[tex2670]

Originally Posted by __

OP, if I was making a 70 mile commute each day I would want something dynamic. But then feeling coddled in a car isn't something I'm very interested in.

Good luck with your search. Happy shopping. You can't really go wrong.

This is why this is purely an academic discussion. Each person responding has their own preferences, biases, like and dislikes. OP needs to drive both cars, and figure out which one suits his needs and wants.

[hollandog]

Originally Posted by matthewcassity

If I go with the BMW, what are some of the MUST have options and packages?

I know for sure I will be looking for one with M-Sport, and the upgraded sound system.

Depends on what your priority is.
I got most of the performance options and love them.

I would say Adaptive M Suspension is one of the most important one. Especially if you go for xDrive.
Other options are really up to your preference.

The HUD is really nice but I couldn't justify $3000 for it.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by matthewcassity

If I go with the BMW, what are some of the MUST have options and packages?

I know for sure I will be looking for one with M-Sport, and the upgraded sound system.

Again, "must haves" are the options that you "must have". Some people must have a sunroof; some people hate sunroofs. Some people need heated seats; some people live in a warm climate and don't care; some people live in a warm climate and do care. Some people hate Sansetec; some people hate leather. You make the call. Good luck.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by hollandog

The HUD is really nice but I couldn't justify $3000 for it.

And here is a perfect example of preferences. Because many would say they love HUD, and won't do without it...and if you were going to get nav anyway, then the actual cost of HUD becomes $1000, because that's the price difference, and only difference, between the nav pkg and HUD pkg.

OP--you will definitely make yourself crazy listening to too many opinions, because they will not be consistent.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by matthewcassity

Thank you!

Since you mentioned something about the technology. Would you say the Harmon & Kadon is superior to the Burmester sound?

Can't say for sure, but I imagine the Burmester is better. Though I like HK just fine.

[goj]

Originally Posted by __

AMEN!!! ....although to be accurate column shifters go WAY further back than SUVs and minivans. You must be pretty young. Us old farts remember when even manual transmissions could have column shifters, Three on the Tree. btw, I'm really not that old of a fart, but I am a tail-end baby boomer.

You're very correct. I guess my mind went to more recent examples. Guess I wasn't thinking

[eluded]

Get the Mercedes-Benz

[IMG]https://14415-presscdn-0-52-pagely.n.../BMWvsBenz.jpg[/IMG]

[KGB_123_99]

If you are after the perfect driving feel, do yourself a favour and try the Jaguar XE. It may not be as well rounded as a 3 series, but the handling is much better as is the ride quality. I think coming from an MB the latter will be important to you. It is what the BMW should have been and I hope they take note for the next generation.

Also, the supercharged V6 is great and you don't have to plop money on an M-Performance exhaust for the car to sound amazing. I always thought the need to spend money on a good sounding exhaust was ridiculous. It is a great alternative to the 3 series if you are after something different. The starting price is also less than 335i if you need another reason to try it.

[Blubaron79]

Because of the ipad the Mercedes engineer forgot on top of the dash.

[matthewcassity]

I actually test drove a Jag a few months ago. I cannot remember the trim for the life of me. I believe it was a 2012, either a v8 or v12.

What year Jaguar XE are you referring to here. I did love the ride of the Jag, and you are spot on. I am looking for something more sporty, with quickness but also I'd like to keep close to the ride quality the MB has.

Thank you very much for your opinion and thoughts!!!

Originally Posted by KGB_123_99

If you are after the perfect driving feel, do yourself a favour and try the Jaguar XE. It may not be as well rounded as a 3 series, but the handling is much better as is the ride quality. I think coming from an MB the latter will be important to you. It is what the BMW should have been and I hope they take note for the next generation.

Also, the supercharged V6 is great and you don't have to plop money on an M-Performance exhaust for the car to sound amazing. I always thought the need to spend money on a good sounding exhaust was ridiculous. It is a great alternative to the 3 series if you are after something different. The starting price is also less than 335i if you need another reason to try it.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by matthewcassity

I actually test drove a Jag a few months ago. I cannot remember the trim for the life of me. I believe it was a 2012, either a v8 or v12.

What year Jaguar XE are you referring to here. I did love the ride of the Jag, and you are spot on. I am looking for something more sporty, with quickness but also I'd like to keep close to the ride quality the MB has.

Thank you very much for your opinion and thoughts!!!

Jag XE is brand new--it just came out. 3-Series competitor.

[KGB_123_99]

Originally Posted by matthewcassity

I actually test drove a Jag a few months ago. I cannot remember the trim for the life of me. I believe it was a 2012, either a v8 or v12.

What year Jaguar XE are you referring to here. I did love the ride of the Jag, and you are spot on. I am looking for something more sporty, with quickness but also I'd like to keep close to the ride quality the MB has.

Thank you very much for your opinion and thoughts!!!

XE is brand new to North America. I think it was out in Europe a year ago, not too sure.

Before I get flamed on this forum, I am not going to say it is a better car than the 3 series. It was also released after the 3 series so it is not a fair comparison. I will stand by my comment that it is superior to the 3 in agility and ride quality department, though.

Do yourself a favor and test drive the XE V6 model before buying anything else. The advantage is that it will also be less common, as everyone and their dog has a 3 series these days!

[mbfanos]

If I were the OP, I would rent a C300 and a 3 series back to back for one or two days each. Then, I would drive as if it was my daily driver. I'm pretty sure after a few days, the OP would have an answer for himself.

[st3v]

I actually had one of those C230K Coupes. I loved it when I had it also. It drove really well, and was really nimble and tight. They don't make em like they used to. I switched to BMW after it, since Mercedes hasn't really appealed to me with their new styles.

But I do like the new C Coupe and how it looks. However, you know, they have the gear shifter in the steering column now.

[Bandini3]

I have owned several BMWs over the years. I had a Mercedes E-Class (V8) for a few years. It was fast, solid, quite luxurious and the *least agile & sporty car* I have owned in my entire life (apart from a Honda Accord a long time ago).

Now I am back to pure BMW: a 535i and a 435xi, which is the same basic platform and powertrain as a 335i.

Obviously, a C300 is smaller and (to a degree) more oriented to sports and performance than the larger E Class. But, it seems to me MB doesn't attempt to 'dial in' performance in most of its models, apart from the AMG line.

Reasons to go with the 335i:
1) Excellent engine -- lots of torque even at low RPM, smooth, reliable and offers good fuel economy
2) Excellent 8-speed automatic transmission (manufactured by ZF). I believe the MBs go with 7-speed transmissions.
3) Find a 335i that has the MSport package AND the *paddle shift* Sports Automatic. I believe this AT has more aggressive electronic programming (tuning) -- it certainly does in the 4 Series. The ZF transmission is very well matched to the characteristics of the BMW 3-litre turbo. You can shift up/down with the paddle shift in ~milliseconds. Great acceleration in the low gears. The engine runs at low RPM at highway speeds (in 7 & 8), yielding good fuel economy.
4) Finally, consider this:
- the *in-line* six cylinder has specific dynamics (related to the firing sequence of the six cylinders and the vibrations caused by the power stroke) that are favourable. The engine is smooth and free-revving up to high RPM
- any V-6 has an inherent imbalance created by the power strokes, which is often compensated for by the use of balance shafts.
- obviously both BMW and MB understand this engineering principle.
- BMW is famous for its excellent 'straight-six' engines (they've won many awards in Europe)
- Benz used to manufacture straight-six engines, but switched to the V6 years ago. Why? Because the V6 engine block is shorter, and therefore easier to fit. And, the width of the V6 engine is almost identical to a V8, which made things easier on the MB production line and easier for attaching hoses, cables, etc..

Whose philosophy do you want to align yourself with:
A) Benz -- compromise, in the interests of "production line efficiency", or
B) BMW -- emphasize engineering and engine dynamics, even if the straight-six creates complications in models (535i, 550i) and assembly lines that have to accommodate V8 engines.

In the competition among Audi, BMW and Benz for the mid-size/semi-sporty cars, you will often hear that Audi is trying to 'beat BMW' or 'copy BMW traits'. One rarely, if ever, hears that Audi or BMW are attempting to copy, or 'catch up' with Mercedes. Audi, by the way, uses the same ZF 8 speed AT as BMW.

Cheers

[bostonx6]

I owned a C400 for 7 months. It looked gorgeous, but the quality was lacking. Of course, it was the first model year. I found the car was always at the dealership for warranty issues. Also, Comand is still painfully slow and inferior to idrive. I traded it for a 2015 X6 just about a year ago, and it has never been to the dealership.

[TheRealEssad]

I've driven both and definitely prefer the BMW. And apart from the performance, the iDrive is WAYY better than the MB system. Navigating the menus is just easier, imo. I am particular when it comes to menu navigation, and the few days I spent in a C300 loaner did not leave me with a good feeling.

On top of that I feel like the F3x's integrate the nav screen much better. It's an aesthetic thing but I am definitely not a fan of the look MB is going for where it looks like they just glued an iPad to the dash.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Bandini3

4) Finally, consider this:
- the *in-line* six cylinder has specific dynamics (related to the firing sequence of the six cylinders and the vibrations caused by the power stroke) that are favourable. The engine is smooth and free-revving up to high RPM
- any V-6 has an inherent imbalance created by the power strokes, which is often compensated for by the use of balance shafts.
- obviously both BMW and MB understand this engineering principle.
- BMW is famous for its excellent 'straight-six' engines (they've won many awards in Europe)
- Benz used to manufacture straight-six engines, but switched to the V6 years ago. Why? Because the V6 engine block is shorter, and therefore easier to fit. And, the width of the V6 engine is almost identical to a V8, which made things easier on the MB production line and easier for attaching hoses, cables, etc..

Whose philosophy do you want to align yourself with:
A) Benz -- compromise, in the interests of "production line efficiency", or
B) BMW -- emphasize engineering and engine dynamics, even if the straight-six creates complications in models (535i, 550i) and assembly lines that have to accommodate V8 engines.

In the competition among Audi, BMW and Benz for the mid-size/semi-sporty cars, you will often hear that Audi is trying to 'beat BMW' or 'copy BMW traits'. One rarely, if ever, hears that Audi or BMW are attempting to copy, or 'catch up' with Mercedes. Audi, by the way, uses the same ZF 8 speed AT as BMW.

Cheers

+1 - when Merc dropped the inline six I knew they were abandoning building sport sedans and going for the easy buck.

[matthewcassity]

Thank you for this. I will look into them. I just checked briefly but I don't see any used models out there as of yet, which is a bummer.

Originally Posted by KGB_123_99

If you are after the perfect driving feel, do yourself a favour and try the Jaguar XE. It may not be as well rounded as a 3 series, but the handling is much better as is the ride quality. I think coming from an MB the latter will be important to you. It is what the BMW should have been and I hope they take note for the next generation.

Also, the supercharged V6 is great and you don't have to plop money on an M-Performance exhaust for the car to sound amazing. I always thought the need to spend money on a good sounding exhaust was ridiculous. It is a great alternative to the 3 series if you are after something different. The starting price is also less than 335i if you need another reason to try it.

[matthewcassity]

Thanks for your input, I like hearing from someone who has driven as same car as I have. Do you have a 335i now? or what did you switch to?

Originally Posted by st3v

I actually had one of those C230K Coupes. I loved it when I had it also. It drove really well, and was really nimble and tight. They don't make em like they used to. I switched to BMW after it, since Mercedes hasn't really appealed to me with their new styles.

But I do like the new C Coupe and how it looks. However, you know, they have the gear shifter in the steering column now.

[englishguy84]

OP, you should test drive both. I'm in the middle of this decision as well, and I've driven my dad's 2005 C240 extensively over the years. The new C is definitely lighter than ten years ago--as is the BMW than old Bimmers. Blame it on fuel emissions standards. I thought the C300 was a nice mix of that relaxed Mercedes feeling that I also enjoy on a long commute when I don't want to think, just go fast and feel utterly confident in the car (and crank up the radio). The new adaptive modes mean that you get that in Comfort, but in Sport+, steering feel and shift points are changed a fair amount, and the car is more fun. The 3 is a better handling car with a much better transmission, but the ride is not as good and the seats, to me, were less comfortable. I didn't, however, think handling and steering were as dramatically different as compared to, say, a W203 vs E46.

The trouble is that a short test drive really isn't enough opportunity to evaluate how the car will complement your daily commute. The 3 would be my pick for a weekend joy ride, for sure, but when I'm caught in traffic or going dead straight on a highway at 65 in morning commute traffic, might I enjoy the fact that the Benz keeps more bumps out and rides better? I think an extended test drive or car rental for a week is the way to go--a great idea that I'll need to try myself.

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by jgoens

Actually, after I posted I was just thinking about the sound system. Comparing the two model years I am referring to, the mercedes is better. I have Hk, but the Benz just seems to have better quality especially from the front tweeters and mids. As for tech, my car has all the cameras, sensors and HUD. I find the parking sensors to be a huge advantage. I'm not sure if newer MB come with those.

Wife's C230 6MT Sport (AMG brakes/exhaust)'s stereo blows the standard radio in my GC away. Not even close. Sad, but true. Doors close with a solid thunk too. Great brakes, decent stick tires, handles well. The drawback to the C230 is lack of power. The V6 non-turbo @ 201hp is slow.The fun factor is all manual shifting in the car. No go-fast parts for it nor flash tuning available. Bummer. The '08 and after are much different cars that can't touch BMW 3 series models. The new C class rides are nice but more cruisers than sport sedans-unless you go AMG and get a beastie engine.

BMW all the way.