Benz Faqs

According to Mercedes-Benz, 95 percent of its C-Class buyers prefer an automatic transmission. Because so few Americans going for the three-pedal models, you would naturally assume that Stuttgart would save some money and discontinue the manual gearbox option all together, but they won’t even think of it. BMW makes the rules in the entry-luxury sport sedan class. The 3 Series is far and away the top seller, and about a third of those Bimmer buyers choose a manual. That means everyone else better offer one, too.

So for 2006, Mercedes has mated its six-speed manual gearbox to the same sweet 3.5-liter V6 that powers most of its other new models, including the SLK350 roadster. The result is the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport. Short of the C55 AMG, it’s the athlete of the C-Class range, and it may have arrived just in time. Chief competitors of the aging C-Class are either all-new or significantly upgraded for 2006, and Mercedes hopes the new engine and transmission combination are enough to draw a few more buyers and create a little buzz.

A replacement for last year’s 215-horsepower 3.2-liter, the 3.5-liter V6 engine is the elite member of a new family of V6 engines available on the C-Class in 2006. Siblings include a 201-hp 2.5-liter in the C230 and a 228-hp 3.0-liter in the C280. All three engines are built entirely of aluminum and feature double-overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing.

The 3.5-liter is rated for 268 hp at 6,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 2,400 rpm, which is still behind the big numbers posted by the Lexus IS 350 (306 hp, 277 lb-ft) and Infiniti G35 (298 hp, 260 lb-ft) but comfortably ahead of the 255-hp BMW 330i and 255-hp Audi A4 3.2 in torque. Mercedes has always offered a manual transmission on the current-generation C-Class, which hit the road in 2001, but early examples were vague through the gears and more suited for a low-end economy car than a pricey entry-luxury sedan.

So the company reworked its six-speed unit for 2005, installing a new linkage and refining the clutch engagement. For 2006, engineers adjusted the gear ratios to better match the new V6 engines’ power bands. Hard-core enthusiasts will still prefer the more performance-oriented feel of the manual gearboxes in the 3 Series, A4 and G35, but the six-speed is extremely well matched to the engine’s power curve. In contrast, a manual-shift BMW 330i is more excitable, as its inline six breaks into a sprint right off idle. But the 330i is not as quick as the C350, taking 6.6 seconds to hit 60 mph.