C230 Kompressor is a steal!

Having shopped around for our second car for quite a while, we (my wife and I) had driven BMW's, Audi's (I own and A4 and love it! -- see my review), Lincoln LS's, Infiniti's, and Lexus' (Lexi?).
This car was the last one we drove. It stopped us in our tracks. We had driven the C280 and the previous naturally aspirated C230. The C280 was extremely nice, but the price was a tad higher than we were looking for. The C230 w/o Kompressor was anemic. It had very little go-power.
Enter the 1999 C230 Kompressor. Our test drive affirmed that it was a massive improvement over the previous C230. I found the torque curve of the Kompressor engine is actually more fun than the C280! The power comes on fairly low in the RPM curve and continues for quite a ways up the rev range. The 5-speed automatic transmission is well suited to the engine. My only gripe is that it is a little hard to modulate your downshifts. It seems to downshift when you don't expect it to, rocketing you forward. Then other times, it feels like you have to almost drop it to the floor to get it to downshift (as that 18wheeler bears down on you!). I think it may be that we need to get used to it for a while longer. The driveline is a bit louder than I expect from a Mercedes, but only when you get on the gas pretty hard. The suspension is soft (too soft for an enthusiast like me, but perfect for my wife), however, it handles remarkably well with standard traction control. The interior is beautiful, traditional Mercedes, not plasticky or cheap. The C230 only has manual A/C controls, unlike the automatic ones on the C280, but they are livable...it even has dual zone control! The non-Bose stereo is nothing to write home about, it distorts fairly easily and noticeably as you raise the volume. I recommend the telescopic steering wheel for about $100 extra. It gives you that extra measure of driving comfort that most of us need. The seats are firm and supportive, but they could use a bit more lateral support. The rear leg room is superior to my A4 and the BMW 328i we tested. The body moulding package on it is very similar to the AMG C43's body mouldings (side, front, and rear). That was a $2500 upgrade in years past, but comes "free" now and it is gorgeous! We've averaged 20mpg, and that's exclusively city driving.
The downside to owning a Mercedes if you haven't before(didn't really know what we were getting in to!): You have to get used to stares from people, drivers who assume you'll get your luxury car out of the way as they merge in front of you, and having to park in spots a bit further out in the lot to avoid dings and dents. The dealer service has been fantastic. The absolute best of any car brand I've dealt with before.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for a car in this price range who wants affordable luxury (especially someone who eschews large cars). The sport package would even make this a potential for an enthusiast who wants to be pampered a bit. I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a purebred sports sedan: see the BMW 3's and Audi A4. Also, be ready to make a statement in this car; I don't usually care to do this, I prefer having fun in anonymity in my A4, but I know others like to "make an entrance," etc. The Mercedes definitely attracts attention. The C230 Kompressor is a fabulous cruising car...on the highway at 70, it effortlessly conveys you in style, and for the price, it is a genuine bargain for what you receive.