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Power is fed theough a five-speed automatic transmission that adopts its shifts to suit the driver’s driving style. With the exception of the engine noise, you’ll forget you’re driving a four.
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1999 C230 KOMPRESSOR FULL
Power is well-controlled, with full power available closer to highway speeds. While not the quietest engine ever encountered, it lends the car a sporty edge. The engine initially seems every bit of four-cylinders, but the crankshaft-driven supercharger kicks in with a hearty whine and lots of power. It also makes this car a real alternative for someone looking for a car in the low 30s price range, something that couldn’t be said of its predescessor. That’s only 0.1 second slower than the more expensive six-cylinder model. Zero to 60 now takes a mere 8.1 seconds, two seconds quicker than last year and closer to other cars in this class. You’d expect double-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, but it’s the Eaton supercharger with an intercooler that adds the oomph. The numbers: 185 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque from a 2.3-liter in-line four-cylinder engine. That translates into a 37 horsepower increase and 38 pound-feet of torque increase. Thankfully, this year the standard engine comes from Mercedes Benz’s SLK coupe. When it debuted last year, the underpowered C230 came with a mere 148 horsepower, less than a Nissan Altima. After having redone its entry-level line for 1998, you’d think the folks at Mercedes Benz would leave well enough alone for their most affordable sedan, the C230.īut with increasing competition in the near-luxury class - those cars with base prices from $30,000 to $40,000 - the folks at M-B addressed one of the C230s biggest deficits: power.