The compact and mid-size luxury sedan market is getting to be kind of like a big party in a small room.  It’s not the largest segment of the market by a long stretch, but everybody’s got to have a car in it these days, it seems. It’s not as jam-packed as the crossover party is getting to be, but there’s no surplus of elbow room among these cars, either.

In this seriously crowded segment of the car market, the new Mercedes C-Class stands out by being ineffably polite.  You might not think that a car could be polite, but that’s exactly what this one is.  It’s got a full dozen competitors in the compact luxury sedan class; the brash, brazen BMW 3-Series and Cadillac CTS, the suave Audi A4 and Saab 9-3, the avant-garde Volvo S40 and Infiniti G35, the cool, cutting-edge Acura TSX, the wallflower Lincoln MKZ, and others.  In this varied company, there’s plenty of room for a vehicle to pose as the calm center of it all, and the Mercedes C-Class is up for the task.
Last redesigned a couple of years ago, the C-Class dropped the oval-eyed styling for a more serious, even severe look.  For 2009, the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system is back, with revisions that make it lighter and more compact.  These changes go a long way toward making the all-wheel drive C300’s performance indistinguishable from that of the rear-drive model, other than a degree of extra sure-footedness.
The C300 may look less swoopy than Mercedes’ other sedans, and in Sport-look trim it’s even got a bit of a frown on its face, but don’t let that put you off.  The C300 is as gracious and compliant as a trained butler.  This three-box compact sedan hits the road with a chiseled, athletic look and 17-inch wheels.  Up front, there’s a broad grille with a Mercedes star front and center, as if there were any mistaking the C300’s heritage.   The C300 Sport gets AMG-style body cladding, for a lower and more aggressive look.  Even the junior-class Mercedes is styled to command respect at the curb, and the C300 delivers.
The interior offers minor passenger thrills in the form of a cool disappearing information screen that folds into the dash when the car is turned off.  Other than that, it’s standard low-key Mercedes fare, with comfortable seats front and rear and a decent-sized trunk.  Mercedes’ C-Class has been criticized in the past for downmarket interior appointments, and Daimler-Benz has taken the criticism to heart, equipping the C300 with an elegant cabin nearly devoid of cheap plastics.  Burl walnut trim and high-quality leather are the order of the day here.  There’s even a showcar-like full-length sunroof available.   A 40-gigabyte hard drive is also available, with six gig devoted to music storage and a Zagat restaurant guide.  Bluetooth connectivity and dual-zone climate control are standard, and most of the dash functions can be controlled with a single rotary-style unit on the console.  Similar to the simplified accessory systems of the S-Class, the controller takes some getting used to but is not as user-unfriendly as BMW’s notorious iDrive.  On the safety side of things, new pelvic airbags provide additional crash protection and bring the total number of standard airbags to eight.  Of course, the reason you wanted the 4MATIC equipped Benz in the first place was to avoid having a crash in the first place, but you never know.
The C300’s powerplant is a 3.0 liter V6 that puts 228 horsepower at your command.   Shifting duties are handled by a glass-smooth seven-speed automatic transmission, and the revised 4MATIC all-wheel drive system is seamless on dry pavement.  The all-wheel drive is full-time and the center differential is integrated into the transmission.  The 45/55 front/rear power split means there’s no lag while the system transfers power to slipping wheels, and the lightening measures mean that the system adds less than 150 pounds to the C300’s overall weight, reducing the bulky feeling of many AWD cars.   Mercedes ESP stability control and 4ETS traction control are included on all-wheel drive models, to further assist in poor-weather stability.  The C300 performs adequately, but isn’t the sort of car to get up and run unless it absolutely has to.  When spirited performance is called for, the electronic throttle offers good response and makes the most of the C300’s moderate power.
This is the sort of compact luxury sedan you’d use to transport a birthday cake in the lap of a passenger without worrying about capsizing it–in fact, I did just that.  Even in Sport trim, the C300 offers a compliant and comfortable ride.   Opt for the Luxury trim level and the ride becomes plusher thanks to a dual-purpose shock absorber that irons out minor road bumps but stiffens to offer better road feel on irregular pavement.   I preferred the slightly more responsive ride of the Sport, but even the C300 Sport doesn’t beat its passengers up like some of the harder-edged luxury/sport sedans will, and the cabin is dead-silent at speed, even with the full-length sunroof.
Of course, that brings us to the sticker price.  $47,430 for our tester.  Aw, man!  Mercedes pricing is always a huge buzzkill, isn’t it?  Starting price for the C300 is a more reasonable $35,400, but the cool options like the Sport package, satellite radio, CD changer and panoramic sunroof drive the bottom line up fast.  That said, the C300, like most of the rest of its stablemates wearing the three-pointed star (the M-Class is a story for another day), feels very much like it’s willing to earn its high price tag with reliability, luxury and longevity.

Specifications:  All specs are for the 2009 Mercedes C300 4Matic.
Length:  182.3 in.
Width:  69.7 in.
Height:      56.3 in.
Wheelbase:  108.7 in.
Curb weight:   3737 lb.
Cargo space:   12.4 cu.ft.
Base price:  $35,400
Price as tested:      $47,430
Engine:   3.0 liter DOHC 24-valve V6
Drivetrain:  seven-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive
Horsepower:  228 @ 6000
Torque:  221@ 2700-5000
Fuel capacity:  17.4 gal.
Est. mileage:   17/25