[CryptoManiac]

Hi,

I drove both cars when choosing my next car and ended up picking the BMW.
I actually do no think that one is better than the other, it is just matter of the BMW suiting me more than the Merc.

I actually ordered the 5 series 220D Touring without seeing it in real life...production will start in June, delivery somewhere mid July-mid August.

Did you guys also compare them, or just went right ahead and bought the BMW?

My reasons:

Objective things first:
- To me the cabin of the BMW was quieter than the Merc while driving.
- The ride was a bit rougher in the BMW, but the BMW was on 20 inch run-flats, while the Merc was on 18 inch standard tiers. The BMW 5 Touring has air suspension by default, so that should even the ride quality between the two cars.
- The navigation system in the BMW is more responsive than the Merc's system (zooming, entering addresses, switching menus, etc.)
- Trunk in Merc is bigger - certainly for the Break/Touring.
- I think Mercedes still has not figured out where to place the rotary dial to actually be used comfortably. You cannot rest your arm while using it, you have to bend your elbow backwards...putting that touch-pad on top of the rotary dial makes the dial hard to use. None of those issues with the BMW.
- The Merc's windscreen wipers made a lot of noise, those in the BMW were 100% silent. This may or may not be fixable.
- The Merc was cheaper than the BMW, but the monthly lease price for the BMW was lower - so less devaluation for the BMW.


Subjective:
- The Merc feels bigger than the BMW while you drive it. Some people probably like the feeling of driving a big car, I don't.
- I think the dash of the Merc is very flashy when you first see it, but after 3 hours of driving I started to dislike it - those 2 vertical screens just don't work for me. I also don't like the look of the extended sun-cap that covers both screens. It gives the feeling of sitting behind a wall. I imagine those two screens together are also quite bright at night (did not test it). I like to drive with a very dark cabin at night.
- The BMW is certainly not so flashy inside, but the quality felt better to me and I still liked it after 3 hours :-) I actually like the screen sticking out of the dash. It puts the screen high where you can look it at while still looking at the road, while not blocking more of the view as necessary.
- Exterior of the Merc C or E is exactly the same, and I do not like it very much, but that would not stop me; I buy a car to drive it, not to look at it all day.
- I do not like the graphics of the Merc's dials, media system or navigation system a lot.
- Riding the BMW makes me feel my age (40), the Merc makes me feel older :-)
- The Merc has more of "have you seen my fancy car" feel to it, while the BMW is more subtle (which I prefer).

Agree? Not agree?

Cheers!

[steve090619]

I totally agree, A 40 year old should not be driving a Benz. I hear Benz, I think retired and boring. BMW just makes you feel younger. For that reason alone, I bought a 540xi.

[54Me]

Steve, if that's your birthday in your name you will need it!!

[steve090619]

[QUOTE=54Me;21537975]Steve, if that's your birthday in your name you will need it!!

I had a Benz in my early 30's because my wife wanted one. I felt like an old man driving it, never really cared for it. I think a honda gets me more excited. She finally listened to me, and now we are on our 4th bmw.

[w4termelon]

I agree with you guys. Mercedes cars are so boring. And so infotainment system is really outdated in terms of design, etc. For me, the competition is between Audi and BMW, but A6 has not been renewed for a while (same for merc E class) so there were no hesitation for the BMW 5 when I ordered it.

[paulbazo]

Originally Posted by steve090619

I totally agree, A 40 year old should not be driving a Benz. I hear Benz, I think retired and boring. BMW just makes you feel younger. For that reason alone, I bought a 540xi.

You think retired = boring? You must be poor.

[ZigmundUK]

I didn't test drive the new e class but tbh I didn't want to. I've driven the last 4 generations of e class, an s class and an a class. There is such a lack of ergonomic design and intuitive controls in the media system.

Although I think they've made the drive better in more recent e classes, it doesn't compare really. Just yesterday I threw my e61 non msport suspension baby around some lovely country roads and the family were loving it.

Personally also I really don't like the exterior or interior of the merc. Just a bit too round and bubbly...

[Nivarox]

I never like W213 E Class either, I would rather buy W205 for it . It looks like a dead spit to C Class , there's nothing wrong with C Class but E Class is bread and butter to Mercedes-Benz and they should have kept E Class' design traits just like they did in W212 E Class , new model doesn't cut .
I agree with ZigmundUK it's too bubbly and round and it doesn't work that way .

[BiGFather]

Morning guys. I agree with you. Merc feels so old but my bro has C class and I must say it´s not that old feeling like the previous mercs if u SEE it but... the drive...
I compared it with e91 which I had.
I rly didnt like the ride with C.. it was like I am driving my friends Peugeot 307(sry I dont say peugeot is bad). But u sit so high, steering wheel is too much easy, strange feeling of the road.. strange strange. I wasnt connected with the car like in BMW I do..
I was connected with all bmws I tested except x1 and 2 active tourer.. these two are not bmw for me.

Btw I am actually 27yo so Bmw is my choice for sure :-)

[ZigmundUK]

Originally Posted by BiGFather

Morning guys. I agree with you. Merc feels so old but my bro has C class and I must say it´s not that old feeling like the previous mercs if u SEE it but... the drive...
I compared it with e91 which I had.
I rly didnt like the ride with C.. it was like I am driving my friends Peugeot 307(sry I dont say peugeot is bad). But u sit so high, steering wheel is too much easy, strange feeling of the road.. strange strange. I wasnt connected with the car like in BMW I do..
I was connected with all bmws I tested except x1 and 2 active tourer.. these two are not bmw for me.

Btw I am actually 27yo so Bmw is my choice for sure :-)

Haha. Yes merc=Peugeot with a more classy interior!!

To be fair I had a Peugeot for a few years and really liked it - was a nice first car, stayed together, does what it says on the tin.

[w4termelon]

Originally Posted by paulbazo

You think retired = boring? You must be poor.

I think he said "retired AND boring". If he meant to say "retired = boring", then there were no need to mention both..
And yes Mercs are boring, unless you are looking at AMG GT, but that is not a sedan...

[steve090619]

Originally Posted by w4termelon

I think he said "retired AND boring". If he meant to say "retired = boring", then there were no need to mention both..
And yes Mercs are boring, unless you are looking at AMG GT, but that is not a sedan...

exactly, the car is boring and driving it makes you feel old. Do you ever see a 70 year old in a BMW, Usually not, they are in a Mercedes. I associate mercedes as being a car for the elderly. Youth drive BMW or Audi's.

[ted99]

Hello. I'm 75 and look at my sig.

[steve090619]

Originally Posted by ted99

Hello. I'm 75 and look at my sig.

You are the exception to the rule and understand how athletic a BMW can be. Next time you pull up to a mercedes, look and see the driver. And then smile, because you made better decision with 540.

[Ananas]

I pretty much agree but not all the way.
The last 3 years I spent them with plenty of rental cars, since I live in Europe most of the cars I rented were German cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Opel etc.)..
And I decided the 5 series is the best all rounder car, by looking at the pros and cons the 5 series was my car.

I must say the recent Mercedes cars are pieces of art, my current favorite cars are the AMG GTS and the C63 AMG edition one, there is simply no BMW car in those classes that looks better (sorry M4 fans, the M4 was my fav when it came out).
First time I saw the C class in SIXT I wanted it more than anything, I told my agent to do any upgrade necessary so that I could rent it and it was a serious head turner.

From Audi I love the A6, it was so attractive to me from all perspectives. Specially on German highways the A6 always stands out.

But BMW landed in my heart, being a driver of a BMW simply felt the best, all the controls, the idrive and the name BMW bought me in.
Actually the idrive compared to any car in the market was one of the main reasons I chose it, it's really the best infotainment system in the market.
I could write a book about choosing a BMW.

This year I ordered my first car ever => a 530d xdrive which a new piece of art in BMW..I look forward to it.

[NewM3driver]

Originally Posted by steve090619

exactly, the car is boring and driving it makes you feel old. Do you ever see a 70 year old in a BMW, Usually not, they are in a Mercedes. I associate mercedes as being a car for the elderly. Youth drive BMW or Audi's.

Ha ha.... old is a state of mind. My dad is 80. He and my mom (77) drive a 535i m-sport and a 328 vert. They have had several Mercedes and found them to be boring, so the last decade or so has been all BMW.

My dads first Mercedes was the bank vault like e class in the middle 80's. that was a great car, but then Mercedes began chasing BMW and trying to creat "sporty" cars. Things have never been the same

[Germanauto]

Nice, fair analysis.

[Ti Rich]

I am in the same situation but at 48. Can't decide between the Merc E or G30.

Very different cars but both very nice..............

[CryptoManiac]

I was sold on the 5 series after driving the E class a day after driving the 5 series (after having driven the E class a couple of weeks before).

If you really can't make up your mind, maybe book two test drives very close to each other; maybe even drive one to the other dealership. Nothing like getting out one car and into another to feel the difference.

I remember going on a business trip to the States for a week 8 years ago. Driving a small Chevrolet the whole week, handing it in at the airport, taking a plane back home and get in my BMW 1 series in the parking lot. Wow, the BMW never drove better :-) Too bad you get used to it after a week and stop appreciating it for what it is really worth.

[pkancel]

I started with BMW in my early 20s (now 52) and every time I drove them, I thoroughly enjoyed the drive, no matter where I went. I did the MB thing for a while in the early 2000s up until 2010. C-Class, E-Class and S-Class. All great cars, especially the S550 but as nice and comfortable as they were to drive, I always missed something. I tried Audi and again, very different from MB and more fun to drive but even then, still missed something. I went back to BMW or had one mixed in with the others and it was always the same, whether it was a 3, 5 or 7, they were each more fun to drive than the MB or Audi. We have a M4 now, 435iGC and just picked up the 2017 540i Msport and likely will be some time before we think about changing from BMW. Yes, the newer BMWs dont have the drive and road feel of the cars from the 80s, 90s and 2000s but its an experience. Best comparison. Before the M4, I had a Porsche 997 and every time I drove it, put a smile on my face. Great feeling. BMW while not the exact same experience, is pretty damn close. Also, for those that had MBs, when you go to the dealer for service, its just a boring service appt. Whenever I go to BMW for my regular service, there is always someone that wants to talk cars. Small talk on BMWs. Most of the time, owners that have had several before. Occasionally someone new that is excited about their new car and how much fun it is to drive. Thats always been my experience with BMW, no matter what age.

[ArchJR]

Originally Posted by Ti Rich

I am in the same situation but at 48. Can't decide between the Merc E or G30.

Very different cars but both very nice..............

For me the E300 made a strong initial impression with its sheer level of technology, but beyond the wizardry going on in the flat panels before my eyes the rest of the car felt a bit disconnected. If I had to choose a car to simply sit in and play with, with driving an afterthought - which incidentally characterizes my test drive - the Mercedes would win. On the road I preferred the 530i's powertrain and steering effort, plus its simplified interfaces are ergonomically superior if not as graphically stunning.

At 36 I am not the target market for either car, but the G30 in MSport trim certainly feels younger. The Merecedes column shifter doesn't help.