10 Days, 10 Formula One Sponsors (Day 3)

Seeing as how I have the entire day off today, I thought I'd take advantage of it and check McLaren off my list. At the risk of being constantly harassed by a Mercedes-Benz sales associate until I bought a damn car, I marched to the local dealership to check out the C300.


I've had my eye on the new C-Class since I became addicted to DTM racing. When the road-going version came out State-side, I was mesmerized by the aggressive front end. It's wide, low, and mean looking. It is much more attractive than its predecessor, which pleased only poseurs, newly minted real estate agents, and people who don't know shit about cars.


I really wanted to like this car. It's been about two decades now since Benz built a decent car. Cost cuts and megalomanical dreams of dominating every segment on every continent have made Mercedes a washed-up has-been. It reached its nadir when it merged with Chrysler.

The interior of the C300, in a word, is crap. It felt sterile, but not in a surgically precise kind of way like an Audi. It felt angular, but not in an ergonomically well designed kind of way like an Acura. It felt heavy, but not in a solid BMW kind of way. The materials felt cheap and cheaply put together. When I tried to close the little door that covered the nav system, the radio turned on. Oh my, this was an overpriced piece of crap.

Summary:
Day 1, Kingfisher beer, Force India, 8/10
Day 2, Intel chip, BMW Sauber, no rating
Day 3, Mercedes-Benz C300, McLaren Mercedes, 3/10

CKY