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The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has always been a car favoured by those anywhere between their late 20s to early 40s, wanting to own their first ever car with that star badge. Who can blame them? It is a sign of success, and owning a Mercedes-Benz is telling people that you've made it well in life. Doesn't really matter which variant, from the entry-level C180 to the enormous AMG version - there's a C-Class for everyone.

But in recent years, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has seen quite a number of competitions. BMW, Audi, Volvo, Saab and even Volkswagen - every brand has a model to compete in the junior executive sedan league. This, if you were to see it from an economic standpoint, is a lucrative segment in the automotive industry. Everywhere, any price - people are willing to pay and own it. Why is this so? Most executive are, by right, family oriented people - they need a car that's mature, aesthetically pleasing and most important of all, practical enough for day-to-day use. Of course, it must also carry a badge that can impress - at least there's something to show off to the office mates and relatives.

Interior & Exterior

The C200 Avantgarde spec we have here, is by large, a handsome sedan. You need to take a very good look at it to get what we're trying to say here - the car looks proportionate at all the right areas, everything feels solid, and the 17-inch rims wrapped in velcro-like 245 / 40 R-17 Michelin rubbers just add things up to make this C200 a complete sedan - which easily justifies the $155k asking price.

It is worlds apart from the previous W203 C-Class - new rectangular headlamps and fin-like tail lamps give the whole exterior a classy (no pun intended) feel, flowing lines along the side gives it a more muscular stance and chrome bits add more "blinks" to an otherwise bare exterior.

The roof-mounted antenna, although small, looks like a zit that just pops out when you least expect it. Now, if only the designers hid it and used a windscreen-mounted type instead...

Inside, the C200 has an airy but expensive feel to it. The plastic used doesn't feel cheap, the seats are wrapped in premium leather and everything is in place where it should be - which is a typical Mercedes-Benz affair. Driver and front passenger gets pampered by electrical seats with 3-memory function, rear seats are comfortable enough to ferry three adults, a superb sound system and then a cavernous boot that can swallow at least three golf bags - these traits simply outshine the C200 over the BMW 3-series.

However, there are some gripes - to begin with, the cruise control stalk that somehow lacks the solidity you would expect of a Mercedes-Benz, and feels cheap when touched. Then there's the signal cum wiper control stalk that's positioned too low for this writer's liking - when driving around initially, there's the tendency to set the cruise control instead of indicating left or right.

Now why can't it be as simple as a 3-series'?

Driving it

You can be mistaken for being a schizophrenic while driving the C200. There's a small button beside the gear shifter that indicates "C / S", with the latter obviously standing for "Sporty". Toggle between the two, and you'll instantly notice the C200's dual characteristic - set at "C", everything goes about at a comfortable (probably that's what the "C" stands for) pace. Swap to "S" and you suddenly feel like Lewis Hamilton at his best - the gears will climb up tenaciously, and the torque-rich 184bhp supercharged engine will happily stretch itself along. The engine note, when stretched, won't exactly sound like Lewis Hamilton's race machine, but it's good enough to get you into the F1 fever. Oh, and everything else around you will just be a blur?

It has good brakes too, which is commendable. It doesn't need to be worked hard to get the C200 to slow down or completely stop. Even if you were to give the brake pedal a hard stomp, the ABS won't kick in rudely. Having experienced the previous W203 before, the improvement in stopping power is very apparent.

Handling wise, the C200 is among the best. It can take corners at ridiculous speeds, tackle bends with much gusto and best of all, absorb uneven road surface with aplomb. Body-roll is at an all time minimal and you can feel the ESP working hard to keep up with your enthusiastic driving pattern every single time you push it.

But sorry to say, it can never match the BMW 3-series when it comes to driving dynamics - Mercedes-Benz obviously compromised the sporty feel for a more comfortable set-up in the C200.

Sum up

To date, the C200 offers the best package in the whole C-Class stable. $155k buys you a handsome executive sedan with excellent build quality, a plethora of gizmo and safety gadgets and best of all, a supercharged engine. True, it won't offer you outright sportiness like the BMW 3-series, but what it will definitely provide you with is something well-balanced between comfort and sports.

Give yourself a break - no, don't get a Kit-Kat - get something less common, like the C200. If you're in the market for an executive sedan and have the extra cash to pay the premium, this is a good buy.

Technical Specification

Engine: 1,796cc, 4-cylinders in-line, Supercharged
Power: 184bhp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,800rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
0-100km/h: 8.6 seconds

Length / Width / Height: 4,582 / 1,770 / 1,447 mm
Wheelbase: 2,760

Latest price with COE: $154,888

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