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Mercedes clearly realizes this, for they’ve also provided a central display within the speedometer face that, among other functions, can provide basic information about the audio system. In this mode, various buttons on the steering wheel allow you to safely and easily adjust the radio, CD or whatever music source has been selected. Too bad the software programmers forgot to design the display to automatically switch to the audio setting whenever the audio system is being used. Instead, you have to manually scroll to that specific screen by pressing a complex series of buttons each and every time you start the car and/or turn the music on, which is every bit as irritating as it sounds. When it comes to audio entertainment options, however, the C300 puts BMW to shame. Besides an optional iPod cable that connects in the glove box, the $2,950 Multimedia Package brings both a 4GB hard drive and a PC Card slot in the dash. It also upgrades the speakers to the Harman/Kardon Logic 7 system, though the sound quality is noticeably inferior to that of even the 328i’s base stereo. A Bluetooth wireless phone connection is standard.Techno junkies will certainly appreciate all the gadgetry Mercedes has packed into the C300. The rest of us will bemoan the fact that all that hardware obviously cut deep into the cabin’s budget, leaving the rest of the interior disturbingly second-rate. Rough-textured plastics are prevalent throughout, while most controls operate with the kind of flimsy action that has been the bane of American cars for several decades. It’s hard to shake the overall sensation of cheapness that dominates this interior, especially considering the granite-hewn construction for which Mercedes cabins were once celebrated. Even the steering wheel and seats, items that were brilliantly executed in the previous C-class Sport, have been downgraded to cheap knock-offs of their former selves.
Plenty of power This is a shame, because both six-speed transmissions are a pleasure to shift and feel well-matched to their respective powerplants. The 328i actually has longer throws and a somewhat less precise action than the Benz, though neither trait is significant enough to be a major detraction. On the other hand, the C300’s foot-operated parking brake does present an issue on steep inclines, despite the hill-hold feature that prevents roll back for a few seconds.
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