Sanjay C300

hi everyone..
before everyone jumps on me about they are not equals..hear me out.

i have a c300 4matic on order, it has the p2 package, the command navigation package and driver assistance package.

my issue/dilemma

i can get a bmw 335xi for 4K more the difference between the 2 cars are

1. obviously bigger engine no comparison in driving.
2.. bmw has leather seats (i think mbtex is alright)
3. no active cruise control
4. no premium sound (i won't miss it)

What do you guys think, which way would you go if you were in a similar situation.

part of me tells me go take the bmw... the other part tells me benz has a beautiful interior and the 4k is not worth spending. Thanks guys.

Sanjay C300

also the bmw has heated steering wheel, which i forgot/overlook while ordering the c300.

6G Schnell

Benz has much better interior and mileage
I would not spend 4k for faster car and worse gas mileage
They both would make a 100 miles trip in the same time anyway...
My 2c
Btw, I got converted to Benz after buying bmws for 25 years, E60 M5 was the wake up call after all the trouble with recalls...

ENV²

Im by no means a BMW fanboy so this is unbiased. Between the new c300 and the 335i I go with the BMW. I have driven both extensively. The C300 is a very boring car IMO, the 335 has more feel to it. The interior or the C300 is ok at best. The tacked on nav... ehhh. But at the end of the day I say test drive the 335 and make the decision yourself. In car buying $4k is not much.

Also I would recommend test driving the Audi S4. Its the best of those 3 IMO.

c4004matic

Kind of a mismatched comparison. If you want to compare the 335 the C450 would be the comparison point. The C300 is comparable to the 328. As to driving dynamics the 335 is a lot faster thus for most people a lot more fun. I drove a 328 back to back with a c300, the 3 was not any more agile and the C was slightly faster. The C was pretty much superior in every other measure. Not saying the 3 was a bad car they are closely matched, but as expected, a brand new model was better than a model that is getting long of tooth.

RTX

Why would you still consider a BMW having placed an order on a Mercedes already?

MASSC450

Better yet, a C450...comparing apples to apples.


And a 328i is more boring than a C300...again apples to apples. I know this first hand since we own both...my wife owns a fully loaded 2014 328i xDrive.


The interior of the MB W205 is light years ahead of the BMW 3 series.

radarguy

Tough comparison. It sounds like the the 335 is a 2015 and the C300 is a 2016. So be careful when comparing prices. Your #1 on the list - driving pleasure - is something not to be taken lightly. I've driven both and I would prefer the 335 although the C300 is adequate. The C300 interior is hands down the winner here. I'd retest the seats to see which are more comfortable to you. Some of the 335 BMW seats just don't make the comfort grade IMO. It's something many people overlook when test driving, but will come back to annoy you if you spend much time behind the wheel. The active cruise, which the C300 apparently has, is a real plus if you do much highway driving. Finally, based on what I've read, you'll be happier with the 335 reliability.

floridadriver

The 4k isn't much for that difference, but will be a compromise either way. Driving pleasure, versus everything else. You're on the MB forum, so most of us went with the 'everything else'. Fun decision to have though, both nice cars!

Zenyatta

We had a similar decision to make and went with C300. The power of C300 is more than enough for our use. In fact, we realized that we may not get a chance to engage that difference in power. Also, C300 won, for us, in the interior and exterior styling. 335 is on its way out and not enough data on 340 that is due to arrive anytime now. I preferred C300 for that as well.

Also, and this is subjective, I see tons of BMWs around where I am, they all look similar barring the 6, and the new C300 really stood out in the crowd.

I would strongly recommend to stay with your order of C300. It is a good buy.

kellens

2015 C Class just has a look and feel that you can't put on a checklist, that makes the 3 series feel just a little bit dated and less luxurious. If you don't pick up on that or it doesn't matter as much, than your BMW offer sounds better.

Sahaj.c

In my opinion, after driving both the new c300 and 335 ( manual and automatic) i bought the c300. The interior in the c300 is simply amazing, it looks like a mini s class, while the bmw interior is plain and boring and ugly. I personally hate the design of it. Looks wise, the c300 looks way sexier and luxurious. Bmw is facelifting their 3 series in 2016, but there is hardly a noticeable difference. If performance is a factor, an ecu tune will help. I tuned my c300 and it performs noticeably better. in sports plus mode, the shifting is smooth and the turbo sounds nice, and it handles amazing. U will not regret buying the c300. I recommend buying amg interior package, as the flat bottom wheel gives a nicer feeling

RTX

Which of the two has the quietest cabin? I have not driven the 33x so I cannot comment on that.
My C class is very quiet (cross-wind noise on the highway though is a different issue, and that has been taken care of already).

MASSC450

Can't speak for the BMW 335i, but my 2015 C300 Sport 4Matic is quieter than my wife's 2014 328i xDrive in every category...interior, engine, exhaust.

I may sound like a MB fan boy, but there are a bunch of things I do like about her 328i xDrive over my C300. It was a close decision for me between the two vehicles before I made my choice.

1) The 328i handles slightly better at higher speeds, especially the rear end...it feels more planted over bumps in the curves. It's the steering of the 328i that I dislike most...vague comparied to the C300. I've read though that BMW has made improvements to the 3 Series steering for 2016.

2) The acceleration of the 328i feels a bit stronger...but not by much.

3) The 328i has heated rear seats standard, and can be had with a heated steering wheel. The interior of the 3 Series is larger...front & back...with more headroom as well.

4) You can shutoff the very annoying auto-engine shutoff feature...and it stays off in the BMW.

Overall, my dislikes of the 2015 BMW 328i out numbered the 2015 C300 Sport, and ultimately swayed me towards Mercedes. The biggest for me were the BMW's interior is cheap looking & outdated in comparison (no ventilated seats), the overall style of the exterior looks dated (no LED headlights), and the diesel sound of the 328i engine at idle is VERY annoying (my wife's main complaint).

Sanjay C300

Thanks for the input guys, like I said earlier if the comparison was with 328xi I would have no doubt and the 2016 c300 is just on a different level in almost every aspect, and thats why I ordered a c300.

Now with the 335xi and the price difference being 4K. (free maintenance with bmw so realistically only 2700) difference.

Im really confused, in either case will test drive the 335xi today, and then will make a decision. Will let you guys know which ever way I decide.

Like most of you have stated, both have plusses and minuses, hopefully I can see through and not regret my decision in the future. Thanks again.

NateDog07V

My fiancé has a very base C300 and I a 335i M Sport so I have lots of seat time in both... they are very different cars and excel at different things so i'll try to keep this as objective as possible...
- MBTex feels softer than BMW's upgraded Dakota leather... the BMW leather seems like it will wear better though
- The engine and transmission in the BMW is top notch... the sport auto 8AT is spectacular and the N55 sounds outstanding for a stock 3 series... the C300 is more economy focused obviously being a 4cyl vs a 6cyl but it has adequate power for most normal driving conditions when in Sport or Sport +... in Comfort it is pretty uneventful
- Steering feel is pretty subjective but neither is great in my opinion but the edge goes to the BMW as the weight is much better in Comfort settings... in Sport modes the C300 is good and the BMW good as well but a bit heavier...
- Suspension feel is where the BMW fails miserably in the F30 in comparison to the C300... its certainly partly due to my car having 19's and my fiancés having 17's, but the crashy, brittle feel the suspension exudes over bumps and road imperfections is totally unacceptable in the BMW.. I even took the car in at one point thinking a shock may be defective but was told all was normal and drove a demo car with the same thing... the MB feels much more solid and doesn't 'crash' and upset the car nearly as much.... that being said, on perfectly paved roads, the BMW has less body roll and does exhibit great balance (albeit not as good as the 3 series cars of years past)
- Interior is totally subjective in terms of design and materials so that's up to you... but iDrive is definitely easier to live with than Command... rear seats seem to be a touch roomier in the C than the 3, but they are extremely similar
- Exterior styling is subjective as well with my preference leaning slightly towards the BMW' better profile, rear end, exhaust tips, and the angel eye headlights up front.... the chrome trim on the base c300 is pretty tacky IMO but both cars have excessive wheel gap for a performance German sedan
- In the end, the biggest draw back of the C300 for me is the steering column gear selector as I use the sport auto in manual mode in the 335 A LOT and actually prefer it over the paddles... not having that would take some getting used to... on the other hand, the cheap feeling suspension and improper dampening characteristics of the F30 are a major turn off for me and really take away from the overall feel and character of the car.... in the end I like the direction of MB more than BMW at this point and I am planning to turn in my 335 lease and jump to a 450 if it "feels" as good as it looks on paper

rieger

OP in your posting I think it is pretty clear that you are leaning towards the BMW. It also appears that you like the driving characteristics of the BMW more than the MB. Go get the BMW and enjoy the car it really doesn't matter what people say here as long as you listen to yourself and listen to what you want after the test drive. Everyone has biases and you should only listen to your own bias.

Sanjay C300

Thanx for all your input guys, I test drove the 335 and c300 back to back and have to admit, even though 335 was fun to drive, C300 is just a beautiful car inside out, and that solved my problem. I will stick with the c300 order, only if it could get here any sooner. Thanks for all your help.

rbrylaw

Congrats on making your decision. And you made an informed decision to boot. I didn't join the conversation, even though I used to own a 335 and recently test drove one, before ordering the C300. I never truly warmed to the BMW personally. Another reason I didn't say anything as it really shouldn't matter what anyone else thought you should do. It's you who has to be happy, unless you're buying the car for one of us!

I know what you mean about your car getting here sooner. Mine won't even go into production until the 3rd decade (odd how they call weeks decades) of September. But then good things are worth waiting for, right?!

jahquan3

Good choice. Enjoy

malahhaor

good read.
Im looking to get out from my Carrera in to something a touch bigger and looking at C300 Sport vs 328I M sport. I can get a touch more power with a tune on both cars so no need for 335 or 450 but its the handling im interested in more.
Can anyone comment on these two choices? C300 Sport vs 328i M sport?

SV-

^^I own a F30 335i, drove the F30 328i extensively also (loanersss), and got the chance to rent a C300 for a week during my last vacation in Miami. If sporty drive is what you're looking for, then the 328 is superior in that aspect. However IMO the C300 has a more luxurious interior and general "refinement" feel. BMW's interior feels bland/conservative/"basic". I think you get better fuel consumption with the BMW. For example my wife is very heavy footed on her 335 and does 9.5L/100km... just goes to tell you how efficient and well tuned BMW's engine is. I didn't look at my consumption during the week I had the C300, but BMW's is impressive.

Add to that the low RPM torque, and BMW is a clear winner in the drivetrain department.

Everywhere else, MB wins IMO.

Xtrema

I hate BMW interior but even than I won't say no to 335xi if you can afford it.

C300 is boring. So was C400, that's why I didn't care for 2015 C class model year. C450 is in a different league all together and I would say is a better match against a 335xi.

335i (non-X) is still the defacto sport sedan everyone tried to measure against (although that new electric steering sucks) but if you have to have a X, I think the playing field is more equal amongst all 3 Germans.

mcbc220

Currently comparing the C300 and 328i myself. I don't have experience with the W204, but the 205 is definitely sportier and more agile than the 203 and 202, and the W211, for what that's worth (i.e., not your grandfather's Benz). But, I ended up spending most of my test drive in Sport+. That was fun, but I doubt I'd drive the car like that on a daily basis. C300 in comfort mode felt nice for the couple minutes I had it on that setting, but I don't remember anything in particular about it. I was disappointed that the doors didn't slam with that bank-vault sound and feeling that Benzes of yore have. To that extent, the C300 feels less like a Mercedes than you might think.

I haven't tested the 328i yet, but it seems like the consensus around the web is that the 328i (1) handles slightly better, but in real-world daily driving like a commute to work over lousy city roads or straight highway, may not make much of a difference and (2) has a better transmission, making it more fun to drive. The C has the more refined ride and the nicer interior. I liked the C300 interior, but I don't think the BMW's is bad, just more spartan. Depends whether you value the driving experience (being connected to the car and the road) or the riding experience (comfortable cabin, isolated ride, at the expense of handling toward the extremes) more.

Lastly, the wild card seems to be reliability. The F30 doesn't seem to be that bad, but there are also enough reports of mysterious leaks, vibrations, and similar problems, plus the general reputation of BMW's to be expensive, high-maintenance cars after 50k miles, and especially after 80k, to take that into consideration (water pumps, electrical issues, and VANOS are common, and costly, things that break later on). But, the F30 is an older model that should have more of the bugs worked out, and the 320/328i for MY2016 is using the N20 engine, which has been pretty well tested by now. The C300 is too new of a model to have good data, and had a lousy launch, but there's less plastic under the hood in a Mercedes, and with the exception of the wrist pin issue that was corrected by TSB last April, I don't think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that W205's have suffered from engine/transmission problems, just build quality ones. Hopefully those will be rectified, and hopefully the engine and transmission are problem-free. I don't know the extent to which spotty reliability on other Alabama-built cars like the GL and ML stems from bad engineering in Stuttgart, as opposed to lax quality control in Vance.

malahhaor

Well, my wife used to have 06 325i, i loved how responsive that car was. Me being a Benz guy, even though i love the brand, i was jealous. I used to say if my S class only had your transmission it would have been a perfect car.
At some point when i could not find CL/S600/65 in the area i gave up and said WTH, i always wanted a Porsche and i went from S550 to a Carrera for a DD. It was hard at first but as i got more used to the car i loved every minute of it. The great thing about the Carrera that these cars don't have is that i control how easy or hard it performs and i don't have to change the agility settings. The steering and engine response is perfect all the time, its up to me to go full on or not at any moment.

I don't go crazy on the streets but when i make that corner here and there or even passing someone, i am ecstatic about the sharpness and acceleration and its immediate. Oh and changing gears is awesome to boot (6 spd). It turns out that a Carrera is just too small for a DD for my needs and i need something with just a touch or two more room. And constant issues with it are also not helping.
Unfortunately because my wife cant and wont learn to drive stick-shift she is asking that i don't get it anymore unless its our third car because if she happen to need to drive my car she cant.

So it brings me to the following coin toss. I love how the new C looks and the refinement in and out, but i did drive a Sport trim for about 5 min and its good but nothing to get exited about. Again i'm comparing to a Carrera, probably wont find anything as good to replace it.
I have not had a chance to drive 328 Sport or M Sport yet, im sure it will handle nicer and transmission will be a touch more responsive but BMW just never really got my ticker going for some reason. I also don't want to look like and feel like a stereotypical teenager with M3 ( im sure you guys know what i mean).
I would love to get C450 but out of price range for me atm. That would solve all the issues.

I'll probably drive the 3 series in next two days or so and see. I hope its responsive and handles enough for me not to have to put it in to sport+ each time i get in the car.

BTW, in Benz, the agility and start/stop resets each time you turn off the car, is F30 the same?