Driven: 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4Matic offers S-Class Charisma at a fraction of the price

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From the outside, the C 300 clearly shares some of its key design features with its bigger S-Class brother. The headlight and front fascia treatment are nearly identical. The lower grille sections are similar and although the C 300 is distinguished with prominent bulges in the hood, it shares the same sharp creases where the hood tapers to the fender. The belt lines and taillights still share so much DNA that the C 300 is really closer to the S-Class in design than ever before.

Our test car’s 19-inch five-spoke wheels look more athletic than most will find on the S-Class, but that’s a good thing, because the C 300 should feel more nimble, both from its external design and from behind the wheel. Unlike the brand’s new all-electric EQS, the C 300 features what Mercedes calls a ‘cab-backward’ design with a long hood and short rear trunk space. Although our car was not equipped with it, an AMG package adds a rear diffuser, performance brakes and a sports suspension, along with other subtle visual changes to the exterior.

A chic place

Like the exterior of the C 300’s design, the interior borrows much from the flagship in the family. A new progressive interior features a prominent dashboard with no fewer than six different patterns available. In addition, there are 11 different upholstery choices, ranging from plain black MB-Tex (the brand name for synthetic leather) to ‘Power Red/Black’ leather.

As has been the case for a while, the seat controls are on the door panel and work well. Despite my slightly above average height (6’6), I found it quite easy to get comfortable, despite the top of my hair just grazing the headliner. Manually adjustable headrests for the front seats played a role in this. If we could change the front seats, we would put them a little lower in the car.

The rear seats aren’t all that comfortable for a person my height, but average-sized adults can survive most trips there without fuss. However, we would not recommend fitting five adults in this car. The ‘cab-backward’ design looks good and sure, there’s more room than in the previous generation, but not much.

Yet the overarching theme of the C 300s interior is one of genuine luxury and quality. The shifters feel great in everyday use, from the climate vents that are snug but well positioned to the paddle shifters that provide a satisfying click when pulled. However, it is not all perfect. The piano black plastics grab and hold fingerprints and smudges, and the touch-sensitive buttons and sliders are a whole different subject. Let’s get into that.

Technology hits and misses

Looking back at the occupants of the C 300 are two screens. Directly in front of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. It is clear, rectangular and easy to understand in practice. The central infotainment screen faces very slightly towards the driver, but can be easily seen and manipulated by the passenger. It also looks great and offers an almost stunning array of features and options. Unfortunately, manipulating the system is not nearly as easy as it could be.

Physical touches of the screen get quick responses, but the menu system itself is a bit complicated and hard to follow. In addition, the capacitive buttons just below the infotainment screen and on the steering wheel are frustrating to use in practice. Sometimes they don’t respond at all, other times the system senses the touch and seems to overreact.

Fortunately, Mercedes has one of the very best voice control systems in the industry. Every aspect of it we tested worked the first time with no additional tries. That doesn’t mean it was perfect all week. Occasionally it asked us to repeat sentences, but overall we found it easier to use than the touch interface itself. It’s especially excellent at giving turn-by-turn navigation directions, thanks in part to the augmented reality being applied to the system.

As you approach bends or places where you may need to change lanes, the system shows the real road ahead on the main infotainment system with floating arrows pointing in the right direction.

The only thing we would change is that we would put that in the heads-up display or limit the AR part to half the infotainment system instead of the whole thing. In addition to the AR version, you could also see the top view of the bend. It should also be noted that the navigation system would occasionally make mistakes, such as the time it tried to tell us to drive on a closed bike path to get to our destination.

The premium Burmester sound system in the C300 was fine, but we found it really struggled with bass-heavy music. However, the rest of the range was great and the system allows for a lot of customization.

The C 300’s automatic parking feature was impressive. Once activated, the car automatically scans the roadside for a parking space. When a space is found, the interface prompts the driver to engage the actual parking action and then modulate the brake as needed. In our testing, it seemed like it struggled to get close to the curb if no parking lines were in place.

It would still make a space, but there would sometimes be 18 or more inches left between the car and the curb. If lines were present, it was very impressive. Not only would it position the car about 8 inches from the curb, but it would also pull the car forward into the space to ensure it is centered where possible.

A new C-Class family tree

Breaking with the tradition of its past, Mercedes sells the new C 300 in three different trim levels, then allows buyers to add additional content in packs or individually. The entire trio of finishes is available with rear or four-wheel drive (4Matic).

The lineup starts with the Premium which includes standard equipment such as 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, an 11.9-inch infotainment system, heated front seats, artificial leather upholstery, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, an integrated WiFi hotspot and atmospheric interior lighting. .

Every C 300 is also equipped with Emergency Stop Assist, Adaptive High Beam Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Forward Collision Restriction and a Safe Exit System. That’s a lot of equipment for the C 300’s $43,550 starting at MSRP.

The exclusive trim level, priced at $45,800, adds the Burmester audio system, wireless charging pad, automated parking system, 360-degree camera and streaming music services.

The top trim is aptly named Pinnacle and has integrated augmented reality navigation and a heads-up display. The top two trims can add a Driver Assistance package that includes adaptive cruise control, lane assistant, evasive steering assist, blind spot intervention and more. It starts at $47,500.

Shoppers can further add individual features such as leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, updated headlights and adaptive headlamps.

Fuel economy

According to the EPA, the 2022 C 300 Sedan can get up to 25 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway. That results in a combined score of 29. The 4Matic version sees those numbers drop to 23, 33 and 27 respectively. In our week of mixed driving, we ended up with an observed 27.7 mpg combined. That’s pretty good for this class and easily beats competitors like the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

When did normal cars get so fast?

Driving the C 300 every day for a week was a real pleasure. It is a smooth and comfortable performer in everyday traffic. Both the accelerator and the brake take a few days to really get the hang of. Once you’re comfortable with it, it’s easy to adjust speed and braking with a deft touch.

We are also very impressed with how well the car coped with heavy rain. Despite severe downpours, it never felt like it lost grip or balance. We also take a moment to say that the automatic wipers are exceptional. They also didn’t need any interaction from us to do their job.

How would this little sedan fare if it went fast? While 255 horsepower (190 kW) and 295 pound-feet (399 Nm) of torque may not sound like much, it’s more than powerful enough for the C 300. From a standstill, it rips from 0-60 in just 5.3 seconds. It would be even faster if the engine no longer needs to run the turbo before the real power kicks in.

Nevertheless, the mild hybrid helps by being able to add up to 20 horsepower in short bursts. Once it’s up to highway speeds, the C-Class is a brilliant cruiser and doesn’t run out. Three-digit speeds feel significantly slower thanks to rock-solid construction and a quiet cab.

A sound we like to hear in the C 300 is the engine with a surprising rasp above 4,000 rpm. When cornering, the C 300 is agile and confident. Low and high speed corners are managed with confidence and accuracy. The steering wheel and pedals provide extensive feedback on what is happening on the tires. In the end, we found the driving experience in the C 300 to be very impressive.

Raising the bar

Mercedes is launching the C 300 against a bevy of challengers. The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé and the Audi A5 Sportback are clear rivals, but they are no longer alone. The Genesis G70 and the Alfa Romeo Giulia also share this space. In that extended group, the C 300 feels the most luxurious to us. It’s not as good value as the G70 and it’s not as sharp a performance sedan as some others.

Overall, though, we think the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 is an incredibly capable package of well-rounded features. It’s fast, it’s curated, it’s packed with high-end luxury treatments and technology, and it’s competitively priced. We are curious how the AMG variants C43 and C63 raise the bar even higher.