Benz or Bimmer?

[Guest tomasulu]

Comparing the latest sedan models, my choice would be (in bold),

3 series/C class

5 series/E class

7 series/S class

purely on looks. driving experience wise, bimmer eats benz's lunch.

[Guest 9339]

3 series/C class 2.0L 156bhp vs 1.8L 184bhp

5 series/E class 2.0L 156bhp vs 1.8L 184bhp

7 series/S class 3.0L 326bhp vs 3.0L 231bhp

Bro, dont get what you mean as bimmer can eat Benz for lunch ??? Think only the 7's are exceptional cos it's Twin T

M3 / C63

M5 / E63

M6 / CL65

?? / S65

My all time favorite........ CLS63

[Guest blackmercs]

Comparing the latest sedan models, my choice would be (in bold),

3 series/C class

5 series/E class

7 series/S class

purely on looks. driving experience wise, bimmer eats benz's lunch.

Yap including supper and breakfast too. Wats yr driving style? Power? Looks? Mod? Pricing? Handling? Safety? If all the answer is yes, go for bimmer 6 cylinder engine, 4 cylinder is a no no for you except for pricing.

[Guest LeeCH]

driving experience wise, bimmer eats benz's lunch.

This statement need not be true on the C Class. I have a C200K with Advance Agility Control. My buddy has a 3 Series (320). I ate him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I know ppl will say not fair comparison cuz C200K is forced induction. But power aside, the handling and steering of the C Class can be second to none against other rivals of same segment. Even my buddy agrees on it. And the interior wins hands down against all other competitors. Have a look at AUTOCAR and it will tell you that the C Class is rated better than a 3 Series (non AMG/M series).

By the way, this is a Merc forum. All Merc fans here. You will probably not get a fair reply here.

[Guest Raskie]

can never understand nor appreciate such threads ...

Bimmer zhiak Merc

Honda zhiak Toyota

Lexus zhiak this and that

This and That zhiak So and So

....

Haiz ... when will it end ? Just buy what you like and can afford lor ...

if 10,000 pple says Brand A is good but u simply love Brand B, would you still buy Brand A over Brand B ?

[Guest 9339]

can never understand nor appreciate such threads ...

Bimmer zhiak Merc

Honda zhiak Toyota

Lexus zhiak this and that

This and That zhiak So and So

....

Haiz ... when will it end ? Just buy what you like and can afford lor ...

if 10,000 pple says Brand A is good but u simply love Brand B, would you still buy Brand A over Brand B ?

By the way, this is a Merc forum. All Merc fans here. You will probably not get a fair reply here.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Guest ehwwong]

sollie loh,

my car can eat 3, 5, 6, 7, X series all breakfast, lunch and dinner.....

when they are parking!! .... hahahaha

[Guest angela]

Comparing the latest sedan models, my choice would be (in bold),

3 series/C class

5 series/E class

7 series/S class

purely on looks. driving experience wise, bimmer eats benz's lunch.

haha.. bro whats the aim of this thread? cause u only put comparisons without a reason for comparing them?

making a guess that you're comparing the looks of the cars, let me share my hard earned NS pay 2 cents with ya.

between bmw and mercedes benz, even though their cars are extremely competitive with each other, they are always released during different eras, with years apart from each new model line up. however, many are compared closely with each other.

for example. lets begin with the current cclass and 3series. W204 vs E90. lets face it. the E90 is the world's most hideously looking car (quoted from top gear, jeremy clarkson). its curves can never beat the straights of the W204. (get my drift here)

however, looking back 1 generation. the W203 vs the E46. the tables were turned back then no? i find the W203 one of the ugliest cars from the mercedes benz (soft headlamp generation) range, and that'll be a extremely fair statement, since im driving one of it. however, driving experience wise, i really love the low slung position that the W203 offers me. yes the bmw may have better handling, but it'll never offer me a "manual" feel to the mechanics of the car, which my cclass offers me.

next on lets move to the middle range, 5ser vs Eclass. some say that the chris bangle-d butt design of the 5 is horrid to look at. however, even before i acquired my 5, i loved the way the fearsome angel eyes + eye brows. infact, i believe the design of the E60 5ser was so phenomenal that it caused our other german manufacters to copy cat our DRLs that now you see so clearly on the entire range of audis and the upcoming models of MB.

of course it takes some stomach to get the looks of the W211, which is the only real rival of the E60. lets wait for the replacement for the 5ser to come before making a comparison.

now lets jump ship to the flagships. the W220 vs E65. both were great competitors. (yup, the prefacelifts of both models were both big, beautiful and beastly at the same time.) now comes the W221 vs F01 and both look fearsome.

all models of the range are released at different times, and they always seem to be a much better replacement the out going models.

you can never find a fair comparison between both as none are released during the same period, which perpetually gives an advantage to the later model to tighten up its loose ends and making something different to beat the competition.

anyways, since this is a harmless thread heres my vote for the current available line up. (based on exterior design ONLY.)

entry level luxury -> W204. (3ser should be chucked into the bin, outdated design overdue for scrap)

luxury vehicle -> W212 (yea, it still looks better, even though i like the idea of the new 7series idrive being given FOC in the E60 makes it more attractive for me)

super luxury cateory -> W221. (s class still looks nicer even though the new designed pig nosed 7series has better technology and features for use.)

in both the latter categories given the chance i would buy the bmws instead of the mercs for their features inside, and not on the outside.

PS: driving experience differs greatly between each driver and what they perceive.

i'd choose a bmw for handling anyday over a merc. but for a driving experience i would choose something UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

[Guest ACSLK]

Hi tomasulu,

both ride are good ride so go with your heart and budget range................best go with a 6 cyc or V6...........

vroom vroom

cheers

[Guest tomasulu]

i like the looks of the 3 series. the new c class' exterior barely tops the 3 series (imo) but its interior design is way ahead. i am never a fan of the minimalistic bent of bimmer's interiors, except maybe in the 7 series. don't know why, perhaps minimalism translates into an austere stately feel.

the new e class pulls way ahead of the 5 series.

the s class' headlights don't do it for me. the flow of the lines don't say, "president is here, get ready the 21 gun salute!" but, "lets see, today feels like a good day to drive to monte carlo with my model gf."

just imo of course.

[Guest ACSLK]

Hi tomasulu,

cool.....looks like you've already have an answer to yourself.........

remember to mod it ya..........

cheers

[Guest bbwannabe]

tomasulu? tomasulu algorithm? haha... fellow CS students?

[Guest domenech]

Vedict: Benz vs Bimmer.

On the straights there is always surely only gonna be one winner Mercedes Benz.

be it entry level 2.0 (S.C) vs 320i or C63AMG 6300cc vs M3's 4000cc god know's whose gonna pull away like no tmr esp high end.

on normal cruise u can't tell which stand out in the handling department. but when you hit speeds like 180km to 200+ the bimmer shines esp if you rely on the car handling the merc streering is just too light for those slight bend's and corner's which can be unpredictable at times whereas bimmer's streering feel is heavy rightly so during high speed corners very predictable means you can put your right foot down most of the time during a corner instead of hard braking end up losing ground.

The Benz might lost some ground on high speed corners but bare in mind on the straight it will make up some ground but life's not always on a straight depends on how you guys see it. If driven well the Benz can keep up with incredible handling cars. The trouble is they usually aren't driven well.

Style wise: C-Class over 3-Series

5-Series over E-Class

S-Class over 7-Series

As for style it's really very debatable depending on preferance i would say.

cheers people~

[Guest Sareve]

I think the 3 series beats the C class in every possible way, from looks, to handling, to sheer driving pleasure. Both the 335 and the M3 look far more aggressive, have cabrio versions and have great paddleshift gearboxes. Clarkson may like the sheer power of the C63, but that seems to be all there is to it.

I don't have much of an opinion about the E class and the 5 series, I suppose the new facelifted E class is better, if only because it is a newer car.

The 7 series definitely wins over the S class. For one, the 7 series is a far more comfortable car than the S class, I'd even go as far as to say that it is as comfortable as an entry level Bentley. I'm also not a fan of the electronic speedo and rpm displays of the S class, I think the analogue dials of the 7 are much nicer. They seem to be generally equal in terms of power, but the 7 series has better electronic convenience functions, when they work anyway. I especially like the BMW parking sensors, Merc's sensors are really lousy in comparison.

I think the Mercs that impress me most are the CLS and the SL because there are no close alternatives to them in the market at the moment. I'd even go as far as to say that the CLS is better than the 3 and 5 series as well as the C and E class, get that instead

Btw Dom, I feel that ALL Bmws drive better than Mercs. Firstly, you can turn traction control off. Secondly, BMWs have better gear boxes, suspension and as you've mentioned, there is greater steering feedback. Finally, seeing as top speed isn't quite an issue in Singapore, I would hazard a suggestion that handling is more important, after all, better handling = less chance of you losing control, and this is where BMW wins.

[Guest domenech]

hahas. i thought that the c-class with brabus kit looks pretty. as i said handling wise the 3 series wins not sure if you seen merc weapon the CLK DTM before they are awesome.

it's not 100% true that Mercedes Benz loses out in the handling department against the bimmers. i've seen the DTM models that will beat bimmers best for sure. but there is a price to pay of cos. not to mention the Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren and still the 2 decade old Mclaren F1. not sure about the SLS and the upcoming Turbo charged Benz models. but this few i mention earlier will put many bimmers off for sure.

i have to argee with you that the NEW 7series is good but not too sure about the looks and style on the outside. i take back the c-class looks to 3 series with kit to a DRAW but stand firm on the S-class look against the 7series.

anyway, CLS looks awesomely good i have to admit coupe cum saloon very nice indeed.

[Guest Raskie]

but i think the discussion will never be accurate as I believe the cars are designed with different philosophies and purpose ... which I think is good for the mass market ... we get more choices ...

when we start bringing in the Ms and AMGs ... I think we have crossed the marker ...

[Guest Sareve]

hahas. i thought that the c-class with brabus kit looks pretty. as i said handling wise the 3 series wins not sure if you seen merc weapon the CLK DTM before they are awesome.

it's not 100% true that Mercedes Benz loses out in the handling department against the bimmers. i've seen the DTM models that will beat bimmers best for sure. but there is a price to pay of cos. not to mention the Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren and still the 2 decade old Mclaren F1. not sure about the SLS and the upcoming Turbo charged Benz models. but this few i mention earlier will put many bimmers off for sure.

i have to argee with you that the NEW 7series is good but not too sure about the looks and style on the outside. i take back the c-class looks to 3 series with kit to a DRAW but stand firm on the S-class look against the 7series.

anyway, CLS looks awesomely good i have to admit coupe cum saloon very nice indeed.

Haha the CLK DTM and the SLR are waaaaaaay above and beyond anything that BMW can offer right now. Their closest competitor is the Z8 and the old M1, but these cars never made their way here. The Mclaren F1 is not a Merc car though, it's entirely made by Mclaren just like the new mp4-12c.

What happened to rumours about the new BMW M1? I saw a few drivable prototypes, but is it going to be put into production?

[Guest domenech]

yea, what i meant was they kinda link-up between merc and mclaren if i'm not wrong the SLR was suppose to be the F1 facelift ?

M1? i saw a prototype bmw recently belive to be running on batt and fuel is that the M1?

[Guest kopimonster]

when we start throwing in body kits and mod potential into the mix, the comparisons can get a little hazy....but stock-look wise, i think neither a 3er or a C has a clear advantage, i personally prefer the B8 A4, which i know...its not part of the comparisons in the thread :yumyum:

[Guest tomasulu]

tomasulu? tomasulu algorithm? haha... fellow CS students?

hehe, hated the architecture class so much that the name stayed with me. well yeah, cs student but that was many many moons ago.

[Guest bbwannabe]

tomasulu? tomasulu algorithm? haha... fellow CS students?

hehe, hated the architecture class so much that the name stayed with me. well yeah, cs student but that was many many moons ago.

good to see another CS-er. haha... one more law for you, Amdahl’s Law.

[Guest wc]

yea, what i meant was they kinda link-up between merc and mclaren if i'm not wrong the SLR was suppose to be the F1 facelift ?

M1? i saw a prototype bmw recently belive to be running on batt and fuel is that the M1?

the mclaren f1 is an all out technical exercise just like the bugatti veyron and it has a 6.1L BMW M engine the SLR is just a exercise to say mercedes can make a supercar and some say there's too much of mercedes and too little of mclaren.

[Guest Sareve]

yea, what i meant was they kinda link-up between merc and mclaren if i'm not wrong the SLR was suppose to be the F1 facelift ?

M1? i saw a prototype bmw recently belive to be running on batt and fuel is that the M1?

the mclaren f1 is an all out technical exercise just like the bugatti veyron and it has a 6.1L BMW M engine the SLR is just a exercise to say mercedes can make a supercar and some say there's too much of mercedes and too little of mclaren.

Considering the SLR has awesome doors, mind boggling performance that puts it ahead of it's closest competitor, the 599, plus a matching price tag to boot... I'd say there's more than enough of Mclaren for me and I'd pick an SLR over the 599 any day.

[Guest astrid]

tomasulu wrote:

driving experience wise, bimmer eats benz's lunch.

This is my maiden post in sgmerc.com.

I owned a BMW previously.

At that time, I swore that BMWs drive and handle better than Mercs (on parity platforms) in any way you look at it. And of course the venerable IL6 BMW engines.

But with the W204 C-Class, I believe Merc has finally 'caught' up with BMW on the handling stakes. Especially the V6 models, when in 'Sport' mode.

I believe my current C280 can eat any of the 3-er models carried by PML, for all meals 24/7/52 ... with the exception of the 335i (cos TC, so no fight) and the M3.

0-100 in 7.2 secs ... Golf GTi territory. So yes, even the 325i is not spared.

And BTW, the V6-engined W204 models' sport suspensions are sprung 15mm lower than the Kompressor models. Its one helluva road hugger!

[Guest astrid]

Sareve wrote:

BMWs have better gear boxes, suspension and as you've mentioned, there is greater steering feedback. Finally, seeing as top speed isn't quite an issue in Singapore, I would hazard a suggestion that handling is more important, after all, better handling = less chance of you losing control, and this is where BMW wins.

Don't agree.

The older BMWs (80's till 90's) use the ZF auto tranny.

Current production models, except for the higher-end ones, and especially the whole 3-er range (except the M3) use GM OEM trannies. Yes, from General Motors - mediocre at best.

Losing control? I will be difficult in 'Sport' mode, when the F/R suspension setups all harden up.