2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster now classes up the interior of every C-Class, and heated seats are now standard. A new blacked-out Night Edition trim brings a sprinkling of AMG exterior trim and not much else.

The C300 uses the most modest powertrain on hand, a 2.0-liter turbo-4 making 255 hp. Power gets sent to the rear wheels unless all-wheel drive is ordered. A 9-speed automatic is the sole transmission choice.

Here on out everything is sporty, starting with the all-wheel-drive C43 AMG and its twin-turbo V-6 that makes 385 hp. The real darling is the 469- or 503-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that's shoehorned into the engine bay of the pricy rear-wheel-drive C63 and C63 S models, respectively.

Stick with a four-door turbo-4 for gas mileage of 24 mpg city, 33 highway, 27 combined. Adding all-wheel drive deducts a single mile per gallon from the city rating but doesn't affect the highway or combined cycle. Coupes and convertibles return a bit less as well.

The four-door C43 is rated at 19/27/22 mpg; the C63, 18/27/21 mpg.

Typical of luxury cars, standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking. Buyers have to pay extra for adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control.

The IIHS named the C-Class a Top Safety Pick Plus thanks to its excellent crash-test scores and powerful headlights. The NHTSA gave it five stars overall.
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