A very good compromise
There are few places on God's Green Earth where testing a new product is more exhilarating than on the mountainous roads and coastal by-ways of Spain. Mercedes-Benz' new C-Class could not have asked for a better venue to display its new handling abilities. The highways surrounding Benidorm, Alicante and Valencia are ripe for testing the C-Class' Agility Control or self-adjusting dampers. The idea behind the setup is combining comfort and agility (hence the name) in order to find the best compromise. Even though the technology is not new, it still impresses with its instantaneous and seamless reactions.

The new C-Class has good road manners.

The optional Sport Agility Package (SAP) adds a tinge of spice when the "Sport" button is depressed. The suspension firms up immediately, throttle response sharpens and transmission shifts quicken up. The briefly tested C 280 Avantgarde demonstrated quick-witted feedback, better turn-in and more poise at higher speed than the non-SAP C 350. Tires on the C-Class differ with the packaging. The C 280 Avantgarde with SAP is equipped with aggressive Pirelli P-Zero rubber that enhances the whole of the experience. The Elegance runs on Continental ContiSportContact tires which are no slouches in the grip department.

Although the 3.0L V6 sports a 40 hp deficit, it carries the C-Class effortlessly around and about unless the "Go-pedal" is mashed to the floor-pan. The 3.5L, under the same strain, awakens sooner and pulls longer and harder. The advantage was most obvious while we were climbing the mountains surrounding Alcoy. In both cases, the 7-speed gearbox is a perfect mate; it shifts crisply and willingly. Steering and brakes are well up to the task.

The right hand
Mercedes is playing its cards very well. This thoroughly revised car's pricing will be nearly identical to that of the previous car. The promise of a sportier more powerful and economical C-Class seems to have the public drooling as over 55,000 orders have already been placed.

The big question is whether or not the new C-Class can rivals the established performance players in the gang; namely the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-Series. The short of the answer is no. Although the car is nimbler and more involving than the previous C-Class, it falls short in dynamics. The 3-Series is more encompassing but cannot match the C's level of cosiness. In my mind, that is exactly what a Mercedes is supposed to be.

2008 price range to remain very close to that of the 2007.