Mercedes Benz C300 Horsepower

When Mercedes married AMG in 2005 following a lengthy courtship, who would have expected that union to spawn 38 children? Not all those babies come to the U.S., but we do receive our share and more are on their way. The car on this page is the first middle child, a sports sedan badged Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG. It’s been reared to fill the void between regular models aimed at law-abiding citizens and the rowdy Mercedes-AMG C63.

Fret not over this C’s lack of a V-8. A new twin-turbo direct-injected 3.0-liter V-6 cranks out enough energy—362 horsepower, 384 pound-feet of torque—for the C450 to run with or past competitors such as the Audi S4, BMW 340i, Cadillac ATS, and Jaguar XE S. Aided by standard four-wheel drive, it bolts to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and through the quarter in 13.1, just a few tenths of a second behind the 503-hp C63 S. Living with only a six-pack under the hood benefits mileage and chassis balance and drops the base price to $51, 725—within reach of middle management.

A fixed, non-touch center screen is your window to the C450’s nervous system. Key in the appropriate commands and you can fine-tune chassis and power­train operations or display an entertaining power-and-torque gauge.

While leather is available at no extra charge, the MB-Tex vinyl upholstery is attractive and satisfying to touch. If you can live without the tanned-hide aroma, it’s worth a try. The only ergonomic flaw is a cruise-control stalk hidden behind a steering-wheel spoke.