nuchedeng

hi everyone,

planning to buy a new car and deciding either 3301 or C320 Sports sedan since they have similar price..

what do you guys think?

bagwell

honestly ? the 330i will crush the C320 in just about every category....acceleration/handling/etc...

just make sure you get the SPORT PACKAGE if you get the 3 series....its makes the car IMO.

I just didn't buy one becuz there's too many of them on the road where I live....a lot of my friends have them - I wanted something different.

Class C

I agree w/ Mike, however you'll get more options w/ an MB than a BMW. Every option seems to be "ala carte" w/ BMW.

Depending on your driving style and budget, that should determine your choice!

Jay

Xeon

get the 330 if you are an aggressive driver....but remember that the back seats of the 330 is as tight as a virgin *****.....the 320 is more suitable for a family man...

330ci was on my shopping list until i saw sooooooooo many of them.

Harris

0-60 on a C320 is 7.2sec and on a 330i (auto) is 7.4sec. Other than the handling which the 330i is a sure winner, I think the C320 will win in other major catagories, e.g. luxury, space, finish.

If you want the C320 to handle more like a 330i, throw in a set of decent springs + sway bars, then you'll be fine!

Sorry, I am a pro-MB guy. I just dont like Bimmers.

Buellwinkle

I'm with Harris on this one. The baby Bimmer is not up to the same standards as the baby Benz. I've driven them both back to back on a test track and I just can't see myself in one. The problem is you get the sports package and you lose comfort while AMG sway bars and Eibach springs will maintain the comfort level and handle well. If you really want fun get the C32.

gab

if you only consider autobox, dont waste your money on a automatic BMW!
the current E46 came out in 1999 so it probably be replaced in 2 years time, no?

SiLvaC32

the 0-60 in an auto is 7 sec flat. the new face lifted version looks pretty nice! if you want performance go w/bimmer, if you want luxury... for w/the benz!

Jerry

Guest0001

**** bmw! get the benz!

Scylas

0-60 is pretty even, so is the quarter mile...

I liek the Gearbox (manual) of the bimmer better. The Interior is a lot better in the c320 and so is the luxury feeling, but the handling is better in a Stock 330 than in a stcok 320.

also you can always get some evosport underdrive pulleys and smoke 330s...

Guest0001

i was in the same situation as you. i was gonna choose between a 330ci and a c320.

i first went to bmw, i went and looked at the 3. here is my observations.

1. bmw's designs are getting pretty old. they have faceliftedt their cars for 87th time and its gettiong annoying. i personally think is way too dated

2.the interior is pretty gay. if you have any taste this interior needs lots and lots of work, mb wins this department by a longshot

3. you are going to have to order $10,000 to make this car decent.

4. sport package - drove one with and without it. without imo bmw's supposed sportyness is gone. with it is very sporty but yet exremely uncomftorable for long periods of time.

5.chick car status. the 3 series is known for its female buyers i think the ration is 5- 1 female to male. and every grandmother, mom and daughter drive one!

i can go on with bmw about the negatives but i think i ll stop. the only positve thing about bmw i like is tha u can get a nice coupe with the 3 series!

NOW MB, when i went to mb this is what i observed.


1. Love at first sight. just looking at the beauty of there cars is more than half the reason to buy it! MB is known for there styling and they look good for yrs and decades later

2. MB interior is beatiful as well. i personally love the wood and digital climate control and just everything else around it. looks great imo

3. options here not as bad as bmw. but still need improving. but if u get the sport package u pay nothing extra, so thats a plus

4.sport package- i personally dont like the amuminum trim and the rims. but when i drove 320 sport i noticed it was still as comftorable as the non sport. also mbs cars are soooo smooth. when u hit the gas it doesnt automatically take off like bmw. it takes its time and builds up, i love that! i dont care for quick accelaration, not my style

5. status- its an MB, its power, and prestige. the car holds such a presence. ITS A MERCEDES BENZ!!! i also want to note that comfort, relibility, and safety were my # 1 priorities in buying cars. MB is high in all those categories.

i hope thats enuogh to make you wanna buy the benz.

i think they make the best cars. u get luxury and performance- beautiful combo

Ed

Outland

BMW's "look" is about to change dramatically. A lot of people like to blast Bangle, but I think he's right that BMW needs to evolve. I agree with you that the last few years have had too many variations on the same theme. I love the new Z4!

Quote:

2.the interior is pretty gay. if you have any taste this interior needs lots and lots of work, mb wins this department by a longshot

Gay? Dour, yes. Ive never understood how anyone, especially in magazines, can point to a 3 series interior as the 'car to beat'. The materials in some areas look like they were stolen from a Saturn, and the overall design just plain stinks. Ive never liked the 3 series interior. MB's have nice interiors. Audis have nice interiors...the Mini has a nice interior(yeah, I know its a BMW), but the 3 series? Doesn't seem that much nicer than a Honda...perhaps the materials wear better than in a Honda.

Quote:

5. status- its an MB, its power, and prestige. the car holds such a presence. ITS A MERCEDES BENZ!!! i also want to note that comfort, relibility, and safety were my # 1 priorities in buying cars. MB is high in all those categories.

An MB is a real conversation starter that's for sure. But so is a BMW

caraudio_nutt

i have both....i think BMW service sucks a big nutt, no way compared to MB (even though i hate some MB stealerships) also have BMW changed their free service for 4/50 yet or its still 3/36, that helps a lil bit also.....

C230 Sport Coup

Next time you're at the BMW dealer, check the car's origin, ie country of mfg.
Likely NOT anywhere near the Fatherland.

More likely in South Africa, South America or somewhere else.

If I wanted a 3rd world car built in a 3rd world country I'd buy a Daewoo.

Of course the Z3 is built right here in the good old USA, in the south.
Is that good or bad? I'm not sure.

And, after talking to mechanics, and looking at several Bimmers, and told of all the things to watch out for, well....
I don't know if Benz make things any different. I kinda went on reputation.

But I was looking at used 5 series....my BMW mechanic buddies, were saying "So avoid this year, and that year, and the radiators are made of plastic and break after 50K miles"
It was true....every car had had the radiator replaced early in life,
mostly at the owners expense.

And then there was the plastic impeller water pumps, (on a $50K car) which if not replaced (note there was No recall) by around 50K miles, would shred themselves, and leave chunks of plastic all over the inside of the engine. I repeat NOT recalled, no service bulletin. nada. And the only evidence of a problem was that of course the water no longer circulated, and overheated.
Who the F uses plastic impellers? I woulda said Trabant!

Check this guys site for some BMW owners testimonials.
And not just 750. Keep in mind the cars share lots of components.

my750.com

Boo2

I don't know, the C320 seems a little light. It's quick, but just light. Rode in a 530i the other day and was impressed at how solid it felt. I can only imagine how that engine must be in a smaller lighter body. The MB interior also feels a little cheap and the durability needs some work(at least with the premium nappa). I would get the BMW.

Mercedes

that does not make sense, you cant compare a 5 series bmw with a C class benz, they are two diffrent classes. Now compare the new E with the 5 series and then see which is better

Guest0001

ya how come u are comparing the 5 to the C. the E class looks 10 times better than the 5 series in all aspects.

Boo2

I was comparing the engine of the 530 which is the same 3.0 liter V6 in the 330. And the new E is much better than the old E, but I rank the styling just as good as the 5. Besides, you can't really compare the current 5 styling with the new E. It sould be compared to the ugly previous "bug-eyed" E.

Iceman's C230

You will be happy with either one of these fine car's. Good luck on your decision. Enjoy...

mike82y

The best thing to do is to try both cars!! but BENZ has got its quality!! TRUST ME

Outland

Actually, its not. The MB uses a V6 enigine which has two banks of 3 cylinders 50 or 60 degrees apart. The 5 series is an inline 6.

Either E-Class generation is still much better looking than the 5 series.

FrankW

I agree with Bagwell. Almost all the other posts are based on their own opinion, which can be pretty bias because we are on a MB board.

330i performance pkg if you want 235 hp and better handling characteristic than luxury. C320 sport if you want the car to be more luxurious than sporty. the C320 does have more standard feature than the 330i, but 330i's base price is slightly lower.

now move on to my opinion. I would get the 330i sport or performance pkg (235hp) if I'm choosing between C320 & 330i. I could care less about the 3-series is about to be redesign in 2 yrs.

hope this answers your question.

CRB

I hope you are doing a "poll" of this sort at a BMW board somewhere because the results here seem somewhat skewed.

Car and Driver says "Beemer baby all the way."

I like the looks of the Benz better but if you are going for a sporty type car with a manual then get the BMW.

You should just drive both and then I think the right answer will be clearer to you.

vyse

I also looked at BMW before MB. I checked out the 320i, since it seemed like a pretty good deal at $34k, but the steelies and dated interior was no match for new MB interiors. I love the aluminium trim in the C (C230 sedan and coupe and C32), although I know some of the more mature members on this board thinks it looks "cheap" The $600 option for the aluminium trim in the BMW seemed like a mere afterthough, it looks horrendous. I thought about the 325CI, but it seemed to be out of my price range; the 3-series coupe is BEAUTIFUL.

The C seemed a good choice with a base-price of $36k, but after pricing it out with automatic, leather and cd, the car went up to $40k. Almost got metallic paint too, which would've made the car $41k. If I knew MB options were so expensive, I'd probably get the 325CI for just a little more (went to check the BMW site afterwards and the BMW options are a tad cheaper, especially it's synthetic leather). But my father was already set on buying the C and I didn't want to risk not getting ANY car at all so I ended up with the MB

Anyways, so yeah, if I get to choose again, I'd probably go BMW. It's a little more sportier. Yeah, the interior is crap, but I like how the BMW looks outside compared to the C. If I were you though, I'd probably try to get a model the dealer still has that doesn't have the facelift, if any are still available. I don't like the new headlights that taper upwards.

Guest0001

that performance pkg is like an extra 4,000 (i think) , just to let u know