At 5800 rpms the 189 horses show up to play. At 3500 rpms the torque kicks in for a total of 192 lb-ft, but the band is short and is gone again at 4000. Though, wait for the revs to come up and you will find the power band. After much debate and discussion we determined that the four cylinder was just too small for the charger placed on top of it, too much power was being lost getting that super spooled up. We actually experienced what felt like severe turbo lag. In fact, we had to check under the hood to see if it wasn’t a turbo under there instead of a supercharger. Low end torque is simply nonexistent in the Kompressor. Of course, I was the one driving that Toyota, but that is another story. Low rpm launches were not the forte of this little Merc, as one editor found when he was shown up by none other than a Toyota Sequoia at a stop light. Don’t get us wrong, the Kompressor will scoot through traffic as long as you are keeping the tach needle pointed far to the right. According to numbers and physics we should have been right, however we found that the engineering defied physics a little. Though, we still held our faith as this little three door hatch certainly wasn’t going to require much to move it. Exec Dye was quick to point out that his Mt. Underhood resides a 1.8L Supercharged four-cylinder, not a 2.3L like the badge suggests. The biggest disappointment was in the propulsion.
One editor commented that it was as if someone had slapped a Tri-Star badge on a Cavalier while we weren’t looking. It just doesn’t possess the elegance that the rest of the line up does. From the front end the Kompressor retains the Mercedes aura, however sliding around the side reveals a profile that is neither intriguing nor as pleasing to the eye as one would expect for a Mercedes. Minus the rear doors and trunk, throw on a glass hatch opening and you have it. The C230 Kompressor sport hatch is basically a C-Class sedan with several feet whacked out of the center of it. However, for $25K, you can have the Mercedes name along with the attention to detail and engineering that goes along with it. Granted, the C230 Kompressor costs about as much as a mid to full-size domestic product will. Mercedes deserves credit for having the initiative to produce a model at a price range that is accessible to a larger crowd. On which make and model did you learn to drive, and did you pass your driver's test the first time? What car DIDN'T I learn on? And yes, I passed the first time.Let me start off on a good foot. What bugs you about other drivers? Tailgating
Bose sound system with six-disc CD changer, 6-speed manual transmission, blue tint, rear sunshade, and bi-xenon lights. Wheels: AMG 17-inch wheels, rear tires are 10 inches wide. Special features: Brakes: AMG 13.6-inch rotors, ceramic brake pads, four piston calipers.
Origin: I purchased it from the original owner in the fall of 2007.
Manual transmission fully synchronized 6-speed with clutch-starter interlock. Intake system variable intake and exhaust valve timing. Integrated sequential multipoint fuel injection and ignition with individual cylinder control of fuel spray and spark timing. Fuel and ignition system SIM 4 engine management. High-pressure die-cast alloy cylinder block, alloy heads. Under the hood: Engine: 1,796-cc intercooled supercharged DOHC 16-valve, inline-4 with dual balance shafts.