Test drive Mercedes Benz C-class w203 2000-2004 sedan

The fullness of feelings

In Russia, they love Mercedes and all -wheel drive. Now they can be loved at the same time. The autopilot tested the first Mercedes-Benz C 240 43MATIC and S 430 4MATIC in Russia.
The oldest auto producer of the world should already be conservative in status. But here it is useful to know the limits of the permissible - as you know, one of the most powerful advantages of its competitor Audi was the presence of all -wheel drive versions. True, Mercedes-Benz has a 4x4 wheeled formula since 1985. However, the 4Matic system has still been proposed only for E-Klasse.
After the new Audi eight began to be produced exclusively with the Quattro transmission, it became obvious that this solution is extremely attractive not only for the country where snow goes six months and always unexpectedly. And in general, modern cars - at least in the described category - practically reached the limit of perfection. Revolution is increasingly difficult to do, so not using the opportunity to make a car more attractive to make a completely famous way. So, since last fall, the gamut of all-wheel drive sedans and station wagons with a three-beam star expanded both up and down: modifications with the 4Matic system appeared in S-Klasse and C-Klasse.

I'm not old, I am a super -start. Outwardly, from their rear -wheel drive brothers with 240 and S 430 they practically do not differ in anything - except that the inscription 4Matic on the trunk lid. The fact that the road clearance of an all-wheel drive C-Klasse is 10 mm more than the standard one is able to notice only a very experienced eye. There are no differences in the cabin.
The design of the 220th series was praised more than once and quite reasonably: despite the huge size, the car looks truly elegant. For four years, the form is not at all outdated, so the modernization of the appearance made simultaneously with the introduction to the 4matic gamut can be considered a tribute to generally accepted conventions. However, the set has also changed a bit: for example, the multifunctional display of the Command system at the central console is now included in the list of standard equipment. Very comfortable thing! The salon looks classic and modern - in general, just as the salon of a upper class car should look.
Its best detail is a multi -circuit chair that allows you to fit the form almost perfectly after you learn to deal with numerous additional adjustments. Traditionally, we will find it up to the steering wheel levers: traditions, however, to collect control of high light, wipers and washers on one lever - this is too much. Although you can get used to it. It was a little disappointing to discover that the steering wheel heating is extremely useful in our conditions only on the area, sheathed with skin ...
The younger participant in our test is also very beautiful, although at the back it seems disproportionately narrow. The salon is finished not without chic (after all, the Avantgarde line), although, of course, it does not look as luxurious as S-Klasse. The absence of lumbar support was very surprised-for a car, which is the rest of the full program, this is somehow strange.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS. The scheme of the 4Matic drive has not changed compared to the one used on E-Klasse. Since it is focused primarily on ensuring stability during movement, there are no elements typical of SUVs. Through a single -stage handout with an interdosseous differential, the moment is distributed between the front and the rear axles in the proportion of 40:60, respectively. The preference of the rear axle is due to the fact that the machines were designed as rear -wheel drive and their weighting and the characteristics of the suspension are sharpened precisely for the classical scheme. Thus, even with 4Matic, cars retain the usual Mercedes character.
 
A feature of this system is the lack of differential locks - their role is played by the 4ets (Electronic Traction System) system. Based on data from ESP sensors, a part of which it is actually, 4ets slows down the masking wheel, and when the wheel is slipped, the engine is slightly strangled. This allows you to abandon the differentials blocked by one way or another. Of course, such a scheme has disadvantages. The differential equalizes the moments between the wheels, so that in this case, exactly the same moment as the brake mechanism creates, on the non -consuming wheel of the axis, when the partner is inhibited. Thus, the energy of the engine will partially leave in the literal sense of the word into the air - in the form of heat, into which the rotation of the brake wheel transforms. In addition, when the differential is completely blocked, the wheel that has not lost its clutch will receive almost the entire torque from the engine. And when blocking by braking - at best half. In this situation, this is good, since it does not increase the load on the semi -shaft compared to the modification, deprived of the lock. In addition, such a system is much faster and more accurate, which is more than appropriate for a speedy car designed for normal roads.
 
To accommodate the front pennies, I had to redo the suspension. A three-leaf scheme was replaced by a traditional MacPherson on C-Klasse, and on his older brother the place of a complex four-leaf suspension was again taken by a more familiar two-leaf. Naturally, this was drawn by some changes in the design of the body. The additional drive of the front axle also significantly affected the mass of cars: compared with their classic brothers, they were heavier for 100 and 50 kg, respectively. They added in price. If, against the background of almost 90 thousand, an additional $ 3.7 thousand for the basic version of S 430, they look insignificant, then the difference in the cost of C 240 is more than $ 4.5 thousand, which is almost 10 percent of its price. The increased cost of the 4Matic for a more modest model is due to the fact that all-wheel drive is put only with an automaton-on the ESKA it is included in the standard equipment, and the buyer of the all-wheel drive C-Classe must pay for a more expensive box.
Six months bad weather. In a sense, we were not lucky: when the firms were at our disposal, the weather in Moscow was almost perfect for winter - neither snowfall, nor sharp temperature changes. In general, road conditions were too good for the advantages of all -wheel drive to be fully manifested. However, it is clear that winter provides enough opportunities for evaluating the behavior of the car in difficult conditions. The ESP control lamp, indicating the slipping of one or several wheels, was lit more than once - it was worth only to call on the roadside with a snowdrift. True, this practically did not affect the behavior of the car. Thanks to the 4matic, you can quite confidently go along a decent road in a typically indecent condition for this time of year, that is, with mud frozen in places. Even 130 --150 km/h, these cars move confidently and do not give the driver a reason to be nervous.
Of course, you can achieve something and adrenaline drug addicts: we go to the rolled snow, turn off ESP-and please, you can cook. The grip of wheels with the road has limits, so any car can be disrupted in a skid.
Having moved from cleared on a simply rolled road, we suddenly found that ABS is triggered almost every braking. Why - it became obvious after leaving the car: the road was slippery even for a pedestrian! At the same time, you could move by car without any problems. It is also easily 4Matic provides movement along shallow loose snow, although there are already slipping more often, and the turn leads to ESP to the operation of almost any speed. However, in the end, the driver only learns that there are problems, but they are successfully resolved almost without his direct participation. Nevertheless, for any serious off-road, these cars are not suitable at least according to geometric parameters: with such overhangs and a road clearance of 150-160 mm, you should not call on other sags.
Text Valery Chusov, photo Alexey Ilyin
Model/Modification Mercedes-Benz C 240 4MATIC Mercedes-Benz S 430 43MATIC
Manufacturer/country Daimlerchrysler AG/Germany
ENGINE
Type/number/location of gasoline cylinders/6/V-shaped gasoline/8/V-shaped
Working volume (cubic cub) 2597 4266
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 125 (170) at 5500 205 (279) at 5750
Moment (Nm) at about./Min. 240 at 4500 400 at 3000-4400
TRANSMISSION
The drive is complete
 
Automatic gearbox 5-speed
 
Brakes, safety
Front/rear circular ventilated/disk (parking - drum) disk ventilated/disk ventilated
ABS, assisting electronic systems 4-channel systems with EBD and Brake Assist systems; ESP; 4ets
 
Front and side airbags for the driver and front passenger, pouting curtains on the windows
 
Dimensions/mass
Length/width/height (mm) 4526/1728/1422 5163/1855/1449
Wheel base (mm)/clearance (mm) 2715/160 3085/150
Tires 205/55 R16 225/60R17
Mar is equipped/complete (kg) 1630/2110 1925/2525
The volume of the fuel tank (L) 62 88
Maximum speed (km/h) 228 250
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 10.0 7.0
Fuel consumption (city/highway/mixed, l/100 km) 16.0/8.2/11.2 18.3/9.2/12.5
Price in Moscow from $ 48,410 from $ 106 130

 

Source: "Autopilot"