Compact doesn’t mean basic when it comes to the Mercedes-Benz C250. Long known for its luxury and quality, the C250 comes surprisingly close to the level of refinement found in the brand’s most exclusive sedans.
What's New for 2014
A split-folding rear seat is now standard on all models.
Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz C250
Available as a coupe or sedan, the rear-drive C250 carries a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 201 horsepower, hooked to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The 1.8-liter might seem smallish for this class, but the payoff is 25 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
Standard equipment is generous for an entry-level luxury car and includes niceties like a sunroof, automatic wipers, LED running lamps, dual power seats, Bluetooth phone and audio, and HD radio.
The line is divided into three basic trim levels:
- Luxury Sedan: Comes with wood interior trim, ride-biased suspension tuning and a traditional Mercedes-Benz grille with a standup hood ornament.
- Sport Sedan: Carries aluminum interior trim, a firmer suspension, and a sport-themed steering wheel, grille treatment and wheel design.
- Base Coupe: Coupe versions get a few extra standard features that are optional on the sedans: a panoramic sunroof, driver seat memory and a power tilt/telescope steering wheel.
All variants can be equipped with a number of option packages:
- Leather: Includes leather upholstery and 14-way power front seat with memory.
- Premium: Adds heated front seats and a Harman-Kardon sound system with satellite radio and an iPod interface.
- Multimedia: Gets you a navigation system, a rearview camera, a 7-inch display screen, voice controls and a six-CD changer.
- Lighting: Adds bi-xenon headlamps with adaptive high beams and washers.
- Lane Tracking: Equips the C250 with blind-spot and lane-keeping assists.
- Driver Assistance: In addition to the above, you get adaptive cruise control with steering assist, cross-traffic assist, pedestrian detection and a collision mitigation system.
- PARKTRONIC: Makes parallel parking easier with a system of parking sensors and alerts
Sport models can also get these performance upgrades:
- Sport Package: Adds 18-inch AMG wheels, shift paddles, sport seats in black leather with red trim and a sport steering wheel.
- Sport Package Plus (coupe only): Provides an AMG sport suspension, upgraded braking and steering, sport exhaust and a transmission Sport mode.
Choose Your Mercedes-Benz C250 >>
The C250 sedan in Luxury trim strikes us the best all-around value in the lineup—not to mention the most prestigious looking. It’s true that the coupe can be made to handle with greater precision, but the cost of the performance upgrades probably isn’t worth it to most luxury car buyers.