Driving to hell and back in the new sport sedan from Mercedes

We've heard the Spanish locals call this road the "Calle del Fuego." It's a twisty stretch of newly laid asphalt in the hills above Valencia with wide shoulders painted blood red. It looks like a river of molten lava running down each side of the pavement, and we're thinking it's the Highway to Hell. As ominous as it looks, this smooth stretch of winding road is the perfect place to wring out the new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport. Fully redesigned this year, this car is aimed directly at the BMW 3 Series, just like nearly every other C-Class before it.The C350 Sport in our hands has an aggressive front fascia unique to the Sport model, newly developed adjustable suspension, and optional 18-inch wheels and tires. It also has shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel, its own iDrive-like computer control, and even a bit more interior room. If this 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class doesn't get the attention of BMW buyers, nothing will.

A meaner C-Class

Before we even started the engine, the C350 Sport's styling scored a few early points with us. Subjective as it might be, we're glad to see the last of the previous model's peanut-shape headlights and soft curves.Sharp creases in the hood and quarter panels make the new car look chiseled instead of sculpted, while a wider track both front and rear plus a stretched wheelbase make the overall stance far more assertive. Rectangular headlights give it a scowl instead of a smile. Both the C350 Sport and base C300 Sport make a statement of purpose by replacing the customary Mercedes-Benz hood ornament with a large three-pointed star planted front and center on a unique grille. The C300 Luxury model retains the traditional setup along with a chrome grille and a wood-trimmed interior.

No news isn't necessarily bad news

Even a more dramatic new look will only get the C350 so far, so we hit the road to get a feel for the new mechanical bits. There's no big story under the hood, as the C350 is powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 as last year's model. Its output remains pegged at 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.In the past, Mercedes has reluctantly offered the C-Class with a six-speed manual transmission, but now it has pared down the availability of this transmission to only the C300 Sport model. A seven-speed automatic is now the sole transmission for the top-of-the-line C350 Sport. For now, it sends power only to the rear wheels; an all-wheel-drive 4Matic model comes later.With 268 hp and all those gears, the C350 makes good time in a straight line. Mercedes estimates a sprint to 60 mph will take just over 6 seconds, which puts this car well ahead of the Audi A4 yet well behind the 300-hp BMW 335i sedan. Along the way, the engine has the feel of a typical V6 — soft off the line, strong in the midrange and a little breathless as it approaches redline. To get the most out of the seven-speed automatic, the new Sport Agility package quickens up shift action generally and also adds shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. Unfortunately the Sport Agility package won't be available in the U.S. until the 2009 C-Class is introduced, and without it there's too much delay for us during downshifts.

Subtle suspension improvements

The basic suspension layout remains the same with struts up front and a five-link independent layout in back. Up front there's an additional control arm, and the use of aluminum for all the suspension links reduces unsprung weight for more precise wheel control.Meanwhile, all four dampers feature what Mercedes calls Agility Control. You might know them as self-adjusting shock dampers, not exactly new technology. In keeping with their aspirations, both the C300 Sport and C350 Sport get a more sporting suspension setup compared to the C300 Luxury. Firmly controlled damping settings and stiffer sway bars complement springs that lower the ride height by a half inch. The forthcoming 2009 Sport Agility package makes this setup even more aggressive. Once you engage the "Sport" button, the dampers adopt firmer settings. In addition, throttle response is stronger and transmission shifts are quicker. Moreover, the Sport Agility package includes a quicker steering ratio of 13.5:1 (a step beyond the 14.5:1 steering ratio of the C300 Sport and C350 Sport), and speed-sensitive hydraulic assist.

A little bit of everything

Although the chassis changes seem minor in detail, they add up to exceptional ride quality on the highway, and there's even a little S-Class in the way the C350 glides over rough pavement. Move the steering wheel off center, and you get an immediate yet progressive level of resistance that gives the car a precise feel at high speed. Of course, a Camry can feel pretty good on the highway, too, so we hit the roads among the hills in back of Valencia in search of more demanding terrain. With our car's Sport Agility package set to "Comfort" mode, the C-Class settles into tight corners easily, but it's slow to make the transition to the next turn. Dialing up the "Sport" setting gets rid of the sluggishness, but the steering remains thin on road feel. We've got plenty of grip thanks to the optional Continental ContiSportContact2 tires, 225/40ZR18s in front and wide 255/35ZR18s in the rear. And there's the ever-present electronic stability control system to rein in things when you push too hard. As with all Mercedes models, left-foot braking is deterred by a similar electronic barrier.When the bends are longer and faster, you just lean on the stiff chassis and wait for mild understeer to creep in. When a tight turn comes up, the brake pedal needs a strong leg to get full braking effect, but the pedal feel remains consistent despite repeated hard stops.

Mercedes goes Audi

Overall, the interior is slightly larger in most dimensions, although front headroom is down slightly. A slight increase in rear leg- and hiproom makes the backseat usable for 6-foot-plus adults. Standard eight-way, power-adjustable seats up front accommodate a wide variety of body forms, although the side bolsters might make the seat bottoms feel a little narrow if you're not. An optional 60/40-split folding rear seat improves the utility of the trunk, which measures 12.4 cubic feet.The new C-Class now has 88.2 cubic feet of interior passenger volume, a slight improvement over the previous C-Class' 85.5 cubic feet but some ways adrift of the BMW 3 Series' 93.0 cubic feet.As you'd expect in an Audi, the C-Class' interior materials feel right. All C-Class models get a knob in the center console that acts as a driver interface for tuning the radio and working the optional navigation system. Simple menus make it easier to navigate than BMW's iDrive system.

Right direction, mixed result

The BMW 3 Series has long been the big player in this market segment, with 120,180 sales in the U.S. last year. In comparison, the C-Class sold just 50,187 examples last year, just a bit more than the 49,862 Audi A4s that found a home in America in 2006.For the small group of hard-core Mercedes enthusiasts who were hoping for a true 3 Series fighter, this C-Class isn't it. You can't get a manual transmission with the big engine, the stability control doesn't turn off and the performance-oriented suspension package won't be available until the 2009 model year. Of course, all this will remain largely irrelevant for the vast majority of Mercedes-Benz C-Class buyers. You're typically interested in a sport sedan with a luxury feel, and comfort, features and style are more important than quick transitions between the corners. Your Highway to Hell is the average morning commute, not a twisting back road in the hills of Spain. And for this kind of duty, the C350 Sport is every bit the equal to BMW's best.