Rest content with your choice, says John Weinthal,
our Down-Under motoring consultant, if you buy a Benz C200K. Mind you,
in Australia he would pay only a tad over 2 million baht (straight
exchange rate conversion), while the same car in Thailand costs the
same tad, but over three million baht!
Forgetting
about the price, here are the Words from Weinthal:
“The supercharged Mercedes-Benz C Class is about
as competent a compact sedan as you will find. It is so good in so
many ways that the AUD 62,900 price tag even looks reasonable.
“There
are larger, faster, more lavishly equipped cars for as little as half
the price. In purely objective terms they may be only around 5 percent
less impressive than the Merc in some of the most important areas.
“But that’s the rub. That extra 5 percent and
the undeniable appeal of the Mercedes three pointed star emblem will
be more than enough for those who can afford something which is
indubitably upper drawer. In five years others will be used cars. The
C200K will still be a Mercedes!
“Most
of these cars will be fitted with Mercedes’ excellent five-speed
automatic with its simple to use manual up and down feature. If you
must have true manual, a six-speed is available to special order for a
saving of around AUD 3000. (In Thailand, only the 5 speed auto is
listed.)
“My
enthusiasm for this car almost surprised me. I am not really a great
Merc fan in the normal course of things. In the past most Mercedes
have, for me at least, lacked the sheer driving appeal of almost all
BMWs and the sublimely calm ambience of any Jaguar.
“What probably most won me over with the test car
was the suspension. It was totally unflappable over all roads. It
loved dirt - smooth, harshly corrugated or pot-holed. (Sounds like the
MB C200K will love Beach Road Pattaya or Huay Kaew in Chiang Mai.) It
wafted over those obscene speed humps which send aching shudders
through so many cars. The ride is hushed with little road, wind or
engine noise intrusion.
“Many would easily believe there were six
cylinders up front. Certainly 120 kW appears less than lavish in these
days when Camrys boast 150 plus and Commodores (Chevrolet Lumina’s)
offer more than 170 kW. But there is an impressive 230 Nm of torque on
hand over a broad range, and the gearing is perfectly matched to the
engine for effortless acceleration from the lights and for safe
overtaking.
“Effortless and unobtrusive are two more
adjectives applicable to this rear-drive Mercedes. It is both
undemanding and rewarding at the same time. The interior whispers
class, without boastful brashness.
“Not so appealing for some will be the rear seat
legroom, but you can check that out in the showroom. Only taller
adults will complain. Most controls have a Germanic logic to them
after a little familiarization for those of us more used to
Australian-made offerings or Japanese and Korean breeds. (In other
words, the wipers and the indicators are on the other side!)
“The 200 C Kompressor - that’s German for
supercharger - is more than adequately equipped in base form but there
are a couple of distinctive packages available over the standard
Classic we tested. The Elegance pack adds AUD 6,000 and Avantgarde is
an extra AUD 5,500. (In Thailand, only the Elegance and Avantgarde
models are available.)
“Beyond that the options list is virtually
limitless, but so too should be your bank balance if you tick too many
boxes in the options sheet.
“I have not mentioned safety. That is a given
with all Mercedes. This C200K lacks nothing to help avoid an accident
in the way of electronic aids, excellent suspension and brakes plus
sharp rack-and-pinion steering. Then there are multiple airbags and
more to protect you if fun fang turns to bang.
“Supremely competent is the best way to sum up
this appealing, if largely unassuming, car. Others will certainly
admire it. You will rest content with your choice for a long time to
come.”
(Thank you John. The C Class Benzes are definitely
popular in Thailand, for all the reasons mentioned above, plus the
undoubted three pointed star factor. When you open your garage door,
nobody says, “Wow! You’ve got a Toyota Crown (which costs 3.8
million)! But they do say, “Wow! You’ve got a Benz!”)
Last week, I mentioned the Invictas which were
interesting sporting machines, with the fastest having four and a half
inches of ground clearance. Rather too low for today, and definitely
too low in the 1930’s when they were in their heyday. The push
behind the marque was Lord Macklin (who I think was the father of
British racing driver Lance Macklin). In the late 1920’s an
energetic young lady by the name of Violet Corderey drove an Invicta
around the world and set the world 25,000 km record at 89 kph, a real
piece of autotrivia! However, the S type Invictas were well built
vehicles with all sorts of innovative features, such as a dual fuel
feed system, using air pressure or electric pump, and telescopic shock
absorbers all round. They had one other very innovative feature that
related to the positioning of the starter switch. So after all that
verbiage above, last week’s question was simply that - where was the
switch? Would you believe the switch was actuated by lifting up the
horn button!
So to this week. We featured the supercharged
Mercedes Benz C200K this week. The first catalogued supercharged cars
were also Mercedes. Two models were exhibited at what motor show in
which year?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to email automania@chiangmai-mail.com
Good luck!
