Floor the throttle on the freeway Tenerife express the vitality in the central area that was not here before, with a sweet soundtrack. Mercedes is the estimated 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds, but our 2012 C350 Sport feels a few tenths faster than that.
It is not enough to follow with the 335i to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat, or G37, which is not within 5.2 hits. The C350's naturally aspirated V6 provides plenty of low-end torque to accelerate the slow corners on the Carretera del Bailadero, but not the kind of grunt for a moment you get with 335i turbo.
2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. C350 which also did not contest the seven-speed automatic transmission speed (even though we're pretty sure G37-style automatic throttle blips our passengers will be reduced to a quivering heap in the footwell). At least polite quick downshifts are in Sport mode. Paddle shifters are not available, and did not even ask about the manual gearbox - no one in America wants a three-Benz pedal.
Gear ratios are not changed in the seven-speed automatic, but engineers have been some improvements to the loss torque converter slip and friction. This update, along with the new engine will produce fuel economy is slightly lower - an estimated 2012 Mercedes C350 gets 21 mpg combined versus 20 combined with the model 2011.
This may not be a dramatic improvement you have to expect a direct injection V6 with Mercedes, and that's because the U.S. version will not all fuel-saving measures in the Euro-spec C350 tester us. 2012 European market Mercedes-Benz C350 using stratified charge combustion in situations of low load to 3800 rpm. This cuts fuel consumption by 10 percent. But the U.S. can not, due to fuel our higher-sulfur will destroy the NOx catalyst.
Our European-spec C350 also has a start-stop function. Although we feel mediocre it out at traffic lights, Mercedes executives do not believe we will not panic when the engine is turned off, so it is not bound by U.S. 2012-C-Class will have it.
If you are determined to save fuel, you are better off with entry-level 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250, which has a new direct-injection 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, rated 201 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque. It comes with a seven-speed automatic, too, and gets 30 mpg on the highway, says Mercedes.
In between, there is the C300 4MATIC. It has a transfer port-injected V6 3.0-liter 228-hp. It is not faster than the C250 (7.1 seconds for the 60 is the claim), and it is the least efficient of the three models (20 mpg combined), but it is the C-Class sedan to get if you want all-wheel drive. The C250 and C350 is rear drive only.
Bottom-line model also comes in a variant C250 and C300 4MATIC Luxury Luxury with a softer state of the track, but the adaptive dampers are standard across the board.
This mid-cycle refresh not make radical changes to the suspension of C-Class, that struts and double bottom left front and multilink rear suspension including, but lead chassis engineer said compression damping to the drive to improve has increased, although we never cared about how the class C-gen is currently running.
And after our adventure in the back streets of Tenerife, we still do not. However, even with a silencer in their sports organization, C350 Sport in 2012 was still very interesting. It is suitable for technical way, but has no response, sharp steering communicative and that if the 3-series sedans, and G37 is very addictive. C350 may match the number of their treatment, but will not inspire a lot of "just because" the drive.
Each generation C-Class sedan now, we already have a very good quality build and materials, but the vibration of a hospital department can be a little bit, especially in the long run-flat cab long our black 2008 C300 Sport.
So Mercedes have opened the site for 2012, adding more metal (Sport model) and wood inlay (Luxury model) and a pair of new wheel designs. With a nod to modern times, the integration of a car from a 7-inch navigation screen on the dashboard instead of pop on command. Europe will be able to use the screen to surf the web and checking SMS text messages, and even though we do not enjoy the entertainment, the new system 80GB hard drive-based nav includes 3-D maps.
New features include standard Bluetooth audio streaming capability and system Attention Assist, which gives you a virtual elbows as you fall asleep at the C-Class. departure systems lane Blind-spot warning and an option package. In Europe, the steps to repair the system if you do not, but in the U.S., because they just warned us all about personal freedom here.
At the end of the day, we deposit passengers calm and rejuvenated at the hotel where he suited up again to go out tonight. Although our 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport has a hand in the recovery, it will not be our first choice for sports sedan under $ 50,000 now will be sold in August.
New direct-injection V6, the C350 back in the game, but the Benz still not as fast as the BMW 335i or Infiniti G37, and will not replace it with the fuel supply and the handling superb. Once again, the Sport C350 luxury sedan just executed better going on "Sport" in its name.
It is also slightly cheaper than, rival BMW and Mercedes are planning to hold line on prices for 2012. Search C350 to about $ 40,000 and the beginning of the mid-$ 40Ks as equipped as our tester. With similar devices, C350 will probably cost $ 3000-4000 dollars less than the 335i - at which point you must decide how many BMW's strong personality is valuable to you.
