Slipping into 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport gives me an immediate sense of well-being. The seats are broad, firm and easily tailored to my preferred position. Ride quality is similarly firm, but never harsh -- just a typical European compromise of comfort and control. And while the 3.0-liter V6 is rarely exciting, its accessible torque band (221 pound-feet at just 2,700 rpm) allows for authoritative passing.

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Eureka! In our last episode, our 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300's lack of an operator's manual entry on the subject of iPod use or clearly labelled buttonage had left many confounded. There just had to be more functionality from this dedicated iPod connection than we were seeing.

And indeed there is. The key to the whole thing is the small button on the right-hand side of the steering wheel with the telephone icon on it. Once you discover this little nugget, the dedicated iPod connection in the Merc goes from "This sucks!" to "Wow! This is great!" in 5.1 seconds.

Here then is our own Operator's Manual entry:

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I couldn't make my iPod work properly in our 2008 Mercedes-Benz this weekend, so I dug into the 731-page novel that is the C-class operator's manual. Volume one, consisting of 510 pages, is the primary C-class manual. Volume two, a 221-page affair, refers only to the Mercedes-Benz COMAND system. (Yes, I know. But MB caps everything and uses only one "M".)

There isn't a single page in either volume about the integrated iPod connection our Merc clearly has. Instead, each one devotes but one page each to the "aux" jack our car lacks.

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The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class comes standard with a new control interface that utilizes a wheel-based controller and a pop-up display monitor. It's very similar to the interface that debuted on the current S-Class, and it's vastly better than Mercedes' previous-generation COMAND navigation interface.

In driving our C300 for about two weeks, I never had to crack the owner's manual on how to figure something out. It's not as effortless to use as I might have hoped – I often found myself hunting in menus for certain functions and spending too much time moving the wheel controller around since the display isn't touchscreen. But overall it's pretty good interface, and it's certainly better than iDrive.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 6,850 miles

Three-day weekends are a good excuse to get out of town. And as a sort of early Prez Day exercise, I spent the better part of last Friday driving our 2008 Mercedes C300 Sport on some of my favorite central California driving roads.

From a true sporting aspect, the C300 is somewhat of a disappointment. Steering turn-in is immediate – a little too quick in my opinion – and there's substantial grip provided by our car's optional 18-inch AMG wheels with "ContiSportContact 3" 225/40ZR18 tires. But the lack of paddle-style shifters for the transmission, so-so lateral support from the driver seat, the non-disabling stability control system and still somewhat-soft suspension tuning all combine to keep our C300 from being truly engaging.

Away from twisty ribbons of asphalt, I enjoy the C300 more. It's comfortable and respectably quick. And I have to admit, it looks great parked in my driveway. But given a choice of our long-term C300 or our Infiniti G35 for a driver-themed weekend getaway, the G would be my pick.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 6,440 miles

Here's a thought about our long-term Mercedes-Benz C300: Where's all the stuff?

Our car doesn't have autodimming mirrors, HID headlights, keyless ignition, heated seats, driver memory positioning, fold-down rear seats, a backup camera, HomeLink or satellite radio. It doesn't have leather seating, either, though the "MB Tex" cow-free version is a very pleasingly simulation.

You can get most of the above features via the C-Class' Premium II Package. But doing so would add $2,750. Chose leather and it'd be another $1,550. At this point, our C300 would cost $43,750. Our Infiniti G35, for comparison, has almost all of the features I listed above and rings in at $37,400.

Personally, I don't mind so much that our C300 isn't the luxury bonanza one might think it is. So far, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. But the average luxury sedan shopper might not be as kind. One could do a lot of things with an extra $6,000.

Then again, the average shopper might think that the big three-pointed star in the grille more than makes up for it.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 6,083 miles

First off, let me say that I enjoyed the C300 and though I like ripping acceleration as much as any other car buff, I don't know why anyone would spend the extra $5,300 for the C350.  This 3-liter, 228-hp V6 has plenty of gusto for driving in the real world, provided you put the transmission in Sport mode where it holds lower gears longer and provides quicker downshifts.

The performance is usable too.  At one point I was on a road that went from two lanes to one, and had the right of way when some idiot in an older Camry decided to come up along side me (rather than blending in behind) and stay there as the road started its lane reduction.  I wasn't sure what this guy was thinking (well, evidently, he wasn't) so a quick jab to the gas quickly jetted the C300 ahead of the dolt without breaking a sweat or making a lot of racket.   

My only complaint thus far concerns the ignition operation.  Like every other Benz I've driven with this funky key, it's like the car doesn't want to let go of the key after you turn it off and attempt to pull it out.  It's not a defect as they've all done this and it takes the same little tug to pull the key out.  I'm flattered that the Benz likes me and wants to stay out and run around some more, but sheesh, just let go, will ya?

John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 5,588 miles. 

Just over a month ago, Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach special ordered a part for the C300's rear sunroof shade. It arrived from Germany as forecasted, three weeks later. So we made an appointment to install it last week.

Our service advisor called a few hours after we dropped off the vehicle. He explained, "We lowered the headliner to install the part and realized that we need more parts to complete the repair." He followed with a humble apology and admission that they should have caught it the first time.

We were surprised by the straightforward apology, but not by what it meant: Another 7-10 business days for parts to arrive. We're waiting again.

Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Coordinator @ 5,286 miles

Most cars look like this when they open their hoods.

The C300 Sport can look like this...

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Mercedes-Benz may be a national treasure of Germany, but that didn't stop them from dropping a few models into the 100-percent American National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Specifically, a Mercedes-Benz C280 Sport driven by Nicholas Cage's Benjamin Franklin Gates on a chaotic car chase through the meandering streets of Central London. Pursued by Ed Harris in a Range Rover (along with henchmen in a London cab and a beer-keg-hauling lorry), the whiteish C-Class performs rather well. About a quarter of the chase is done with Gates driving backwards, with (thankfully) no Rockford attempted at any time by the novice driver.

Despite the name difference, the United Kingdom's C280 features the same engine as our C300, so basically, our car is a movie star. My guess as to the name difference is that in the U.K, there are 3.0-liter gasoline (C280) and diesel (C320 CDI) engines available. Diane Kruger's Abigail Chase also drives what looks to be a GL550. 

If you're wondering, the movie is OK. It's more of a stretch than the original film (that's saying something), but if you liked National Treasure, there's a good chance you'll at least be entertained by Book of Secrets. Just don't use it for historical purposes -- there's not really a lake behind Mt. Rushmore, I checked Google Maps.

James Riswick, Associate Editor