2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe: Style and luxury in search of comfort

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four making 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.

What is it: Now more than ever, a luxury coupe represents a conscious choice; it’s a subtle way to stand out in a sea of crossovers. This generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class two-door has been out for over four years, but a series of updates — and available add-ons like the very nice designo Bengal red leather package — leave it well-equipped to answer the call. It’s definitely cushier than the competition…but there’s one big catch.

Key Competitors: Audi A5; BMW 4-Series; Cadillac ATS Coupe

Base Price: $44,795 As-Tested Price: $61,210

Full review: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class review

Highlights: Along with the rest of the C-Class family, the C300 Coupe benefits from a series of updates for the 2019 model year — some fairly subtle, and others, like a base-model inline-four now producing 255 hp (up from 241) and 273 lb-ft of torque and mated with a nine-speed automatic, readily apparent and much appreciated. This particular tester gets luxury touches, plus a slate of M-B semi-autonomous driving features, which come as part of the $2,250 driver assistance package option.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 offers ten combinations of interior upholstery.

Our Opinion: It’s hard to believe that this generation of Mercedes C-Class, which includes, at least in the North American market, a sedan, a cabriolet and this coupe, debuted in 2014. To my eyes, the design language holds up very well, which makes the two-door variant the best-looking of the luxury coupe bunch.

Opting for the two-door means sacrificing a certain amount of utility in the pursuit of looks: If you really need to carry four adults on a semi-regular basis, consider the larger E-Class coupe, which manages to offer genuinely usable rear head- and legroom.

But my contention remains that, if you want to make a statement these days, get a coupe — no, not one of those weird, tall crossover-based monsters the German automakers can’t stop making; a real, car-based two-door coupe — and this Mercedes C300 in particular stands out in the present sea of blobmobiles. And for a weekend trip across the state, the two-door C300 was nearly perfect, with plenty of room for two adults and luggage. All in all, a very stylish way to arrive at my wife’s family reunion. Even the designo interior package didn’t seem, for $3,800, too much of an indulgence; I’d rather have its nicely contrasted quilted leather than the AMG Line visual add-ons.

Bonus: The add-on semi-autonomous technology packed into the $2,250 Driver Assistance Package worked as advertised! Well, mostly. The “route based speed adaptation” feature of cruise control always played it conservatively, which meant that in Michigan’s endless construction zones, the car slammed on the brakes any time it saw the “45 while workers present” signs, even though nobody was working. I guess that’s understandable — better safe than sorry — but it rendered the system useless for much of the drive.

And if the C300’s 255-hp inline four sometimes left me craving a little more power — if not the AMG C63’s 469 hp, then maybe the AMG C43’s 385 horses — I can recognize that this is a want, not a need. If they could somehow figure out to fit that new straight-six in here, though, that would be the no-brainer choice.

There was one not-so-little sticking point, though. This C300 was equipped with ContiSportContact 5P SSR performance summer run-flat tires and they do not, to put it delicately, enhance the experience of this car. We’ve harped on run-flats before. You already know they usually suck. But rarely do they threaten to spoil my enjoyment of an entire vehicle, as, when paired with the sport suspension included in the $1,500 AMG Line package, they almost did here.

Granted, Michigan roads are not the best, but in a non-AMG Mercedes, you should be able to sip coffee while driving down the expressway and through the occasional construction zone (and if that’s not an SAE testing benchmark, it ought to be). This thing was downright bumpy, jarring even, over less-than-perfect tarmac, and that was with suspension in comfort mode.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Coupe is for buyers who like their roofline a little sportier than the SUV

It’s not just the tires and suspension, of course. My pet theory is this: Precision-engineered, precision-welded unibody construction has yielded cars of incredible rigidity; we take it for granted that modern vehicles won’t flex and shimmy their way down the road. When it comes to something like the AMG C63, this is awesome: The road car serves as a great platform for a no-nonsense track-capable performance car.

But there are always tradeoffs. Without a flexible body to soak up the bumps, cars like the C300 have have to rely heavily on sophisticated suspension (often, adjustable and adaptive), all while contending with those apparently oh-so-desirable low-profile tires. It’s a delicate system, and when one part falters, it all seems to go to crap. So why not give us a little more sidewall? Are consumers so transfixed by thin rubber-band tires on giant wheels, even on base-model versions of cars with truly credible performance variants, that all ride quality considerations go out the window? Can we really be that stupid? (That’s a rhetorical question.)

OK, end tire/suspension rant.

Choose your options carefully, reject the too-subtle-to-really-matter-visually, ride-harming AMG Line add-ons (step up to the C43 if you want something sporty) and for Gottleib Daimler’s sake make sure you have a decent set of tires on the thing, and you can get yourself into a very pretty C-Class for around $50,000.

This is the kind of car that will never go out of style; in fact, as crossovers tighten their bland-but-utilitarian grip on the automotive market, I have a feeling that the C300 Coupe is only going to look better with time.

–Graham Kozak, features editor

Options: P62 designo Bengal Red Leather Package with leather, designo floor mats, MB Tex dashboard and upper door trim, contrast stitching, power passenger seat with memory and adjustable thigh support ($3,800); Multimedia Package with COMAND Navigation including three years of support, car to X communication ($2,300); Driver Assistance Package with active distance assist, active steering, active lane change, active emergency stop, active speed limit, active brake with cross traffic function, evasive steering assist, active lane keeping assist, active blind spot assist, Pre-Safe Plus rear end collision protection, Pre-Safe impulse side, route-based speed adaptation ($2,250); AMG Line with AMG body styling, brushed aluminum pedals, AMG floor mats, sport suspension, sport steering, perforated brake discs with MB calipers ($1,500); Premium Package with premium audio, satellite radio, keyless go, power folding mirrors, hands free access, electronic trunk closer ($1,350); Parking Assist Package with active parking assist, surround view ($1,290); heated and ventilated front seats ($1,030); head-up display ($990); 12.3-inch display ($750); graphite gray metallic ($720); 19-inch AMG wheels ($500); ambient lighting ($310); wireless charging ($170)

Base Price: $44,795

As-Tested Price: $61,210

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, nine-speed automatic, RWD

Output: 255 hp @ 5,800-6,100 rpm; 273 lb-ft @ 1,800-4,000 rpm

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 22/31/25 mpg

Pros: Still stylish, comfortable and not too expensive to start

Cons: Could use two more cylinders, a softer suspension and better tires

Source: Read Full Article