Diesel Duel: Mercedes-Benz E350d vs BMW 530d
Mercedes Has Been Synonymous With Diesel Since the 1940s. But Is Their Newest Model Enough to Take Down BMW’s finest?
Mercedes-Benz was one of the very first manufacturers to offer diesel engines in their cars, with the W138-chassis 260D introduced in 1936. Back then, the car used Bosch injection and produced a whopping 45 horsepower. In all that time, Mercedes has held fast to their oil-burning values. Even today — with their high-tech bluetec diesel engines with urea injection and a good bit more horsepower — they continue to wave the diesel flag. The current E350d is among the best diesel cars ever produced, but is it truly the best in class? Autocar wanted to find out, so they pitted it head-to-head with BMW’s mid-size diesel, the 530d.
BMW’s 5 and Mercedes’ E have been fighting it out for decades for upper-middle-class family car supremacy. And that fight rages on in the diesel-engine segment, as well. It’s pretty well determined that both cars provide excellent driving dynamics. And both engines are pretty well on par, in terms of power and torque delivery. The Merc gets 255 horses and 457 lb-ft, while the Bimmer boasts 261 horsepower/457 lb-ft. And they’re both super comfortable and have gorgeously-appointed interiors.
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Diesel Duel
Without giving too much of the above review away, Autocar‘s Mauro Calo does say that the E350d is “an absolutely fantastic place to spend time.” While his co-host, Matt Prior, comments on how much he likes the interior trim. They do mention that the E-Class is used all over Europe as a taxi, so it feels a bit like driving a cab. But in all fairness, it’s used as such because it’s got the longevity, performance, and reliability that a good cab has to have to survive the mean streets of Europe. So what is your take, is the Benz a better diesel than the Bimmer?
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