Comparison Drive: 08 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC Lux vs 08 BMW 328xi

Even though we get snow probably three to five days out of all 365, the most commonly sold drivetrain on nearly every car in the lower Northeast/Mid-Atlantic states is All-Wheel-Drive. Something I don’t exactly understand because you’ll save money and gas by buying their two-wheel drive siblings and just setting aside an additional small sum of money for a good set of Blizzaks (snow tires for you non-brand people). But majority of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3-Series buyers don’t exactly know or follow up with that. So let’s compare and contrast the two most popular compact luxury sports sedans at their entry spec level and see who comes out in top.

Starting with the Mercedes, DaimlerBenz claims that the new W204 C-Class is the most researched, developed and tested Mercedes ever. But let’s make it plain, simple and clear: this does not mean cost-no-object build quality, or the build quality that Mercedes were so well known for pre-1995. But the instant you pull on the door handle and step inside the C300 you receive the notion that Mercedes is moving back in the right direction…just.

But before we continue inside let’s observe the exterior. The one we have is a C300 4MATIC non-sport. In a world where the Bangle-Butt is now a design standard and there’s awkward curve this and unusual crease that, Mercedes remains conservative with its styling but it never really comes across as boring. In fact, I think the new C-Class is one of the best looking cars out there today. It’s handsome, refined and understated and isn’t brash like some of the competitors from Japan. It follows much of the S-Class's design roots with a high sloping shoulder line and poignant face. It’s aggressive yet elegant and not overpowering. If only BMW could learn some things from these guys.

Returning to the interior, panels and fixtures are all well assembled and the door closes with a nice solid thunk. Buttons and switches are all tactile and refined, again signifying that Mercedes is going in the right direction, but let me reemphasize…just. You can still tell that this car was designed under the hierarchy of DaimlerChrysler and that Chrysler’s parting happened just in the middle of the C-Classes development, suggesting that the Germans finally reclaimed their stake in managing the company. For example, while most the controls I could see lasting long periods of time, there are some that still don’t really seem to match up with the test of time and use such as the faux-metallic temperature dials for the HVAC. And the plasticvinylleather-whatchya-ma-call-it material that covers the dash and the upholstery on the doors doesn’t exactly seem like something from a German luxury manufacturer and is a little cheap because of how it reflects light. At the same time though, it seems durable, which means it could echo the same notions that the W201 190E gave off back in the late 1980s: people called the interior on the 190 cheap (if only they could REALLY see what cheap was two decades later) but it still stood up very well to the test of time and use. On top of that, every time you put your seatbelt on your knuckle will find some way to hit the release button on the center storage compartment. Keep working DaimerBenz.

Control layout in the Mercedes is simple and straight forward but handling the radio controls can be a little confusing if this is your first Mercedes. The C300 being tested here was optioned with the Technology package which includes satnav. Mercedes’ COMAND is far more intuitive than BMW’s iDrive and is very easy to use. Exterior visibility is more than adequate and over all the layout is very pleasing.
The Mercedes also offers more interior and trunk space than the BMW from being a slightly larger car in general. Even with my near six foot figure full size adults were able to fit in the back without much complaint, as long as the trips were short. The seats up front though do lack in lateral support and are a bit flat and hard. Rear seating pretty much is the same story but having taken long trips in the C300 as a driver and passenger, it is an adequate long distance cruiser.

Driving the C300 however is as numb as receiving Novocain when getting that cavity filled. Steering feel and feedback is basically non-existent. You almost have to assist the steering wheel to return to normal after turning it anywhere and it’s very light. The suspension is communicative and employs the traditional firm yet complain tuning, but in light of being firmer with shorter suspension travel in order to catch up with modern times and to compete with the BMW, I really don’t think the suspensions’ firmness is thoroughly justified by its cornering and handling performance. In other words, even though the ride quality is superb, it can be a little softer to complement the “Luxury” non-sport trim better. If someone wanted to get a sportier automobile then they could opt for the Sports trim.

Having a slightly higher ride height to make way for ground clearance from being AWD on top of being in “Luxury Trim,” understeer is the name of the game for any driving nearing 8/10s. Other than that, the C300 remains composed in corners should any road imperfection arise. Handling remains neutral until about the aforementioned 8/10ths. But on top of lackadaisical steering and a slightly more body lean, this car should be driven more conservatively. Highway cruising is effortless however as this car was designed for the Autobahn so she tracks straight and true and remains very planted.

Power is delivered through a 3.0-Liter V6 good for 228HP and 221 lb-ft of twist mated to Merc’s usual 7-Speed automatic. Mash on the throttle and you’ll get to 60 in a shade over seven seconds. While there’s no issue to be had with the power offered, it’s how the power’s delivered. There’s too much torque converter lag when downshifts occur and the power doesn’t seem to come in until about 4000 RPM so overtaking will seem a bit lethargic. With the lazy power delivery, a pedal that's as dead as Mr. Benz himself and the typical delay of drive-by-wire throttle, you'll feel the need to mash the pedal quite a bit.

The transmission, in light of keeping fuel economy averages up always finds the highest gear possible, even when in the “Sport” mode setting versus “Comfort,” and fuhgettaboutit when it’s in Comfort mode. Engaging the manu-matic mode doesn’t help the slightest bit as every input is delayed before it does what its told. Otherwise the power and drivetrains are well-refined and meet the expectations of what a luxury sedan should offer…key emphasis on LUXURY SEDAN. On the upside however, the stoppers are adequate though pedal motion is a bit mushy and lacking in feel.

Altogether, though, the W204 represents that Mercedes is moving in the right direction and the influx of new models such as the S-Class and CL-Class a couple years ago exemplify that. However, the company has a lot of catching up to do and with a lackluster driving experience and an interior that needs work, the C300 finishes second in this comparison.

The BMW 3-Series has been the industry leader for over two decades and still leads the market today with the E90. Its combination of practicality, style and superior driving dynamics has made it the choice in the luxury sport compact sedan segment so with proper reason, the 328xi that I tested in this comparison finishes a solid first; and here's why.

Although this may not be starting on the proper note to review the winner of this comparison, I've never been a fan of the new styling for the 3er. It's bulbous and looks just flat-out ugly. With it's sloping hood and stretched face, it looks like a dog sticking his face out of a window whilst storming down the Autobahn at triple digit speeds. The rest of the car just doesn't look proportionate with it's blobular shapes.

The interior is not much of a better place, but it holds its own against the C300. The tester came in black and its as cold and dark as a mortuary. Everything else however is well assembled with the plastics and other materials being on a level higher than that of the C300s. Switchgear and buttons are tactile and the layout is simple. The doors close with a soft yet solid thunk and the cabin, much like the C300 is void from squeaks and rattles. My only suggestion is getting a color combination that gives you a lighter color inside.

Interior space is good up front, but the rear quarters can get rather cramped. While I was fine adjusting the seat to my figure, having someone of equal proportions in the seat behind would give discomfort to both of us. Getting in and out of the backseat in the 3er also demanded that I duck to avoid bashing my head on the sloping roofline. This however is the only place that the C300 shines because it's more comfortable with its larger interior space and more comfortable seats.

Driving the 328xi is something that should meet yours and many others' expectations when driving a BMW. While the steering is far more communicative than the C300s helm with more feedback and feel, it still is a bit numb when compared to its two-wheel drive siblings. You don't have to assist the steering wheel back to center like you need to with the C300 and the 3er's helm is heavier for the better. Ride quality is a bit firm, especially with the extremely lauded run-flats that all BMWs are equipped with to save weight from putting a full-size spare. But that ride quality is thoroughly justified by very composed handling and very well controlled body motions, again a trademark for the BMW 3-Series. Drive at or past 9/10s however and understeer is the name of the game, again with the higher ride height and 50/50 split AWD system. But what separates it from the Mercedes is that it's so much easier to reach the limits of the BMW and it doesn't scare you off from doing so with unpredictability and a rolling body like the Mercedes. The car inspired confidence like no other and will give your average driver a great feeling when trolling up those mountain roads.

Power is delivered by BMW's famed tradition of straight sixes, this one being a 3.0-Liter putting out 230HP and 200lb-ft. Zero-to-Sixty comes in at a near equal 7.1 seconds, just a tenth of a second quicker than the Merc. It still however doesn't feel as enlightening or as fast as it's two-wheel drive sibling considering that this 328 was fitted with the optional automatic so there's the loss at the torque converter and transfer case, just like with any other AWD vehicle. Even though the 328xi isn't much more powerful overall than the Merc, it's higher horsepower inspires you to rev the living daylight out of this engine; and what a rev-tastic engine it is.

The optional 6-Speed automatic is very good and takes advantage of the power band. But the STEPTRONIC likes to be laid back when change inputs are sent. In addition, it doesn't exactly like to hold a gear so it will randomly change at its own discretion, even if you might want to hold a gear mid-corner. NOT COOL!

So to wrap things up, it is to no surprise that the driving experience alone is what leads the BMW 3er to first place in this comparison. While it may lack in the practicality department in terms of size when compared to the C300, it shines at just about everything else. Power's nearly identical and gas mileage is exactly the same. But the BMW drives better, is cheaper than the Mercedes, feels better built and despite looking like a troll...well aesthetics is something I'm willing to sacrifice when the BMW does everything else so extraordinarily well.

~Chris Chin

Full Drive: 1975 Mercedes-Benz 280S

They really don’t build them like they used to. Really. I have yet to come across a car that’s just as well built and solid as an old Mercedes, say pre-1998 before the finalizing of merging Chrysler and DaimlerBenz AG, even by the guys from Stuttgart themselves today. If a car was to be elected as the pinnacle and benchmark for build quality and solidity, quite obviously look no further than Mercedes-Benz, and the barn-found 1975 280S that I picked up as a restoration project.

The car to always set the standard and premiere safety and automotive technology innovation was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It was built to standards that absolutely no other car manufacturer could match and still is to this day. The W116 S-Class—the first Mercedes luxury sedan to be called the S-Class, or Sonderklasse or “special class” after the W108/W109—was the car that was used to develop the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS, co-developed with Robert-Bosch GmBH), a more reinforced passenger cell with a stronger roof structure, and increased deformation for energy dissipation on the front and rear crumple zones (Mercedes was the first with both a reinforced passenger cell and crumple zones).

Driving the 280S is like driving a piece of pure automotive history. So much development, research and technology went into and came from cars like the 280S and you really learn to appreciate how special and way ahead of their time these cars were, especially one like the S-Class.

Observing the wedged-three-box, this car obviously screams old-school, but with class just following. It has a lot of presence which is very much elegant in nature as well. It even makes old Rolls-Royces and Bentley’s appear barbaric in comparison in my tastes. But of course, an old Rolls is an old Rolls, yet the 280S still screams elegance without the “rich snob” part. Heavily inspired by the R107 450SL roadster and coupe that debuted several years earlier than the W116 S-Class, it’s easy to tell the cars are siblings, following the usual Mercedes form following function and departing from the vertical headlight equipped W108/W109 of the previous generation. Wrap around turn signals, front and rear, were designed that way for better visibility and safety. The wedge shape keeps the car aerodynamic without overwhelming proportions unlike, say an Eldorado from the same era. It again all comes across as sleek, elegant and tasteful, with a broad shoulder line that complements the sheer monstrosity of the car, making it feel very masculine.

And what a monstrosity at is. The 280S, with its extended US-Spec 5-MPH bumpers (you older folks remember those from the older days) is a full 17 feet long, which bests the current Chevy Tahoe by a full two inches and the last generation Tahoe by a whopping 5 inches. And a wide sucker the 280S is as well at 73.6 inches, and height seems like the only proportion that’s properly normal at 56.3 inches. Surprisingly though, this car really is no bigger than the current W221 S-Class, though it does feel more massive due to its wedged design.

Pulling on the protruding chrome door handles yields a very strong metallic clank and the feel of pulling open a door that belongs in Fort Knox. Sitting in the therapeutic bucket seats and you immediately imagine yourself taking this car on a long road trip without any complaints. Although the interior is a little warped from sitting for about a year outside—not to mention its 34 years old—the interior held up quite well. All materials and surfaces are soft to the touch but with the solidity of a Swiss bank vault behind it. Stoic, Teutonic, and dark; typical words to describe the traditional German automobile interior, this one in particular in black. The monstrous dash stretches across the entire width of a car with not much to brag about except for a strip of wood lining the center. Just like my E320 I previously reviewed, climate and radio ergonomics are a little less than spectacular as designs are very similar. Switchgear all maintains its tactile and firm feel but are a little hard to distinguish one from another unless you either read their icons or memorize where they are.

Moving on…as some of you have probably heard other people say, there’s nothing like driving an old Mercedes-Benz. And just like the statement: they really don’t build them like they used to, it’s true. Driving this old, stately relic of an S-Class gives you the confidence that you’re driving around in Buckingham Palace. And while the giant proportions of the 280S will give you the first impression that you’ll be wallowing and wafting and understeering before you even turn the wheel more than a quarter of the way, don’t mistaken yourself. This car is a blast to drive: and while a Porsche or a BMW would be buckets of fun to drive because of their performance capabilities, the old 280S demands a different approach. It requires a certain approach that you either get or don’t get. It’s very hard to explain but I’ll try my best.

In today’s day and age, this car will not win any awards for power. The 2.8-Liter DOHC Straight-Six, dubbed the M110, is a big and thirsty engine…but not with any fair exchange for power since it is carbureted. Rated at 160HP and 167 ft lbs of torque peaking at 5,500 and 4,000 RPM respectively going through a short-ratio four-speed automatic, the 280S’s power is adequate around town but steep inclines and highway driving demand lots of wide open throttle and downshifting just to keep up with traffic. It’s very little power to motivate about 3800 lbs worth of German steel. So you could imagine that its fuel economy isn’t exactly the best with its rating of 12 MPG city and 17 MPG highway. Back in the days of the fuel crisis and the phasing out of leaded fuel though these numbers and performance figures were very tolerable. Zero to sixty clocks in at about 11 seconds and the top speed clocks in at about 120MPH. Not bad for 1975…but we’re not longer wearing bell-bottoms and it ain’t about the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll any more. Although very barbaric in comparison to the current variable this and electronic controlled that, the M110 is so refined that it rivals many modern straight sixes found today and within the last decade or so. Power delivery is smooth and progressive despite it being in low for modern standards. And boy does it like to rev.

Handling is where this car shines. Using all of the technology obtained from the famed C111 development test car, the 280S sports a double wishbone suspension with a torsion bar stabilizer up front keeping offset and camber exactly at zero. Progressive anti-dive geomtery was added to keep the body stable under hard braking. The once camber-change susceptible diagonal swing axle in the rear—the one that made the Chevrolet Corvair such a dangerous car to drive—was modified with control arms to keep the camber change at bay, just like the front with zero offset and camber. The result is Mercedes’ traditional firm yet very compliant ride quality. This car will absorb potholes, dips, dives, imperfections like a champ. Absolutely nothing can upset the chassis of this car. It has such a surefooted stance that it seems like it’s unstoppable. But this is just one of the two handling personalities that the 280S posesses.

Take the 280S on a long sweeping and curvacious road and control the transmission via the shift gate and this car will sweep a corner with the stance and grace of Pomp and Circumstance; the car will feel like it transforms into something half its size. With a near-50/50 weight distribution and well thought out suspension tuning and stiff chassis, neutral handling is the name of the game with understeer and oversteer both kept well in check. Mercedes designed the 280S’s handling limits to be very far out of reach, making this car very easy and safe to drive, with plenty of potential available. Though far from being a Porsche or BMW, the 280S is a perfect example of Mercedes-Benz’s ideology offering the best of both worlds with performance and comfort. Lateral body motions are well controlled thanks to the 280’s wide track. Its recirculating ball-type steering provides enough feel and feedback to let you know when the front wheels start to lose grip. And while this car does not hide its massive size and bulk, it’s so easy to drive that it’s not much more of a task to maneuver than say your average Honda Accord. At 2.7 turns lock-to-lock and with a large diameter steering wheel, parallel parking couldn’t be any easier in a car this big.

It’s amazing to think that this was a car that came from over three decades ago. I can’t imagine how ahead of its time this car was, let alone it’s more expensive siblings, the 450SEL and the legendary 450SEL 6.9. The only things that are keeping me from enjoying this car to its full potential are all restoration and age related. If only Mercedes were to build their cars like they did in the time that this W116 was, not only would Mercedes have maintained their reputation, but they’d continue to seriously make the best cars in the world.

~Chris Chin

First thoughts on W212 design

I realize the graphic to the right is a mess of circles, arrows and creases, but how about we play a game of, "spot the Mercedes?" Who are they trying to fool? The blind? My personal issue with the new e-class is that Mercedes, in an attempt to freshen a preexisting design model, have begun to imitate what the expected clientele would refer to as lesser cars. The Hyundai Genesis actually shows a lot of promise, and the coupé is even better, but that's not something mercedes customers understand. On the other hand, they don't want their cars to appear like the Lincoln MKZ, and rightly so, it's hideous, as is the 2003 Kia Optima, but somehow, the boardmembers approving of this new, odd project, which comprises Merc's best-selling model ignored this completely. Perhaps the resemblence isn't all that strong, but it's there. If we ignore the possible prestige implications of the "new" front and rear fascia, is it a good thing to look at? Right now, to this cynical author? No.
I think what is the biggest issue is that while the proportions of the lighting surfaces are very practical, the grille in the front provides much space for air to be sucked in, it stimulates the viewer just as much as the Volvo 740. Sure, it's practical and safe, but it has the sex appeal of a kitchen cabinet. I applaud Mercedes for not attempting to produce bangle-butt-like characteristics, setting a precedent for the other automakers to look moronic, but no effort has been put forth as far as I can tell.

~Sawyer Sutton