The 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300 comes as a Sport sedan ($32,900), Luxury sedan ($34,650), 4Matic all-wheel drive Sport ($36,200) and 4Matic Luxury ($36,450). All come with a 228-hp 3-liter V6. The C300 Sport comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, the others with a seven-speed automatic available on the Sport ($1460).
Sport sedans use a different grille with the Mercedes-Benz ringed star in it as opposed to the Luxury with the star on the hood, and Sport cars use AMG-style deeper front air dams, side skirts and rear aprons. All C300s come with 17-inch alloy wheels but Sport cars use wider rear tires and wheels, sit more than half an inch lower, use firmer suspension settings and get a three-spoke steering wheel.
The C300 Sport comes with dual-zone climate control, synthetic upholstery, tilt/telescoping multifunction wheel, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, moonroof, eight-way power sport seats, front and rear fog lamps, cruise control, trip computer/maintenance minder, AM/FM/Weather/CD audio system with aux input, Bluetooth, leather-wrapped wheel and shifter, alarm, central controller, five-inch flip-up color display, and aluminum trim.
Options on C300 Sport include metallic paint ($720), gray/black walnut trim ($310), leather upholstery ($1570), TeleAid ($650), 6CD changer ($460), iPod integration ($375), Panorama roof ($1050). Premium package 1 ($2150) includes Sirius, heated front seats, auto-dimming mirrors, UGDO, rain-sensing wipers, power tilt/telescope and driver memory system, Premium 2 ($3500) includes Premium 1 plus bi-Xenon headlamps with heated washers and cornering lights, split-fold 60/40 rear seat, power rear shade. The Multimedia package ($2980) includes COMAND navigation and seven-inch screen, 450-watt harman/kardon surround audio system, voice control, 6CD/MP3 changer.
C300 Sport 4Matic adds all-wheel drive, automatic transmission and a heated washer reservoir. Options mirror the rear-drive Sport except for 18-inch wheels.
The Luxury C300 replaces the sport seats and aluminum trim with cushier seats and burl walnut trim; the 4Matic adds the same pieces as the Sport 4Matic. Options on both Luxury C300 match the Sport but 18-inch wheels aren't offered on the rear-drive 300 either.
The C350 ($39,000) adds a 268-hp higher-revving 3.5-liter V6, seven-speed auto and rear-drive only, plus agility control variable shock damping, sport suspension, bigger brakes, AMG-style wheels, everything in the Premium 1 package, heated front sport seats, and black Birdseye Maple wood trim (walnut at no charge if you prefer). Options include the P2 package ($1350), metallic paint, leather upholstery, TeleAid, 6CD changer, iPod integration, Panorama roof, Multimedia package and 18-inch wheels with wider rear tires than C300 Sports.
The C63 AMG ($56,300 plus required $2100 federal gas-guzzler tax) comes with a 6.2-liter 451-hp V8, AMG Speedshift seven-speed transmission, 18-inch wheels and high-performance tires, and unique brakes, suspension, steering, sport seats with adjustable side bolsters, AMG instrumentation and aluminum shift paddles behind the sport steering wheel. Cosmetically and mechanically it is a different car from the windshield forward. The C63 standard feature list is close to the C350 Sport sedan. Options include metallic paint ($720), premium leather ($2980), P2 ($1100), Multimedia ($2980), iPod, carbon fiber trim ($2500) and the Performance P30 package ($3990) locking differential, composite brakes, leather/Alcantara steering wheel, 186-mph limiter.
Safety equipment includes dual adaptive frontal airbags, front side thorax airbags, front side pelvic airbags (except on C63), side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, PreSafe system, electronic stability control and full traction and brake electronic assists. There are no optional safety systems.