The 1998 Mercedes-Benz C230

A Mercedes-Benz for $30,450? Not possible, right? Wrong! The C230 is Mercedes quality, performance, safety, and prestige for the amount of money you can buy an Accord or Camry for. The baby-benz is a jewel in the crowded near-luxury class. And now for 1999, the C230 gets muscular with the SLK 230's "kompressor" engine"!

The Design The C-Class design was freshened up for the '98 model year. The car now looks sportier, with wider low profile tires, a rear end facelift, and different rocker panels that make the car look lower to the ground. However, the elegant profile of the car remains the same. The car slips through the windtunnel with a Coefficient of drag of .32. The car is clearly a Mercedes, with a stoic, solid look. The taillights are shaped in "cat-ears" and the headlights are a mix between the current S-Class and the current SL-Class.

Performance For 1999, the C230 receives some much needed punch in the form of a super-charger taken from the SLK. The new engine boasts a 38 horsepower gain to 185 hp @ 5,300 rpm and a strong 200 lb-ft of torque @ 2500 - 4800rpm. This enables the C230 to reach 60 mph in 8.1 seconds, 2 ticks quicker than the old engine could muster. The brakes are powerfull, and are equipped with ABS and Brake Assist, a new technology that upon sensing emergency braking via the speed at which the driver presses the brake pedal, standard Brake Assist immediately applies max. available boost, potentially reducing the overall stopping distance by eliminating the delay caused by a common human tendency not to brake hard enough, soon enough.

Handling The C230's suspension has a brother. The brother's name is CLK-GTR. The C230's suspension was the starting point of the CLK-GTR's suspension (and the CLK320 & CLK430 for that matter), which has won many races on the GT circuit. The steering is light and quick, though with good road feel. An optional sport package is now available on this C, which features a sport tuned suspension. For more info on the Sport Package, please go to the C280page.

Comfort The previously mentioned suspension does not sacrifice comfort at all. It soaks up bumbs in the road with ease, and never rocks like a boat on uneven surfaces, something that some of the babybenz's competitors do. The seats are wonderfully supportive and come equipped with leather standard. The radio literally rocks!

Courtesy of mbusa.com

For more info on the C230, please email me at [email protected].

For all the specs on the C230, click here

Click HERE To View A Sneak Preview of the New C-Class Coming Out In 2000.

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