2011 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan - Well Blown Indeed

Time is money! Such
is the reason that auto-
motive repair shops
use air tools to remove
bolts, nuts and get re-
pairs done in short
order! A compressor
supplies the air that
powers such tools.

The 2011 Mercedes-
Benz C230 'Kompressor'

Sports Sedan also uses air to provide the engine's horsepower and better the
fuel economy from its 4-cylinder engine. As a compressor provides forced air,
the kompressor on the C230 is another word for supercharger.

So what does the blown C230 Mercedes have to offer? Its 1.8-liter 4-cylinder
engine puts out 189 hp at only 800 rpm and 192 lt. lb. of torque at 3500 rpm.
Because supercharging is run off of the engine rather than the exhaust
as with a turbo, there is no power lag but just smooth power up through
the rev range. And 189 hp is equal to what a small naturally aspirated
6-cylinder engine puts out. Furthermore, the transmission for the C230
Kompressor is a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.

The 0-60 time is in the low 7- second range (7.2) and the mpg is 22 in the
city and 32 on the highway. Thus, the kompressor provides good performance
as well as reasonable fuel economy. Additionally, because the engine is a
4-cylinder, there is room in the engine bay to easily change the spark plugs
(although they are good for 50,000-60,000 miles) and perform other basic
maintenance. Another plus of the 4-cylinder engine is its light weight that
helps this midsized 4-door sedan to have good handling characteristics.

The suspension of this Benz is McPherson struts up front and independent
five-link (multilink) at the rear.

The interior of the C230 Kompressor is comfortable and of customary
Mercedes' high quality. On the outside, the C230 Kompressor looks
sleek, sporting and ready to do some lively back road work. However,
make no mistake; this Mercedes is just as capable of providing a com-
fortable cruise across the country.

The car's safety features include: anti-lock brakes, dual front air bags, side
impact air bags, heated intermittent wipers, rear window defroster, a head
airbag restraint system, and fog lights.

Furthermore, the car's standard features include: dual-zone automatic air
conditioning, power windows, keyless entry, traction control, automatic
slip control, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, sport suspension, Auto-on
headlamp control, cargo cover, digital clock, speed control, trip computer,
seating capacity for 5, full carpet floor covering, carpeted floor mats,
aluminum dashboard trim and console insert, chrome interior accents,
adjustable front head restraints with tilt, 6-way adjustable driver and
passenger's seats, and 60/40 split-folding rear seat.

And as we are well aware, Mercedes are expensive, this C-Class is the
least expensive Benz model. The 2011 Mercedes C230 Kompressor
starts at $28,710.

Have an auto question or comment? You can email it to me at
Kbusch3@verizon.net. Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best
for the Price..." www.DriveTheBestBook.com.