Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Hot on the heels of the 3 Series last week is the entry level Merc, the C200. A direct competitor to BMW's erstwhile upstart, one would think that they are pretty much equal so a comparison is inevitable. BMW and Mercedes both have a four cylinder engine at this level - the 320i and C200; both can be detuned, which results in models 318i and C180, respectively. These lesser variants lose about 20 hp but the displacement does not change.

When Miss Daisy doctor son can dial himself into a car with the three pointed star, it still means he has arrived. And although the opulence of the higher models in the range is not quite represented in the 'C', there are clues to its heritage and engineering - that sudden inrush of silence when the doors are closed.

The baby Benz is bigger than the BMW in all respects except wheelbase - both are 2,760 mm.

Cost-wise, the Benz waltzes away from the Beemer. Eurostar hits the wallet $1.5m harder - $7.2m is its asking price versus $5.725m for the BMW. Where the Benz differs markedly from the Beemer is in horsepower: 145 versus just over 180 - advantage Benz. The 2.0 litre M271 four pot is supercharged — or 'Kompressed'.

'C' class cars are only available with forced induction, so there was no way we could really get around this comparison - the next rung up the Beemer ladder, the 325i, is a six cylinder, and brings the 3 up to par price-wise. A manual 325i sells for 60,385 Euro, or a touch over $7m, the automatic 325i costs $7.5m.

Command interface

The large, expansive, plastic dash is not a plus, but 'C's interior is luxurious, spacious and filled with amenities - the command interface is as intuitive as it gets - yours truly was using it in seconds.

And then, there's the Mercedes ride. This new 'C' is built like a traditional sedan, and it has a traditional luxury car silhouette. Mercedes makes sure that the eye sees things that emphasise its status; those long flowing lines along the sculpted hood sedate and pacify for some reason - traffic seems to part before them. Turning is razor sharp, with no hint of wallow, not even at higher 'rates of progression'.

'C's engine is another matter. Step on this beast's tail and it answers in no mean measure. While the four cylinder by itself isn't exactly tuneful, the belt whine of the supercharger has a glorious wail at higher revs and punches the genteel power plant into rocket mode, permeating a viscous cycle - the harder you go, the more glorious the wail becomes. A most pleasing catch-22 situation.

The transmission, though, let down the side - it was indecisive. In 'manumatic' mode, first gear was followed not by second, but third - and sometimes engaged with a hard thump. Although our tester had already covered 10,000 kilometres, that represents a little over a year's driving. In a seven million dollar machine, such an anomaly is out of place.

Although this week's test drive was blighted by the truculent tranny, the baby 'Benz' still scored high in terms of value and prestige. 'C' has the presence of its bigger brethren, which goes a long way to justifying the nosebleed price tag. In the price stakes, however, one has to ask the question - does it offer as much value as the 325i?