New Car Review of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz C Class Mid-Size Compact Near Luxury Coupe and Sedan.

Description: Compact Near Luxury Coupe and Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $44,350 - $79,500
Invoice Price Range: $41,246 - $73,935

Compact-class cars by Mercedes skew from an affordable sports coupe and practical station wagon to a powerful AMG-crafted performance sedan. In between these extremes are three new sport variations plus 4Matic AWD editions. The 4Matic equipment applies to C240 and C320 sedans and the C320 wagon. Sport models work for the C230 Kompressor sedan, C320 sedan and C320 coupe.

Each wears special body cladding and 17-inch wheels with performance tires, a sport-tuned suspension, six-speed close-ratio manual transmission and thickly bolstered front sport seats.

The C Class hatchback coupe has a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to 189 hp. Noteworthy mechanical tools aboard include power rack and pinion steering for precise turning control, plus power-assisted disc brakes tied to anti-lock and traction control systems, even a computerized electronic device that stems lateral slippage of the wheels and maintains straight-line stability. The performance sedan -- C32 AMG -- continues with a supercharged V6 maxed to 349 hp. Optional bi-xenon HID headlamps go for all models.