5th Generation 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC Review

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been gracing the world’s roads since 1993, replacing the 190. It used to be Mercedes-Benz’s smallest sedan, but that hasn’t been the case for a while with the introduction of smaller cars like the A-Class. The C-Class is still a popular car, despite the popularity of SUVs and CUVs; to keep things fresh, Mercedes-Benz introduced an all-new C-Class (5^th generation, W206) in 2021.

Unlike the previous generations, the exterior design sees a subtler change over the W205 generation of the C-Class, much like the changes on the flagship S-Class. The new fifth-generation C-Class looks closer than ever to the S-Class, which is a good thing if you’re a C-Class buyer. There are other similarities in the interior, and the powertrain gets a major change; more on that later.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C300 Canadian Prices

In Canada, the 2022/2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 has a starting price of $56,700. Currently, the only trim offered is the C300 4MATIC Sedan. Other trims, like AMG versions, will be offered later on. Unfortunately, there won’t be a wagon trim offered in Canada for this generation; the last generation had a wagon offering that wasn’t available in the United States; we finally had something cool the Americans didn’t have.

The $56,700 is just the starting price; if you want to add more tech and individualize your C300, you’ll need to add optional packages; below are the lists of available packages and what is contained in them:

• Sport Package ($2,300) – you can either choose this or the Night Package
  • AMG body styling
  • Chrome star-pattern grill
  • 18” AMG 5-spoke aero wheels
  • AMG interior package with sport front seats
  • Sports steering wheel with Nappa leather
  • Brushed stainless steel pedals
• Night Package ($2,900) – you can either choose this or the Sport Package
  • AMG body styling
  • Chrome star-pattern grill
  • Gloss black exterior accents
  • 18” AMG 5-spoke aero wheels
  • AMG interior package with sport front seats
  • Sports steering wheel with Nappa leather
  • Brushed stainless steel pedals
• Premium Package ($3,200)
  • MB Navigation
  • Map updates for 3-years
  • 3 years of live traffic service
  • EASY-PACK power trunk closer
  • Keyless-Go
  • Enhanced ambient lighting
  • Illuminated front door sills
  • Traffic sign assist
  • 360-degrees camera
• Premium Plus Package ($3,400)
  • LED DIGITAL LIGHT headlamps
  • Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
  • HUD
  • MBUX Augmented Video for Navigation
• Intelligent Drive Package ($2,700)
  • Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
  • Active Blind Spot Assist
  • Active Brake Assist with Turning and Cross-Traffic Function
  • Active Emergency Stop Assist
  • Active Lance Change Assist
  • Active Lane Keeping Assist
  • Active Speed Limit Assist
  • Active Steering Assist
  • Evasive Steering Assist
  • Enhanced Stop-and-Go
  • PRE-SAFE PLUS
  • Route-based Speed Adaption
• Dashcam ($300)
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist ($250)

These options do add up quite quickly, and there are the options of exterior paints, interior leather finishes and colors, and different trim materials. By clicking all the options I could choose, I configured a C300 with a price tag of $74,765 before taxes and fees.

Our review car had a sticker price of $68,650. Below is a screenshot of all the options on our test vehicle:

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Engine

The biggest announcement with the 5^th generation C-Class is the engine. For the first time ever, no C-Class sedans are offered with 6-cylinder engines; even the extremely powerful C63 S comes with a 4-cylinder engine (that car is not yet available in North America).

The 2022 C300 sedan is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine with mild hybrid drive, producing 255 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 – 3,000 rpm. This engine also has an integrated starter generator and a 48-volt onboard electrical system, making it a mild hybrid. Power is sent to all-four wheels via a 9G-TRONIC 9-speed transmission and 4MATIC AWD system.

The result is a fun-to-drive sedan that’s sporty enough for twisty roads and comfortable for daily commutes on pothole-filled roads. The turbocharged 4-cylinder engine has a good amount of power for spirited driving, especially when put in Sport and Sport+ modes, the Eco and Comfort modes are well suited for daily driving; these were the modes I used for most of my drives from point A to B.

Like other Mercedes products (not counting the AMG stuff), the suspension on the C300 is comfortable and sporty. It’s not bone-jarring like some AMG products, which have their place. The C300 is a small family sedan, not something you’ll be taking to the track, so the suspension setup is perfect. Of course, it has enough sportiness that you can take it to some twisty backcountry roads and come out the other end with a big smile on your face.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Exterior

The exterior of the new 5th generation C-Class is more of an evolution of the previous generation than a full-on redesign. The exterior looks much closer to the bigger S-Class now; Mercedes-Benz has smoothed most of the lines of the previous generation. I personally like it, it has a sporty look, but some people might find it looking too close to the previous generation C-Class.

Personally, I like the fact that you’re getting S-Class looks for C-Class money.

2022 Mercedes-Benz C 300 Interior

The interior sees a much bigger change in design compared to the previous generation C-Class. Again, the interior is an almost carbon copy of the S-Class’s interior. Like the S-Class, the interior of the new C-Class gets rid of many of the buttons and knobs most of us are used to. There are not many traditional buttons to be found on the new C-Class interior; there are a few haptic feedback touch surfaces just below the large touchscreen for the drive modes, parking cameras, volume, etc. Pretty much every function you need to perform on the infotainment system is controlled via touch on the screen. Thankfully, Mercedes-Benz didn’t go full Tesla; there are still physical buttons and stalks for things like turning on the wipers, changing seat positions, turning on the headlights, and adjusting the mirrors.

The touchscreen system will probably be overwhelming initially to new users. However, I had experience with the S-Class, so I was pretty comfortable with it from the get-go. Would I have preferred the old-school buttons to this system? Yes. I think buttons are much easier to use, and you don’t have to take your eyes off the road for too long. But having large touchscreens are the new norm, and I guess we need to adapt. However, with the MBUX system, you can also control many of the functions using voice commands, which I relied on often instead of fiddling with the touchscreen while driving. The voice command is one of the best in the industry.

The overall layout of the interior is pretty simple, with the large 11.9″ touchscreen commanding attention; this display is tilted towards the driver by six degrees. There are three air vents above this screen and two at each corner of the dashboard. The gauge cluster consists of a 12.3″ digital instrument cluster, which is customizable in various formats and can display the navigation map.

The interior is quiet and comfortable, with extremely comfortable front seats. The rear seats are comfortable, and I found there to be enough legroom for my 5′ 9″ frame; the rear legroom has increased by 20 mm over the previous generation C-Class.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the new 5^th generation Mercedes-Benz C 300 is an excellent entry-level luxury sedan. It’s a sporty, comfortable, and handsome-looking car. Looking back at the previous generation C-Class cars, there are sure to be more powerful variants of this ever-popular sedan. I would love to see a wagon version of the C-Class, but I doubt we’ll get it because of the popularity of SUVs/CUVs.