The Mercedes switchgear is easy to use and understand. The stalk controls have a nice, beefy feel with positive detents. The deeply hooded instrument panel is shared among the coupe, sedan and wagon with minor variations. We like the layout and decor of the center stack, with its wood or aluminum trim and large controls for the audio system and climate controls.

The glovebox is a good size unless you order the CD player, in which case you lose most of it, although you'll still have the center console and big door pockets. Still, we'd like more places to stash things. Overhead is a console with nice map lights.

Sedans get leather interior trim. The C32 AMG has its own special sport seats and premium leather upholstery. The sport coupe comes standard with cloth seats with individual manual adjusters.

The rear seats in the C-Class sedans are generous in space and comfort. A power rear sunshade makes this feel like a real Benz. Hit the trunk button and the lid pops all the way open, something most trunk lids do not do. A C-Class sedan offers 12.2 cubic feet of cargo space, significantly more than a BMW 3 Series sedan.

Wagons have exactly the same interior and exterior dimensions as the sedans, save for that wonderful extra space behind the second seat. With the seats in place, it offers 25.2 cubic feet of flat-floor load space. Folding the seats down reveals more than 63 cubic feet of space, slightly more than an Audi A4 Avant. Tie-downs and lights are provided for convenient cargo carrying.

The rear seats in the coupes are comfortable for most people, but the rear roof slopes down quite a bit, restricting headroom. The two-door's rear seats feature a release system that automatically slides the whole seat forward when the seatback is pulled forward, opening up the rear compartment for entry. For carrying cargo, the 60/40 rear seat folds down effortlessly, either with the bottom sections folded forward or left in place, depending on how much cargo room you need. With the rear seats in place, the trunk offers 10.2 cubic feet of space. Folding the rear seats down reveals a 38.1 cubic-foot cargo bay that can hold large items. The cargo bay is as nicely detailed as the rest of the interior.