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Hybrid
The bread-and-butter of Mercedes-Benz’s sedan range, the C-Class covers all the bases with mainstream, plug-in hybrid, and three high-performance trims, as well as sedan, coupe, and convertible body styles. If you’re looking for a car, there’s probably some kind of Mercedes-Benz C-Class for you.
What's New for 2017
The C-Class gets very sporty for 2017, with coupe, cabriolet, and two high-performance models on offer. The headline-grabbers are the Mercedes-AMG C43 and C63. As for the new body styles, both the C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet mirror the C-Class sedan’s engine lineup, aside from the C350e plug-in hybrid trim.
Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The most immediate decision for consumers is deciding on a body style. The sedan is a known quantity, offering adequate second-row legroom as part of the most versatile C-Class package.
The Coupe slashes a pair of doors out of the equation and looks to the drool-worthy S-Class Coupe for inspiration. Its sloping roofline and fastback-like tail make it a genuine challenger for the very pretty Audi A5. The Cabriolet complements the Coupe’s aesthetic strengths with a folding canvas roof, that increases headroom immeasurably.
Despite four separate models (five if you count the C63 S), the optional extras for the C-Class aren’t dramatically different. We recommend the highest Premium Package you can afford – while pricey, they add a lot of valuable content, from blind-spot monitoring, to navigation, to a Burmester stereo. Heated and ventilated front seats – occasionally included, depending on which of the four Premium Packages you select – a head-up display, and a cushy air suspension are available as well.
C300
Available in Sedan, Coupe, and Cabriolet, and with an optional 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, the C300 uses a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder to generate 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.
Paired with a standard nine-speed automatic transmission, the C300 returns 24 miles per gallon city and 34 mpg highway in rear-drive-sedan trim (24/31 with all-wheel drive). The Coupe’s good looks demand a one-mpg sacrifice on the city cycle and a four-mpg drop on the highway (23/29 with 4Matic). The Cabriolet maintains the hardtop’s city rating but gains one mpg on the highway (22/29 for all-wheel drive).
Prices start at $40,425 (including a $925 destination charge) for the C300 Sedan, $43,575 for the C300 Coupe, and $51,825 for the C300 Cabriolet. Tack $2,000 onto each of those figures for 4Matic all-wheel drive.
C350e
The plug-in hybrid C350e marries the C300’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with a 60-kilowatt electric motor to generate a total output of 275 hp and a massive 443 lb-ft of torque. Despite its green leanings, the C350e is 0.2 seconds faster to 60 miles per hour than the C300, which takes six seconds.
But it also bests the gas-only four-cylinder on fuel economy. The C350e’s 6.2-kilowatt-hour battery can only store enough electricity for 19 miles of zero-emissions driving, although the combined 45 mpge city and 61 mpge highway is totally adequate for a plug-in hybrid. Unsurprisingly for such a niche product, Mercedes is only offering the C350e in a four-door sedan body.
The C350e starts at $47,045, not counting a $4,043 federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles.
C43 AMG
With its latest C-Class, Mercedes-Benz promoted its entry-level V6 model to full-blown AMG status. The new C43 uses a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 to produce 362 hp, 384 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to hit 60 in a speedy 4.6 seconds with the Coupe and Sedan, and 4.7 seconds for the Cabriolet. All-wheel drive is standard regardless of body style.
Naturally, this performance demands a fuel economy sacrifice. The Sedan and Coupe return 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, while the open-roof lifestyle will cost one mpg in the city and two on the highway.
Prices start at $52,925 for the C43 AMG Sedan, $56,425 for the Coupe, and $61,325 for the C43 AMG Cabriolet.
C63 AMG
Now we’re cooking. The range-topping Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG borrows its 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 from the AMG GT supercar. Consumers can choose from the 469-hp, 479-lb-ft C63 or the pricier, more powerful C63 S and its 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. Go with the standard model and you’ll hit 60 mph in four seconds – the S does the deed in 3.9. Like the C43, all-wheel drive although it ditches that model’s nine-speed automatic for a faster, more aggressive seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Buying a C63 for fuel economy is like eating a deep-fried cheeseburger for its nutritional value. Look for 18 mpg in the city and 24 in the city for the Sedan, 17 and 23 for the Coupe, and 17 and 22 for the Cabriolet. Despite the extra performance, the C63 S returns the same EPA estimates.
The C63 AMG starts at $66,125 for four-doors, $67,925 for a two-door, and $73,775 for a convertible roof. Adding the S trim will increase the sedan's price by $7,600 and the Coupe and Convertible prices by an even $8,000.
