Background: Suddenly, the term “entry-level” carries a whole new connotation. Time was high-volume manufacturers such as Ford, Chevrolet or Volkswagen would promote their wares to the everyday Joe or Joan toiling in a factory or crammed behind a desk with pen in hand for eight hours a day. High-end cars from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar or BMW were for the Ivory tower big shots who looked down upon the worker drones. But this marketing diadem has been turned on its head during the past decade as prices for some offerings from the mass marketers have skyrocketed as high as those Ivory tower windows.
A Ford Expedition or Toyota Land Cruiser can easily teeter near the $50,000 plateau. And just as fast as some Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota window stickers have been upsized, European manufacturers such as Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have debuted their own version of “entry level,” with prices tens of thousands of dollars less than once imaginable. Enter the all-new 2002 Mercedes C-Class sports coupe (C230) with a starting price sneaking in under $25,000.
The C230 is part of Mercedes-Benz entry-luxury C-Class, introduced in the United States in the fall of 1993. The two-door C230 is now the lowest-priced Mercedes-Benz sold in the United States. Mercedes markets eight unique, low volume "Classes" of automobiles. Rather than giving each vehicle a catchy name, Mercedes denotes each Class with a letter-number nomenclature with letters denoting the "Class" and numerals referencing powertrain size ( in the case of the C230, it’s powered by a 2.3-liter engine) within that Class.
In 2001, Mercedes-Benz totally redesigned its two existing C-Class sedans, the six-cylinder C240 and six-cylinder C320. During the 2002 model year, three more C-Class models debut. In addition to the C230, Mercedes introduces the 320 four-door sports wagon and high-performance C32 AMG four-door sedan.
Mercedes-Benz has room to grow in the entry-luxury segment, with many competing sedans (Lexus ES 300, Infiniti G20, Audi A4, Lincoln LS) already better established. However, with the addition of three new models, Mercedes predicts its upstart C-Class will soon become its volume-leading division, surpassing the mid-luxury E-Class, which undergoes a major redesign next year. The entry-luxury niche accounts for a whopping seventy percent of sales in the entire luxury market. The C230 is one of the few two-door coupes in an entry-luxury market dominated by sedans, joining the likes of the BMW 3-Series, six-cylinder coupe.
Engine: The heart of the C230 is the in-line, four-cylinder, supercharged engine delivering the power found in many six-cylinder engines in smaller, lighter packaging. Horsepower in the 2.3-liter, double overhead camshaft powertrain with four-valves per cylinder and sequential fuel injection checks in at an impressive 192. By comparison, a four-cylinder Ford Focus generates 130 horsepower while a Honda Civic pumps out 115 horses. A six-speed manual transmission is standard in the C230 coupe. The transmission did not posses the smoothest shifts in first and second gears, but sprang to life in higher ranges. Optional is a five-speed automatic with “Touch Shift,” allowing drivers to manually select all five forward speeds by punching the gear lever slightly without the use of a clutch.
Standard equipment: The C230 includes as standard equipment: dual zone climate control; electronic cruise control; AM/FM/cassette stereo; tilt and telescoping three-spoke steering wheel; power windows and locks; rack-and-pinion steering and power heated side-view mirrors. Optional is a six-disc compact disc changer, heated seats, sunroof, fully integrated digital and portable cellular telephone, rain-sensing windshield wipers, premium Bose sound system and power seats with memory.
Price: Mercedes-Benz dropped off a red 2002 C230 with six-speed manual transmission for our driving pleasure. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price was $24,950. The bottom line with $645 destination charge and an option or two was $26,235. By comparison, the all-new 2002, six-cylinder, all-wheel drive X-TYPE, Jaguar’s lowest-priced, entry-luxury, four-door sedan starts at $29,950. A six-cylinder 2002 Lincoln LS sedan lists at $32,845. The BMW 3-Series coupe starts at $28,990.
Interior: Mercedes locates dials and knobs within easy reach of the driver. The new-look instrument cluster features a large, centrally placed half-circle speedometer housing a square information center with digital time, temperature and odometer readouts. The speedometer is flanked on the left by a tachometer and a right-side fuel gauge. Front windshield wipers operate from the turn signal stalk. Also nearby is a slimmer stalk controlling cruise control functions. Headlights monitor from a dial on the dashboard’s far left side.
Directly above are controls for the power side-view mirrors. Power window levers are found on both doors near the lower map pockets. The ignition cylinder is on the dashboard directly right of the steering column. In between the front bucket seats directly in back of the six-speed manual transmission is a beverage holder that pops up from below a sliding door panel. Also in the region is an arm rest doubling as a two-level storage bin. The optional phone stores conveniently in the arm rest storage area. The parking brake is foot operated.
The sound system is situated high up on the center console adorned with a aluminum finish with a textured overlay forming a grid pattern, the same design adorning both interior door panels. The station pre-set buttons double as an in-dash telephone keypad. Below is the ventilation system with dual climate zone settings incorporating four small knobs. Front and rear window defroster buttons are here, too.
Seating comfort: Cloth seats come standard, leather seating remains optional. For a relatively small car, the C230 has ample head room in front and back. Both front bucket seats slide forward on a track once the backrest tilts forward via a pull tab on the top of the seats; a nice, well designed touch. Too many coupes require back seat travelers to bend down to the seat bottom to slide seats up. In back, two adults fit comfortably; any more would not be feasible. Tall seat backs reach up to the ceiling, and fold down with a 60/40 spilt, opening up directly into the rear creating a hatchback-like cavern with 38.1 cubic feet of space.
Exterior: The rounded rear roof line certainly provides a new, more domestic-looking direction for Mercedes-Benz; but the front-half forward incorporates the more traditional Mercedes touches. Many Mercedes on the road today include four headlights up front; two large outside lamps with two smaller inside lights. The C230, along with the two other C-Class sedans, merge the large and small lights together on each side, creating front headlights with two connected circular chambers, shaped similarly to a microscopic body cell that has not yet finished dividing. The front grille has horizontal slates with built-in tri-point Mercedes-Benz circle logo rather than a hood ornament.
Fenders arch up higher than the hood near the headlights. The non-locking, square fuel door is found on the right rear fender. Strap-like door handles adorn both doors. Secondary turn signal indicators are found on both side view mirrors for increased visibility of a driver’s intention while on the road; a great idea. Rather than a conventional trunk lid, the C230’s rear shares more in common with a traditional hatchback opening; the rear window slants at a 45 degree angle and the entire window and back lift up from a roof-line hinge. Ten-spoke aluminum wheels afix to 16-inch all-season radial tires.
Fuel economy: The C230 with its six-speed manual transmission and four-cylinder engine averages 19 miles-per-gallon in city travel, and 29 m.p.g. along the highway; not the most fuel efficient four-cylinder around, but the trade off is the 192-horsepower generated rates as one of the most potent available. The fuel tank holds 16.4 gallons of premium unleaded fuel.
Safety features: In 1999, Mercedes made headlines with the industry's first curtain side air bag safety system in its mid-luxury E-Class line of vehicles. The bags drop from both sides of the headliner down to the window sills providing extra protection for heads and upper bodies during side-impact collisions. For 2002, curtain side air bags are standard in all C-Class vehicles including the C230 sports coupe.
Also standard in the C230 are dual-stage front air bags, four side air bags, a steel reinforced cabin with front and rear crumple zones, anti-theft alarm with engine immobilizer, four-channel anti-lock brakes, stability control, brake assist and traction control. Optional is Tele Aid, available in every Mercedes model. First introduced in 1999, Tele Aid combines global positioning satellites and a dedicated cellular network putting occupants in contact with manned Mercedes telecenters in Texas and New Jersey. Tele Aid provides emergency assistance, roadside assistance and information services and is activated automatically when one of the air bags deploy.
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 106.9 inches
Overall length: 171.0 inches
Overall width: 68.0 inches
Overall height: 54.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,307 pounds
Final thoughts: Many curious onlookers inquired about the C230 during the week-long test drive. Since it’s a brand new 2002 vehicle, many had not yet observed one in person and were curious. The C230 gets high marks for an impressive array of standard safety features, one of the most potent four-cylinder engines available and decent headroom in front and back. Keep in mind because Mercedes-Benz has kept the starting price down, many features normally standard in luxury-appointed vehicles (Moon roof, heated seats) are optional. The trade off is that at $30,000, the C230 falls within the reach of the average Joe or Joan. |