This is an intriguing car: a Mercedes that starts around $25,000, borrows from the C-Class parts bin, and clings to rear-drive in a market segment dominated by front-drive platforms. Plus it has a standard 6-speed manual transmission mated to a supercharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder producing 192 hp. Sounds like fun.

Unfortunately, the car I drove came with the optional five-speed automatic, so there was no opportunity to see whether the manual is as balky and bulky as some other scribes have claimed. And I’m not the person to ask whether the supercharged engine sounds rough. I like the mechanical sound of supercharged motors. They are very distinct, especially in a sea of high-revving Japanese fours.

However, the engine isn’t the only potential plus for the C230. First, Mercedes should be congratulated for sticking to rear-drive and giving buyers a choice in this nearly homogenous segment. It took a couple of snow-induced tail slides from a start to reset my mental computer, but in no time at all I was using this facility to redirect the nose on a tighter trajectory under power. Second, the Panorama sunroof replaces the steel roof panel with glass, the front unit either tilting or settling above the rear section depending on the ventilation level desired. When closed, it brings copious amounts of sun inside the cabin – enough, in fact, to make a cold-but-sunny day seem like summer when the power shade is retracted. In Michigan, where sunny days are often rare during the winter, this is could mean the difference between feeling happy and suffering from suicidal gloom.

Now for the not so good items. Everyone – and I do mean everyone – who sat in or rode in this car commented about how it didn’t feel like a Mercedes. The leather isn’t up-to-standard, the instrument panel needs bright trim around the gauge package to break up the dark plastic monotony, the premium stereo is anything but, and there was no CD player to go along with the cassette unit hidden behind the radio faceplate. (Note to Mercedes: Even Hyundais have CD players these days.)

I think there’s a reason this reaction was so universal, and it has to do with the three-pointed star on the grille. The Mercedes name creates certain expectations, and when they aren’t met, the disappointment is greater than it might otherwise be. It’s a danger Mercedes has faced since deciding to cover a broader swath of the market, and one that isn’t helped by decisions about standard and optional equipment that boggle the mind.

The C230 isn’t a bad car, but it’s at odds with both the youth culture it claims to represent and its Mercedes heritage. This is a vehicle that’s at its best in its most basic form – a thought sure to scare Mercedes dealers everywhere. With some judicious shopping in the aftermarket for wheels, tires, suspension pieces and – yes – audio equipment, a buyer could spec-out a pretty nice little hot hatchback with cash to spare. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said when using the spec sheet.