Genuine And OEM Mercedes

Genuine And OEM Mercedes

The Mercedes Benz C350 is included in the Mercedes C-Class group of vehicles. This series of cars includes compact executive vehicles that were originally introduced in 1993 as a way of replacing the 190 range of vehicles. The C-Class of vehicles was the second-largest series to be introduced by Mercedes, following the later introduction of the A-Class. As a result, the vehicles in the C-Class quickly became known as the Baby Benz group. The new W204 chassis was introduced to the world in 2008. At that time, the C350 was given a stylish new overhaul. This new look endured through the third generation of vehicles to be introduced in the C-Class. Both the first and second models of the C350 vehicle featured a standard engine that included a 3.5-liter V6 with 258 pounds of torque and 268 horsepower. The C350 provided a 17.4 gallon fuel tank. When the first model was released, it was capable of achieving a fuel efficiency of 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the open highway. With the release of the second model, the C350 could achieve 17 miles per gallon on the city and 25 miles per gallon the open highway. The C350 also featured tilt steering, separate front climate controls, air conditioning, a leather steering wheel, and tilt steering.

Not that we needed any help shedding body temperature. With the thermometer hovering around 16 degrees and a scornful wind threatening to rip our eyelids from our faces and beat us to death with them, there was no sanctuary more welcome than that of the C350 4Matic Coupe's interior. The cabin features a set of well-bolstered leather bucket seats as gorgeous as they are comfortable. Handsome contrasting double stitching, attractive pleating and a chrome forward-release handle all make the seats easy on the eye. Throw in the fact that the three-stage heated buckets are warm enough to boil water and we were suitably smitten. The C-Class Coupe treats its driver to a sporty three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel with perforated hide and ergonomic contours at nine and three. The multifunction piece is a perfect fit for the sporty two-door, as are the attractive three-bezel gauges. With an informative LCD set in the center of the speedometer and a slick, outer-ring needle system, the gauges offer a nice blend of analog and digital displays. But we're more interested in the vehicle's mechanical innards.

The 2012 C350 4Matic is propelled by the same 3.5-liter V6 engine found in its rear-wheel-drive counterpart, complete with identical power figures. The engine produces 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque and manages to net the same 20 miles per gallon city / 29 mpg highway Environmental Protection Agency figures as the rear-drive C350 Coupe. Mercedes-Benz employed a raft of engineering cleverness to reduce driveline drag, starting with the seven-speed automatic transmission designed and built in house. The gearbox is the core of the company's modular 4Matic system, and uses an internal transfer case to slim efficiency losses. Instead of a separate transfer case unit bolted to the rear of the transmission, the seven-speed diverts power to the front wheels directly from the tailshaft via a separate, but still internal, shaft. In addition to curtailing driveline losses, the design offers significant weight savings: 100 pounds over the third-generation 4Matic architecture and 150 pounds over the company's first all-wheel-drive systems.

The modular design also allows the vehicle to use the same suspension geometry as the base C-Class Coupe, which means both ride height and turning radius remain unaffected. The system defaults to a 45/55 drive force split from front to rear, though that figure can swing to 30/70 in either direction as needed. The result is impressive. We would feel entirely comfortable putting anyone behind the wheel in the midst of the next ice age, regardless of their snow-driving experience. Between the 4Matic system's capability and 4ETS' logic, no amount of ham-fistedness or fondness for throttle yielded anything beyond a split-second of understeer before we merrily resumed course. That's not to say that 4ETS is a gentle hand ushering the C350 4Matic Coupe away from impending snow banks, though. With its reliance on actuating the brake system to recover traction, the technowizardry arrives on the scene with all the subtlety of Larry the Cable Guy.