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Autoworld.com - David Lee - Mercedes-Benz is boosting the value of its award-winning C-Class sport sedan models for 2000, having installed the supercharged engine from the acclaimed SLK roadster into the C230 Kompressor last year and revamped the line from grille to taillights for 1998.
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The 2000 C-Class features the innovative, new TeleAid system, which provides both convenience and emergency services at the touch of a button through a special cellular connection. The standard-equipment TeleAid system offers three distinct kinds of services accessible at the touch of a button. For emergency help, there's an SOS button above the rear-view mirror. Pushing the SOS button will immediately establish voice contact with Protection One, a provider contracted by Mercedes-Benz, which can dispatch local police or other emergency services. This button also transmits crucial information about the client, including the precise
location of the vehicle (through GPS tracking), the model of the car and its color (to help emergency services visually locate the car quickly). If a collision deploys any airbag, the system
automatically establishes contact with Protection One, relaying all pertinent information. If voice contact is not
established ( e.g., occupants are unable to respond), local police, fire or emergency services will be dispatched. The onboard transmitter is crash-secure, and has access to redundant antennae.
TeleAid includes two other buttons - mounted inside the center armrest -- for non-emergency use. One marked with the symbol of a wrench puts the customer in contact with the Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance.
When a request for roadside assistance is transmitted to the TeleAid Response Center, the client profile and mapping/location-identification information is appended to the call. It's routed directly to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance technician at the company's Client Assistance Center in Montvale, New Jersey without interruption.
A third button marked with the letter "i" connects the client with the Mercedes-Benz Client Assistance
Center, which can answer questions about the car. For example, the driver can request help with details on the audio system or optional telephone. A fourth benefit of the TeleAid system is vehicle theft tracking which can actually help authorities locate the car once the owner reports it stolen.
TeleAid eliminates the need to dial a phone number, use a cellular access code, juggle a handset or locate street names during an emergency. Although various telematic capabilities exist in other cars,
Mercedes-Benz is the first manufacturer to make emergency calling a standard feature. Moreover, the standard TeleAid
system does not require the customer to purchase a cellular phone or service - it operates on its own cellular
system with redundant antennae.
Performance Is The Word For C-Class
Mercedes-Benz gives buyers three distinct levels of
performance in the C-Class model line. The C230 Kompressor shares the four-cylinder 185-horsepower supercharged engine with the SLK roadster. A
crankshaft-driven supercharger compresses incoming air and an intercooler then cools the pressurized air. This
creates a denser intake charge to boost power further. With its 200 lbs.-ft. of torque available from 2,500-4,800 rpm, the C230 Kompressor rewards the driver with the smooth, flexible response one would expect of a
larger displacement engine.
Next up is the C280, powered by a new-generation light-alloy V6 engine with innovative
twinspark/three-valve technology for high performance with low emissions and Mercedes-Benz smoothness. With 194 horsepower, the C280 can sprint from zero-to-60 in eight seconds. Its 195Ibs.-ft. of peak torque is available over an extremely broad range from 3,000-4,800 rpm.
Topping the range is the limited-production, high-performance C43 - one of the most exciting Mercedes-Benz models ever offered -- which made its debut in 1998 and now nears the end of its celebrated
three-year production run. Mercedes-Benz developed the C43 with its high-performance tuner/partner, AMG.
The 4.3-liter V8 is modified by AMG to produce 302 horsepower and 3021bs.-ft. of torque (up from 275 and 295, respectively, for the stock V8 in
the E430 and CLK430). The C43 shows more of the AMG touch in its suspension tuning. special exhaust system, lower body styling and exclusive interior appointments.
Both the Mercedes-Benz V6 and V8 engines are equipped with the Flexible Service System
(FSS) that includes an oil quality sensor, which can discern actual wear and tear on the engine oil. The system can also account for urban and highway driving, and for oil top-ups. With
FSS, the minimum service interval is 10,000 miles, and some drivers will be able to go as much as 20,000 miles between oil changes -- a boon to owner convenience and the environment. An instrument panel indicator tells the driver when service is due.
For the entire 2000 C-Class line, free scheduled maintenance has been added for the four-year/50,000mile limited warranty , which also includes tires, batteries and adjustments for the full coverage period. In addition, the 24-hour Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Program covers III Mercedes-Benz cars and light trucks, regardless of model year . This peace of mind can include a free jump-start, a few gallons of fuel or mounting the spare tire,
even for those driving a decades-old Mercedes.
Touch Shift Makes Manual Shifting Easier, More Fun
All C-Class engines are teamed with the company's acclaimed electronic five-speed automatic
transmission that adapts to an individual's driving style. (The C43 employs a higher-torque capacity unit from the SL500 roadster.) For 2000, the C-Class makes use
of Touch Shift, a significant advance in shift control.
Borrowed from the recently introduced, all-new S-Class sedan, Touch Shift allows the driver to manually select
any gears immediately by lightly pushing the shift lever to the left or right.
Sport Sedan Benchmark
The C-Class is already one of the world's most responsive sport sedans, thanks to a
super-stiff body structure, double-wishbone front suspension and patented
five-link-per-side rear suspension. The control-arm front suspension design of the C-Class allows more precise wheel control than the simpler strut-based suspension systems used on many cars in this segment. The C230 Kompressor and C280 come standard with 7xl5-inch alloy wheels and 205160R-15 all-season tires. The C43 features substantially larger AMG wheels and high-performance tires in a "staggered" arrangement: 225145ZR-17 front and 245/40ZR-17 rear .
For an even sharper edge on handling, both the C230 Kompressor and C280 can be equipped with the optional Sport Package. An outstanding value at only $900, the package includes
full leather , sport seats, larger 7xl6-inch wheels with 205/55R-16
performance tires, finer suspension calibration, telescoping steering column
adjustment, special interior trim and exterior window treatment.
Safety First
While performance is clearly the underlying theme for the C-Class, safety remains the cornerstone of Mercedes-Benz engineering. As on every 2000 Mercedes-Benz, the C-Class comes standard with front
door mounted side airbags, as well as ABS anti-lock brakes. In addition, all 2000 Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles come with Brake Assist, the first system in the auto industry proven to reduce Stopping distances in emergency braking situations. Brake Assist can detect an emergency or "panic" stop by how quickly the brake pedal is applied. With lightning speed, it then applies
full braking force faster than a driver could.
Standard on all C-Class models for 2000, the extraordinary Electronic Stability Program (ESP) can detect and help prevent an impending spin or slide. ESP actually corrects understeer ("plowing") and oversteer ("fishtailing") by braking
the wheel, thus helping to keep the car going where the driver is steering it. The system is always on,
working at all speeds on all road surfaces.
Since 1998, all Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles have been equipped with the BabySmart automatic child seat recognition system, a Mercedes-Benz innovation that uses transponder technology to deactivate the front passenger-side airbag in the presence of a BabySmart-compatible Infant, Toddler or Booster child seat (available from Mercedes dealers).
C-Class A Best Value, The Experts Say
Beyond its proven performance, safety and quality, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class treats its occupants to a lengthy list of standard luxury features: leather seating inserts, automatic climate control with
dust/pollen filters, power driver's seat, power windows with express-up and down control, standard three-channel integrated garage door opener, outside temperature gauge, auto-dimming day/night mirror, cruise control and heated power sideview mirrors. In cold weather, the climate control system can even circulate residual warm air through the interior for up to 30 minutes while the car is parked.
The unique Mercedes-Benz SmartKey remote locking/anti-theft system is standard on most 2000 models,
including the C-Class. The key fob contains a radio-frequency unit to lock and unlock the doors, and a separate system to start the car. However, there is no metal ignition key that could be illegally copied. Instead, the driver inserts the pointed tip of the key fob into the
"key" slot and turns it. An infrared data exchange between the car and the remote unit electronically unlocks the steering column and engages the starter motor .
The code needed to unlock and start the car is changed each time the car is used, and the system disables the engine and sounds an alarm if a theft is attempted by a tow truck or flatbed.
Since its introduction, the C-Class has been repeatedly praised by independent sources. Right out of the gate in 1994, the C-Class garnered the inaugural North American Car
of The Year Award from an independent jury of auto writers and industry analysts.
Intellichoice: The Complete Car Cost Guide has given C-Class models "Best Value" awards for five consecutive years; the American Automobile Association (AAA) has also acknowledged the Mercedes C-Class for delivering the best value in its segment. Equally impressive is that the C-Class won these accolades in one of the most competitive segments in the automobile market.
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