2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe Road Test


Hi `Member's, I'm just happy to see auto companies still making/producing `COUPE's for the auto consumer
What do you think of this Mercedes ?
Post your thoughts/comments


<!--END - /edmunds/sites/vehicledirectory/main/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/freemarker/vehicledirectory/modules/page-title.ftl styles[current_style_index].trim -->2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe
(1.8L 4-cyl. Turbo 7-speed Automatic)

• View PhotoThe C-Class Coupe shares its aggressive, purposeful face with the redesigned 2012 C-Class Sedan.
• View PhotoMercedes hopes the C350 Coupe will bring younger buyers into its showrooms. We can certainly vouch for the car's sporty prowess when fitted with the optional Advanced Agility suspension package.
• View PhotoIn typical Mercedes fashion, the interior is well-finished but certainly not overly styled. Metal-trim bits at least add some pizzazz. The front seats are perfectly bolstered.

View More Photos

Pros


Precise handling; powerful direct-injected V6; smooth seven-speed automatic; superb interior materials, fit and finish; sporty shape.

Cons


No manual transmission available; compromised backseat headroom and legroom compared to C350 sedan.


View Road Test Specs

Mercedes Gets Youthful With the All-New C350 Coupe

By Mike Monticello, Road Test Editor
Every once in a while, Mercedes-Benz throws off its good, gray, adult personality and tries out a livelier approach to the road and life itself. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe is another attempt to break out of the sedan mold, only this time it really has broken free.
Above and beyond its sleek silhouette, there's a new direct-injected V6 plus surprisingly precise handling when equipped with a new, optional suspension system. With a finely crafted cabin and enough telematics for techies to get their geek on, the C350 Coupe should be just the tool to attract a younger, hipper audience into Mercedes showrooms.
The C350 Coupe will go head-to-head with several well-entrenched competitors, most notably the class stalwart BMW 335i and its turbocharged inline-6. Also standing in Mercedes' path to success are coupe versions of the Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G37, both featuring 300-plus-horsepower naturally aspirated V6s, as with the Merc.
Since the new C350 Coupe doesn't go on sale until September, Mercedes has yet to announce official pricing. But you can expect the C350 Coupe will command a slight premium over the C350 sedan. Figure on a starting price of about $42,000.
Performance


The top-of-the-line C350 Coupe uses a new, direct-injected version of Mercedes' 3.5-liter DOHC V6. Equipped with Variable Valve Timing on both intake and exhaust, it's a smooth runner from startup to its 6,750-rpm redline. Horsepower jumps to 302 at 6,500 rpm, versus the previous 3.5-liter's 268 hp at 6,000. Torque follows a similar path. There's more of it — 273 pound-feet — but it's produced from 3,500-5,250 rpm, versus the previous V6's slightly more tractable 258 lb-ft from 2,400-5,000.
Despite the extra power, fuel economy has improved thanks to the engine's direct injection and the revised and more efficient seven-speed automatic transmission. The C350 Coupe is expected to deliver 22 mpg combined, a 2 mpg improvement over the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sedan.
Mercedes claims the extra sauce and quicker shifting should result in a 0-60-mph sprint of 5.9 seconds. While it's true the engine isn't big on low-end power, it makes up for it with an exciting high-rpm rush, accompanied by an equally stirring rasp from the exhaust.
The smooth V6 and equally silky tranny complement each other out on the road. In Drive mode the transmission will quickly decide to downshift and gives relatively speedy upshifts. Sporting drivers might be disappointed that it always shifts for itself at its own predetermined rpm limit even when you use the shift paddles on the steering wheel in Manual mode. This transmission also attempts to blip the throttle for quicker downshifts, but it's pathetically lazy (an ongoing issue with this transmission), so the result is not as crisp as we'd prefer in a real sporting coupe. And it's not exactly unexpected that a manual transmission will not find its way to the U.S.
All U.S. C-Class Coupes will come standard with a sport suspension that's optional in Europe. But the test cars we drove were fitted with the optional, upgraded Advanced Agility package, which features electronically controlled adaptive dampers. The driver can switch from the standard setting to Sport with the press of a button, not only providing firmer damping rates for more body control but also quicker, sharper throttle response and heavier steering effort.
We were glad to find that the Sport setting truly means sport. It transforms the 3,562-pound C350 Coupe from a slightly vague, light-steering highway car with the noticeable body roll that's characteristic of a Mercedes sedan into a sharp sport coupe that's glued to the road, its body roll and suspension action tightly controlled (even stiff) and its responses to steering inputs sharp and immediate.

This Advanced Agility package really gives the C-class coupe the moves that a sport coupe should have and it makes the car good fun on twisty back roads. Despite the overall firmness of this setup, there's enough suspension compliance to keep the rear end buttoned-down even over those tricky bumps in the middle of corners.
Those looking for better fuel efficiency should consider the base-model 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe. It uses a new turbocharged, direct-injected 1.8-liter inline-4 that delivers 201 hp at 5,500 rpm and 229 lb-ft of torque from 2,200-4,300. Mated to the same seven-speed automatic transmission, this engine is expected to deliver 30 mpg highway, Mercedes tells us. Although this engine feels a little coarse for the kind of Mercedes cars that come to the U.S., it's actually pretty smooth as far as four-cylinder engines go.
In terms of performance, the C250 proves a bit sluggish off the starting line, but a nice midrange surge does a decent job of moving the C250's 3,419 pounds (143 pounds less than the C350) down the road. Still, this car is no match for the V6-powered coupe, and Mercedes claims a 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds for the turbo-4. On the other hand, the C250's sprightly nature makes it more willing to change direction than the C350. Smaller brakes (11.6-inch front rotors compared to the C350's 12.7-inchers) feel weaker, though, and inspire less confidence.
Comfort

The Advanced Agility package allows the driver to switch between a standard suspension setting and a firmer Sport setting. There's a significant difference between the two, and trust us, your backside will notice big bumps in Sport mode. It's best to keep it in the cushier standard setting for anything other than charging down a back road.
The front seats do a nice job of holding you in place during hard cornering thanks to supportive side bolsters yet ingress/egress never becomes a problem. The seat cushions are firm in the typical Mercedes style, but they're up to the task of all-day touring. The downside to the coupe's radical roofline is reduced headroom and knee room in the backseat (which has two individual buckets). Even though headroom is down by 1.4 inches compared with the sedan, average-sized adults can survive back there thanks to cutouts in the roof.
The C230 Sport Coupe from a decade ago never felt like a true Mercedes, but the C-Class Coupe seems like the real deal, with the vault-like sturdiness for which the brand is known. Wind and road noise are kept to a minimum, while both the turbo-four and V6 only crank up the volume when they're revved high.
Function

The C Coupe's interior is short on high fashion but big on buttons, and the chrome ones on the center stack add some color to the all-black equation. The cabin is generally well laid out, although it would be more properly sporting if the center stack was canted slightly toward the driver. Also, we'd prefer that the gear indicators for manual shifting were larger, since the array of seven within the speedometer dial makes it difficult to quickly make out which gear is currently highlighted.
We also have an issue with the control stalks behind the steering wheel, a design strategy characteristic of Mercedes for many years. Three steering-wheel stalks on the left side and yet none on the right makes it all too easy for your fingers to grab the wrong stalk. We got hold of the cruise control a couple of times when we were looking for the turn signal.
A nice standard feature on all C-Class Coupes is the two-piece panorama sunroof, which gives the roof a blacked-out look from the outside that's very sporting.
Just like the top Mercedes sedans, the C-Class Coupe has an overload of driver aids that make use of radar, camera and sensor technologies. Attention Assist (detects typical signs of drowsiness, such as weaving) comes standard, while Adaptive High Beam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist are available as extra-cost options.
The C Coupe has lost little in the cargo department compared to the sedan, as it's down to 11.7 cubic feet from the sedan's 12.4, so it should be able to handle luggage for a four-person weekend getaway. Even better, the rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split if your traveling companion really does want to bring everything plus the kitchen sink.
Design/Fit and Finish

Even though the Mercedes C-Class Coupe's interior isn't big on flash, it is big on class. The controls have nice detents and the numerous buttons don't feel plasticky or cheap. And the three-spoke steering wheel? A perfectly thick rim with grippy, perforated leather at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, just where you want it.
But the exterior is what will draw buyers to this car, because the fastback roofline gives it a sporting flair. The aggressively styled front end with the two-bar coupe grille demands attention, too. You will definitely notice a C-Class Coupe bearing down on you from behind.
Who should consider this vehicle

Since the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe only weighs 53 pounds less than the sedan, performance isn't enough of a reason to give up the convenience of two extra doors and some head- and legroom. And the lack of a manual transmission could drive some buyers straight to BMW and Infiniti dealers.
But this new Mercedes C-Class Coupe is a solid contender in every other respect, with strong, smooth engines, terrific handling and superb fit and finish. Further, its sharp, sporty styling should go a long way toward attracting the younger target groups that Mercedes is seeking.
http://www.edmunds.com/mercedes-benz...oad-test2.html
^^^Source Link Above ^^^

 

I like it, i like most of mercedes line up they make some great vehicles but id take an AMG C Coupe