BMW v. Mercedes Benz

[Anonymous]

If you own one - what are some of the pro/cons?

DH is considering of buying a new car and is debating between those two. TIA.

[Anonymous]

Boy OP, you are just looking for snark, aren't you? You are going to get slammed on these boards! Which ones are yo looking at? It depends on the model, I suppose. I happen to like both - the way they drive, stop, accelerate, park. But I have not driven every last model of each, admittedly. Many, but not all.

[Anonymous]

OP here: yes, I have done the research on the boards and have seen the old posts about the bmw and mercedes of Bethesda.

However, we do not live in Bethesda, are currently driving a VERY old honda that's falling apart. So while dh was looking at hondas/toyotas I told him to look at the Mercedes.

I personally like Mercedes Benz C-300 and BMW 3 series, but I just now started to look into it so I'm pretty new to the "luxury" vehicles.

[Anonymous]

How old are you and DH and where do you live? If you're under 30 and live in MD or DC, go for the beemer. Over 35 in Virginia, it's Benz for sure. Any other combination is a coin toss. Really, start looking at the drivers.
(BTW, I love the "DH was looking for a Honda but I told him to get a Mercedes." Funny.)

[Anonymous]

We're over 35 and live in MD. Where does that put us?

(DH might end up with a honda, who knows?!

[Anonymous]

Re: your 22:51 post, squarely in Prius land I'm afraid.

-Prius driver

[jsteele]

I have experience with both the C-300 (I have a review on the home page blog) and the 3 Series. In my opinion, the 3 Series is significantly better, though the C-300 is not without its charms. The BMW will come with 4 years of free maintenance, which is nice. The BMW is more of a performance car and less of a luxury car until you start adding the various packages. Then, the price rises quickly. So, if you don't care about performance -- especially handling -- you might be able to get more luxury for the money from the Mercedes. I suggest that you test drive a 3 Series. You will know in a minute whether you are a BMW person.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I have experience with both the C-300 (I have a review on the home page blog) and the 3 Series. In my opinion, the 3 Series is significantly better, though the C-300 is not without its charms. The BMW will come with 4 years of free maintenance, which is nice. The BMW is more of a performance car and less of a luxury car until you start adding the various packages. Then, the price rises quickly. So, if you don't care about performance -- especially handling -- you might be able to get more luxury for the money from the Mercedes. I suggest that you test drive a 3 Series. You will know in a minute whether you are a BMW person.

Wait, I know you're a DCUM god and all, but did you just type that if someone doesn't care about performance or handling they should get a MB? What should we get if we don't care about safety?

[Anonymous]

BMW vs. Mercedes. Hmmm... Meh!

Our answer was Audi.

[Anonymous]

Nearly impossible to answer your question without knowing which models you're comparing. Generalizing, and speaking only of sedans and coupes, in my opinion, whatever BMW you choose will be "sportier" than its comparable Mercedes. If you want a lush, comfortable ride, then opt for the Mercedes. If you want a car that's fun to drive, then BMW. Unless the Mercedes you're considering is an AMG.

This is not to say that no Beamer offers a lush ride, or that no Mercedes is fun to drive.

Given my druthers (and a lottery hit) I'd have a Porsche C4 Sport Cabriolet for me, and a Prius to transport the kid.

[Anonymous]

Young, hip, MD/DC: BMW. Older, more established, VA: MB.

[Anonymous]

I've driven Audis and VWs most of my driving life, so I'm extremely biased. I've also driven a friend's BMW 316d (this was in Europe) on a road trip. I prefer our Audi A4, but again I'm really biased. Generally I think you'll get more bang for your buck with an A4, since there's not as much of a premium for the brand name. The 2008 A4s are just coming off lease so they have some really good financing deals (0.9% APR) if you don't mind going used.

We were driving in a torrential downpour last Saturday near Baltimore, and I was glad we had all-wheel drive at that time for additional safety. The rain was so bad that many cars slowed down to 30-40 and were driving with their hazards on.

[Anonymous]

Old people drive MB. I think one needs to be at least 50 to drive one and not look like a tool. BMW are junk. I havent known anyone who hasn't been plagued with mechanical issues. DH had an Audi A6, which he recently traded in. I have a personal dislike of "luxury" cars so I talked him out of another one. Luxury cars are for the pretentious.

[Anonymous]

Between the C and 3 series, I'd go with the 3. While I love the higher end MB, I think the C is overpriced. When I got one as a loaner I was quite unimpressed with the performance and interior. I remember thinking it was a glorified Honda for 1.5x the price.
Also remember that unless you get the x 3 series, both are rear wheel drive which won't even get you up a slight incline if there is even a trace of snow.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:I have experience with both the C-300 (I have a review on the home page blog) and the 3 Series. In my opinion, the 3 Series is significantly better, though the C-300 is not without its charms. The BMW will come with 4 years of free maintenance, which is nice. The BMW is more of a performance car and less of a luxury car until you start adding the various packages. Then, the price rises quickly. So, if you don't care about performance -- especially handling -- you might be able to get more luxury for the money from the Mercedes. I suggest that you test drive a 3 Series. You will know in a minute whether you are a BMW person.

Wait, I know you're a DCUM god and all, but did you just type that if someone doesn't care about performance or handling they should get a MB? What should we get if we don't care about safety?

The MB in question is a C-300. You must not have driven one or you wouldn't be so surprised. It is not a performance car by any stretch of the imagination (I don't think a manual transmission is even an option and the automatic is pretty sluggish). Both brands are very safe.

Regarding the poster above discussing rear-wheel drive and snow, I have to disagree. First, the 3 Series is available in all wheel drive. But, even rear wheel drive can handle snow if you use the correct tires and know how to handle snow.