flycaster

If I get the new C-300 coupe, I'll be coming from a 2002 BMW 325 (traded for the ATS), 2005 Z4 (will probably trade for the MB) and an 2013 ATS. As you can see, once I got the 325 and had enjoyed its driving characteristics so much. when I was ready for a smaller sport-type car (that I could afford,) I got the Z4. But after 11 year with the 325 it was time for a change. Didn't want a BMW 328, but did want the ride of that was more similar to my 325. At that time, the ATS came out with rave reviews about how it out drove the 328...so I got the ATS and everything said about its driving characteristic were true. Now it]s time to sell the Z4 and I am very seriously looking at the soon to be released 2017 c-300 coupe as I find the car to be stunning in style, both inside and out...an assume that it should give a good but not as precise ride as the BMW.

I'm not a gass-asser, but do occasionally drive enthusiastically, and really don't expect the c-300 to quite have the road handling characteristics of the BMW. I'll get my jollies, when needed, from my ATS. Nonetheless, if possible, I'd like BMW/c-300 owners to chime in as to just how much of a different road-handling ride will the C-300 be when compared to the BMW 3 series. I know that the BMW 228 (the other car that is in second place) is faster and has a better (smoother) transmission, which I will concede if the C-300ride is will still give me the road feeling confidence that the BMW's give me.

DapperStyle

The new C300 Coupe will have a completely different suspension set up compared to the sedan for a sportier feel as well as sitting a bit lower so it will be pointless to compare the two. Unless someone in Europe who has driven the new coupe can chime in (it has already been released there) you really won't know.

Here are the details on the new suspension:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/13/m...c-class-coupe/

Also it will have the optional Airmatic suspension which can lower the car even more for tighter feel. I'm waiting patiently for more info to drop, everything points at this Spring for a release date with the RWD coming in at 42k and the 4Matic at 44K.

MASSC450

I'll bet dollars to donuts a BMW 428i coupe (xDrive or not) with the M Sport pkg. will out handle the C300 coupe...especially if equipped with the Track Handling pkg.

In this comparison, I feel the BMW is still the luxury sports car...and the Mercedes is the sporty luxury car.

DapperStyle

Agreed and the BMW will have a better transmission without a doubt. Never understood MB's reluctance to go with the tried and true ZF 8 speed autos that are used in the BMWs, Jags and pretty much every other car in which performance and speed of shifting actually mattered.

Instead they make their own -G Tronic transmissions that are laggy, slow to process and at times as jerky as DSGs and other DCTs in low speed situations. So you get the jerkyness of a DCT without all the benefits! Save on R&D MB just buy the damn ZFs from the suppliers!!!

flycaster

I don't think I'd go for the Airmatic, but with the suspension described, it looks as though I can expect the MB to handle maybe not as precisly as the BMW's, but for me I'm sure that the handling will be close enough that I won't feel that I'm "floating above the ground"...if you know what I mean.

And I do have to agree with Massc300 about the C-300 being a sporty luxury car...more lux than BMW, but not "quite" as sporty, but certainly good enough. I think in my old age, I'm getting more into the lux angle, but can't give up on some sportiness...

ManiacGT

In my experience even the poorest handling BMW models out class MB in this regard. BMW know how to make some of the best engine and drivetrain setups available.

That said, they also know how to make some of the ugliest cars inside and out.

mvw

I came from a 2013 328xi. I guess it drove well, and the engine could be a lot of fun, but it rattled like a diesel and had some major turbo lag issues in normal driving, while the interior looked like (and squeaked like) an old Jetta.

I know apples to oranges and not a really fair comparison, but moving from that to the 450 has been an improvement on every single thing (except for the lack of a heated steering wheel on the 450, which is just stupid)

subzer0

Very well said, I couldn't put it better.

I currently own a 2015 C400 with all the bells and whistles and a 2015 BMW 328i with the sport package. And I have owned a new 2002 BMW 330i. I have also driven a C300 as a loaner for a few days recently. Comparison between the C400 and the 328i is unfair because the C400 is much more powerful but handling is comparable (the beemers have always had great handling). Between the base C300 and the 328i sport, I prefer the BMW though. The C300 feels flimsy compared to the sturdy 328i and I find handling in the 328i to be much better than the C300 without the air suspension. They have equal power on paper and I see no major difference there.

But the Merc is so much more modern and comfortable inside. And its technology seems superior to me. Frankly, the BMWs have fallen behind on those fronts.

Overall, I would rank them as follows: loaded C400, sport 328i, base C300. Not sure where a well-equipped C300 would fall but it wouldn't surpass the 328i sport by much.

MASSC450

I agree 100%.

My wife's loaded 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Sportline handles a notch better than my 2015 C300 Sport 4matic with the steel suspension & 19" AMG wheels, but the BMW's steering feels numb compared to my Benz (a common complaint about the F30). The rear of the BMW just plants better than my Benz over bumps or in the curves at speed. My wife's biggest complaint about her BMW is the noisy injectors which make her 2.0L engine sound like a diesel.

But when it comes to everything else (except the Benz's outdated 7 sp transmission), the BMW feels 5 years behind the Benz...especially when it comes to the interior.

flycaster

I guess this is what I am most interested in in terms of handling. I have heard this said before, but really don't have a feel for what it actually entails. Perhaps a little more explanation? Living in SoFL, one doesn't get a chance (unfortunately) to step out a bit on twisties that often as the best curves are only on the on/off exit ramps of the parkways. And even at that, I'm not going to (occasionally) take them at much more than 80 or so. How does the c-300 handle under similar conditions? Does it slip/skip? Also, are you saying tha over bumps, the c-300's rear bounces a lot?

MASSC450

Over bumps, the rear of my C300 Sport (with the "Sport" 486 suspension) bounces a bit, making it feel a little squirrely. At speed in the curves it's OK...just a little on the soft side, especially on rebound.

I have a set of both stock 19" AMG wheels/Summer tires...and a set of stock 18" AMG wheels/all-season tires (that I'm currently running in the Winter). The 19" wheels makes the rear end feel less loose/soft in the curves, but more "brittle" over bumps. The 18" wheels makes the rear end a little less brittle, but a little more loose in the curves.

I've also driven both the Airmatic and regular steel suspension and prefer the steel which feels stiffer to me...especially at speed going into an off-ramp. If you do mostly highway driving, and your roads are in good shape, for the best handling set-up I'd recommend the steel "Sport 486" suspension, and the 19" AMG wheels which come with the performance Summer tires.

gfmohn

I'm sure that you are right. If ever the time comes that BMW on the whole is not the superior of MB in handling and cornering, BMW is in trouble. As I wrote in part in the thread "eco start/stop":
A few days later, I read that BMWs aren't the equals of BMWs anymore, either. You are still right about the superiority of BMW, but I came to believe the difference is not what it once was. So I then added a "reply" to my own post, explaining my change of mind:
I don't know if the 340i is the sharpest blade of the 3-series, but it must near the top. Notice that the 340i that C&D reviewed did have the Track Handling Package that you mentioned.

On another subject, I added:
You recently wrote that your dealership was "MBOB". That puts you north of Boston, but still in the suburban sprawl of eastern Massachusetts. So assuming you are from eastern Massachusetts, where do you find the running room to enjoy the rewards of a really fine handling car? Do you have to make a day trip to New Hampshire?

MASSC450

I live close enough to the NH boarder where I can take advantage of the fine highway system they have there (Rt. 3)...for instance, I LOVE that long sweeping off ramp at exit 2 on my way to Tully BMW.

As for twisties, the Acton, Concord, Chelmsford, Carlisle, and Westford area do have their fun spots...