Fun and Affordable

Author's Rating:

Pros: Peppy and smooth engine; sporty handling

Cons: Poor rear seat space; expensive electronic key

The Bottom Line: 
The Mercedes driving experience costs less than I was expecting... and it is a fine experience.

Author's Review
This review is based on a 20-minute test drive of the Mercedes C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe.

I got a card in the mail offering me a $75 Amazon gift certificate if I took a test drive in a C230 at the neighborhood Mercedes dealer, and that was all the incentive I needed. I headed over to the dealer (where I also checked out the new Porsche Cayenne, but alas no test drive of that!) and waited a while for a salesman willing to take me out in the C230.

This is a very nice little car at a reasonable price. The C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe that I drove reeks of German sports car elegance, including a fine leather-wrapped steering wheel, perforated leather seats, a radio that is nicely integrated into the dash and excellent controls that are right where you expect them to be. And the rear-view mirror has a built-in garage door opener.

The exterior of the C230 has the traditional Mercedes grille shape and tri-star emblem in the front. From the side, this car could be a Mitsubishi or even a Hyundai. It’s not a bad look… it’s just the modern, rounded “sports coupe” look that will probably look dated in a few years as other styles become more popular.

The 2003 C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, disk brakes at all four corners, and a supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 189 horsepower and 192 ft-lbs of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard but my tester had a five-speed automatic with “Tiptronic” in it. The car is rear-wheel drive; Mercedes’ 4-Matic all-wheel drive system is not available on the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe.

I’m 5’-8” and fit nicely behind the wheel, and the seat has lots of adjustments for height, recline and front-to-back distance. The leather seat was nicely bolstered, as you expect in a sports coupe, but not overly bolstered. There was a comfortable amount of lumbar support but this is not adjustable.

I fit just adequately in the rear seat, which is ostensibly big enough for three people. Two people of short-to-medium stature will fit in back – I had enough legroom in the back seat but my head was touching the car’s headliner. In any event, access to the back seat is awkward in the two-door C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe. I certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck in the back with two other people.

The C230 that I drove had an adjustable, retractable semi-transparent sunroof with a retractable shade. The sunroof also tips up in back if you want more ventilation.

The car has a rear hatch that lifts to expose a large cargo area. The split rear seat folds down for big cargo projects. With the seats up, there is a retractable shade that hides your possessions and under the floor of the “trunk” is an inflatable spare tire. Interestingly, the car also comes with a first aid kit.

The engine was smooth and very peppy, with no hint that it was a four-banger under the hood. There was no whine or obvious sensation of a supercharger – power was there the moment I pressed down with my right foot and it was a very pleasing quantity of power. The car leaped forward, eager to be running and quickly climbed to illegal speeds. I was very impressed with the ability of this engine to quickly add hustle to the 3,250-pound C230.

Engine noise is just barely audible inside the car with the windows up and there is really no exhaust note. If you like a bit of burble in the exhaust of your sports coupe, the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe will disappoint. The engine was very smooth at all speeds, whether stopped at a light or accelerating to Interstate highway merging speed. The engine was turning a sedate 2,200 RPM at 55 mph, which is excellent for cruising and mileage. Speaking of mileage, the car is rated at 23 city and 32 highway.

I tried out the Tiptronic feature and didn’t really care for the left-right action of the shift lever to access the gear changes. I think that a forward-reverse action for the Tiptronic is more natural and intuitive. The C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe did make the changes swiftly and smoothly, however. Shifts in the normal automatic mode were silky smooth, until I put the hammer down and the car lurched a bit into a lower gear.

The suspension had that European car firmness that I like very much. It gave me the sensation that I was in control of the car, without shattering my spine on every bump. The ride very much reminded me of my friend’s 2001 VW Jetta. The power steering was tight and responsive on the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe and the car had a nice, small turning radius. There was good steering feel, although it was just a little number than I like.

Digging into the couple of turns that I had access to showed that the car did lean a little in curves when pushed – less than a family sedan but more than a true sports car. The car’s brakes were excellent, with a firm pedal that was easy to modulate. Quick stops were straight and completely without drama.

Driving on the road at 55 mph, the car had just a little bit of wind noise that did not hamper conversation in the least… much to the delight of the salesman that accompanied me! I briefly checked the radio (which was the optional Bose system) and it sounded very nice. The radio has an in-dash cassette player and a six-disk CD changer in the spacious glove compartment.

The C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe has at least six air bags, including side-curtain air bags for both the front and rear. I’m not a big air bag fan, but at least they weren’t intrusive in this Mercedes.

The C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe comes from the factory with Mobil 1 synthetic oil and has a reasonable four-year/50,000 mile warranty. The car also has a comprehensive Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that controls traction under a variety of settings, including slippery weather and sideways-sliding situations. There is a button on the dash that disables the ESP.

I lifted the hood and there was a bit of room to work. Things were laid out logically and normal maintenance should be fairly easy. The hood and doors all closed with a reassuring “thunk,” although the rear hatch took a healthy slam to latch that I thought was harder than it should have been.

Finally, this car uses one of those new-fangled electronic keys that costs $180 to replace. If I had to list negatives for this car, its $180 key would be at the top of the list.

If you have only one car, I do not recommend the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe. Rather, there is a very similar C230 Kompressor Sports Sedan that has four doors, more headroom in back and is all-around more practical. However, if you already have a more practical car, the C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe would be a fun, affordable and very solid-feeling addition that is perfectly suited for commuting and weekend trips to the twisty roads.

How affordable is it? The sticker on the car I drove had a list price of $30,745, including the five-speed Tiptronic automatic, upgraded stereo, sunroof, leather and the optional ($400) CD changer. Without any negotiation, the salesman offered me the car for $28,650. This seems like a reasonable price for a working couple that needs two cars and wants one with a fun personality.

If you have more money, the same body style is available with a 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine that adds about 35 horsepower. For the significant bump in purchase cost and higher gasoline prices, I personally don’t think it’s worth it.

Honestly, if I were looking for a small, sporty and classy car, the Mercedes C230 Kompressor Sports Coupe and its four-door sibling just moved to the top of my list.