • A major upgrade over its predecessor 
  • Value for money
  • Has many safety features (Brake Assist, Adaptive Brake System, Agility Control.....)
Cons:
  • Impractical
  • Official dealership only give 2 years warranty

Overall: 8/10 rating


Regards,
Thomas Lee.

No comments:

Post a Comment