The C230 coupe offers a good balance of utility, visual impact and advanced safety technology at an attractive price. The C240 wagon drives like a sedan and provides 63 cubic feet of cargo space. The C320 sedan is smooth, powerful and comfortable, and arguably represents the best of the line.

Of course, when you move to the more powerful, more substantially equipped C320s, you're moving away from mass-market sedan pricing. At this level, you pay at least a small price premium for the three-pointed Mercedes star, compared to comparably equipped "entry luxury'' competitors, such as the Lexus ES 330. Nonetheless, the strengths of the Mercedes brand get no more accessible than the C-Class.