An unequal-length control-arm front suspension that is as adept on the skidpad as in emergency-lane-change maneuvers. Of course, there are also Mercedes traits we consistently cherish and champion: A rigid platform. And in another seven-car comparo last July, a C280 finished fifth. In a seven-car comparo in 1994, a C220 finished, ah, seventh. And now there's this: The engine requires premium fuel. The ride, at least with the Sport shocks and springs, is borderline harsh on Michigan roads. There's that infernal single wiper blade. The recirculating-ball steering is somewhat leaden and heavy on center, making the car feel less nimble than it actually is.
The back seat is so cramped that, when three adults climb back there, some sort of accidental ménage á trois is inevitable. In our myriad drives in C-class Benzes, we've voiced some recurring beefs. And the idle quality-even when everything's as warm as, well, a toaster-never approaches that of the four-cylinder smoothies in, say, a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. Moreover, on cold mornings, this engine balks and stalls if asked to move the car before an appropriate idle is negotiated. Beyond 5000 rpm, the racket becomes downright intrusive and, at one frequency, actually sets the sun visors to buzzing like a pair of deranged June bugs. Although the Kompressor doesn't sound as tractorish as it does in the SLK, it still emits a coarse, gruff, low-pitched grumbling that is far from satisfying. There is, however, a downside to this newfound thrust. The engine pulls eagerly from 2500 to 4800 rpm, through which range it produces peak torque, and the five-speed automatic clicks off flawlessly smooth wide-open-throttle upshifts. In fact, the car is only 0.4 second slower to 60 mph than an SLK roadster, and-holy smokes-is 0.3 quicker to 60 than the last C280 V-6 we tested.
Sixty mph now looms large in only 7.6 seconds, a 1.2-second improvement over the last four-cylinder C-class we tested, a 1994 C220, and a margin the C230K maintains throughout the quarter-mile. Is the C230K ballsier than the sedan it replaces? You bet your polished wingtips.
#1998 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 230 KOMPRESSOR PLUS#
That trim, plus the gray seats and black dash, comprise an interior more austere than Henry Hyde's shoes.īut forget about that. Our test car was fitted with the optional $890 Sport package-16-inch Continental ContiSport Contacts (which sounds like a rough Euro iteration of croquet that requires helmets), beautiful six-spoke alloy wheels, more aggressive seat bolsters, firmer suspension calibrations, and a load of faux carbon-fiber trim scattered around the cockpit.
#1998 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 230 KOMPRESSOR DRIVERS#
The base C230K ($31,795) now also includes standard-equipment traction control (previously a $990 option), leather seating inserts, and brake assist (which helps timid drivers summon ABS during emergencies in the Big K's parking lot). This year, the four is intercooled and supercharged-the "K" stands for Kompressor-raising its output from 1998's 148 hp (and 162 pound-feet of torque) to 1999's 185 hp (and 200 lb-ft). And there's the base car depicted here, with a DOHC 2.3-liter four-banger. There's the over-the-top C43 AMG, producing 302 horsepower and costing, ahem, $54,651. Mercedes-Benz currently offers three C-class sedans. When the salesman first saw our C230K, he said, "Hey, look, it's the little K," not to be confused with the Big K, which has something to do with a Kmart marketing scheme. Get it? Neither did we, but we think he's referring to the C-class's styling or its age or both. "One's a roadster, the other's a toaster." This caused him to bend double in a fit of laughter. What do a cherry-red SLK230 and a base C-class sedan have in common?" asked an Acura salesman in Ohio. From the March 1999 issue of Car and Driver.
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