morecowbell75

Hi Guys. I've been away from this forum for A bit. Ive missed you, but now I'm back. Well, maybe.

I am extremely torn on my next ride. It's between the 540xi and the AMG E43. My current ride is 2015 C400, which I LOVE but I want to go up a class and drive something just a bit bigger.

I know I'll get the E43 slant here and that's fine, but I am curious why some of you made the choice that you did.

Thanks in advance.

ua549

I eliminated the BMW 540ix due to its less refined interior, instrument cluster and stuck on top of the dash LCD panel. BMW does not support Android Auto. The interior road noise is louder than the E Class. The 540ix may be a bit less costly than the E43.

That said, I ordered a 2018 E300 as a grocery getter for my wife. I'm waiting for the new M256 I-6 engine before I trade in my BMW 535i daily driver.

teksurv

For me that choice would come down to interior and cost. E43 interior for me is superior. Acquisition and maintenance of the E43...is not.

Brettboytn

These are the two I'm looking at as well. I will test drive them, then in a couple years, I'll buy the one I like best at a discounted price

beejAMG

this is the 3rd time ive seen this "grocery getter" from you (twice from one thread). my eyes roll so far back that i see my brain everytime. do you have a volvo for the "pick-the-kids-upper" and then an audi for the "drive-to-grandparents..er"? you must be really rich!

OP, if you want a nice luxurious "grocery getter". get the E. bimmer...blah.

PeterUbers

Keep in mind when the e50 amg comes out the value of your cherished e43 will plummet ... enjoy that!

the 540i has an updated interior and tech and doesn't hold a candle to the e43 but it's not pedantic, it's a nice interior. I have the 2016 m550i and very much enjoy it

the 540i is same or more performance for less money than the e43 and the 540 moniker will likely be around for a while unless they reintroduce as the 545i with more power

ua549

Grocery getter is the function for which it is purchased. That is all it is used for - shopping. I supposed that living where you do, you are not exposed it US idioms. Here is another one, a pickup truck. That's ute to you. Before my children left home I owned a kids car for their exclusive use. No it wasn't a toy.

beejAMG

I am born and raised in Cali so I know exactly what you mean. I also happen to know when somebody is just "showing off".

ua549

How did a guy from Colombia end up in Austrailia? Pharmaceuticals?

beejAMG

yeah, start with that, thats the way to redeem yourself. richest boy in the forum.

pamiboy

That went south pretty fast.

beejAMG

thats what happens when the "richest boy" in the forum gets to have the first reply to an inquiry.

well, what can we do. someones "pride and joy" is just somebody else's "grocery getter".

makris0000

I think the answer is clear, E43 AMG all the way. The BMW is still BBB (bland, boring, blah) when it comes to interior and exterior design. The E43 subjectively is more appealing than the BMW. Yeah it has power but realistically where can you use it? The E43 I think is more balanced because with the power it has it's also comfortable.

petee1997

I have an 18 E43 on order and I thought is was good value compared to the new 540. When you consider the standard options included in the car, a far superior interior plus the electronic dash technology, the 540 looks a little outdone. And we have not begun to compare the performance. This car does 0 to 60 in 4.5 sec.The 540 does not come close to this. Also check out the suspension and brakes compared to the 540. Not in the same class. You pay a little more but get a lot more.

Of course, I have a certain bias, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

c4004matic

The 540 and the E 43 are not in the same performance category , sorry to burst that bubble. To 60 the 540 is half a second second behind and it gets worse after that. You keep dreaming of an E50, thats eell and good if your willing to wait 3 years.

vtandon

I just bought a 2017 E43, I was coming from a 2015 535i. I had the same dilemma, it was between the E43 or the new 540i. I drove both cars and I must say I was impressed with the E43. I know the 540i is not in the same league, however the interior of the E43 is one of the best of I have seen for a mid size luxury sedan. Reminds me of the S class. If the M550i was out, I still would perfer the E43 even though the new M550i is 55 hp more.

white_raven0

You are on a MB forum so most people will tell you to choose the MB. GO drive both cars and see what you like. Make sure the 540i you drive has Msport package and therefore either standard M or adaptive M suspension. New BMWs are too soft and only feel alright with M suspension for me.


Do you like BMW or MB interior? I have significant BMW interior fatigue since I have owned 3 since 2012 but I still prefer BMW interior to MB except in the S class. I like the E class multimedia screen but don't care much about the all screen dash. Tesla has had the all screen dash far longer than anyone else. I have driven the new Q7 as well. TBH, screen dash is kind of a gimmick except on the Tesla where it functions as an Autopilot status display. In the non-tesla cases, you would just keep the screen dash to look just like a regular dash, with speed, rev, etc., so it add little to no value.


Go drive the cars, look at them, see which one you like. Both cars are good. Totally a personal decision.
Both will depreciate like rocks. Just look at the value of the 2014 E or 535 and see what they are. Both will lease horrible at least till end of the year.

ua549

The benefit of the configurable instrument cluster is that it can be changed to reflect the driving situation. One can move unnecessary items out of the way when they aren't important. That is something that is not possible with the static cluster in the BMW. Here is an E43 reconfigured instrument cluster.

vtandon

Agreed, plus the interior is way more luxurious then the new 5. I am done with BMW's in general, their level of service and quality has gone down the toilet. I don't care if the M550i has more power, I would still buy the E43. Plus it also looks better. I understand so many on here are not happy the E43 has the AMG badge, but its still a great car. For me it does the job as its my daily driver and a 991 GT3 for the weekend.

bmwtomercedes

Lets not talk about the interior.
Driving performance:

BMW the N63TU2 is a a i6 TT. 340HP
Mercedes is a v6 TT. 396hp
i6 is way more balanced than the v6.

but the E43 has more power.

1. If you are one of those guys who keep the car stock go for E43.

2. If you like to mod cars, go for the BMW, considering the past, more company put effort into tuning BMW and cost less to buy aftermarket tuning parts. And BMW repairs and custom coding (unlock hidden features of the car) is more user-friendly. Look at those performance parts for Mercedes, most of them are at least 1k for small parts like an intake.

dieseldoc

May Car and Driver. E43 beats out the 540i.

c4004matic

In all performance categories as expected.

Donjo

I'm actually thinking about an E43. My other car is at the dealer and they have me in an E300 loaner. I must admit I would never have guessed there's a 4 cylinder engine under that hood. Engine seems very refined. I can only imagine what the 6 cylinder performs. Very nice car all around. Love the big screen.

c4004matic

Feels the same with a lot more motor! If you drive it really hard you also discover that the E43 has much higher handling limits. While the 300 handles with aplomb and is willing to entertain, the 43's handling is trackworthy. The E43 handling is awesome for what is essentially a sleeper car. The E 63 must be ungodly.

jonesy11

I received my new E43 last Friday, and I was looking at the 540i, 550M and Guilia. If you order one of these, get the black piano laquer wood in place of the aluminum (where 4 center vents are and around on doors). The look is awesome. And definitely get the upgraded AMG steering wheel, that thing is top notch.


This car has a vastly superior interior to the BMWs, everyone who sees it is stunned. And I love the wheels, the spokes are gloss black on the sides and silver on the faces. The driving modes are fantastic, its like having 4 different cars at the flip of your thumb. This car has a ton of standard features (all of option package one, plus amg stuff and both digital displays).