Dont get me wrong; this is one fine car as it sits. Like most Mercedes, the C320 seems a bit austere when you first get into it. They just dont have many frilly bits. But spend awhile in a M-B and youll begin to appreciate just how fine a car they are.
Comfort in a Mercedes does not come from cushy, almost too soft suspension or over-stuffed seats. Comfort in a Mercedes comes from a structure that doesnt bend or flex with the irregularities of the road, and from a suspension that doesnt jar or bang through potholes. Comfort in a Mercedes comes from a seat that supports you in all the right places yet doesnt envelope you. Comfort in a Mercedes, like safety and performance, is built in and almost invisible  you notice what is not there more than what is.
Powering the C320 in all its guises (four-door sedan and wagon) is a 3.2-liter, SOHC, 18-valve (two intake, one exhaust per cylinder) V6. This engine produces 215 hp that is sent to the rear wheels through a marvelous 5-speed automatic transmission with Touch Shift. Touch Shift allows you to shift the automatic trans manually. Realistically the only time Ive ever found this type of device useful is when you need engine braking.
Mercedes has something they call Electronic Stability Control (ESP). ESP integrates brake application and throttle intervention for yaw control, plus ignition and throttle intervention for wheelspin control (thats right out of the press kit folks). Basically what ESP does is make it really hard to look stupid. It works too. Going up Sharp Park Road one rainy day I got into the throttle just a tad too much. I sensed the back end start to come around and before I could react a warning light flashed on the dash and the C320 dialed back the throttle, did some other magic and the rear end got back in line. Cool stuff. And the really neat part is that it works as kind of a driving instructor  you know if it kicks in youve screwed up so you learn what the limits are.
One place I just fell in love with the C320 was on the highway. I swear it could drive itself. Mercedes-Benzs have always had great self-centering, that ability to track straight or return to the straight-ahead position without steering input. This really makes it a joy to drive on the highway, especially in foul weather. There is no need to white-knuckle it, just give it some rein and keep your eyes open.
Lets talk about performance. Mercedes says that the C320 sedan will do 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds and the wagon is 0.1 seconds slower. Not bad, not bad at all. Now consider that the wagon weighs 3,495 lbs. All of the C-series (there is also a C240 with a 2.6-liter, V6 and a C230 sports coupe with a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder), except the C32 AMG, are limited to 130 mph. And no, I did not test the limiter. Even with all that power and speed the C320s fuel economy is still rated at 20 city and 27 highway.
Styling-wise I found the C320 Station Wagon, like most Mercedes, to be understated. Lets face it, people notice you in a M-B regardless, so theres no need to have styling that stands out and will be quickly out of date.
Now if Mercedes wanted to build a C320 Station Wagon for me theyd build one with the C32 AMGs supercharged, 349 hp version of the 3.2-liter V6, and the C32 AMGs suspension, and wheels and tires. Now that would be a real Boss Wagon  0-60 mph in about 5 seconds and a top end of 155 mph. Goodbye drivers license, hello nirvana.