stromo

Over the past ten years or so I have always driven BMWs: two "328i"s and one X5. In my town the BMW and Mercedes dealerships are right across the street from one another. I was unhappy with the performance of the sales team at BMW, so I went across the street and overnight became the owner of a 2018 E300. I have now had the car coming on three months, and overall I think I'm happy with the switch; I have been converted. The things that are noticeably different are the ways BMWs and Mercedes handle when they are pushed to their limits. The Mercedes has a lot more pronounced gear shifts; there is a strong jerk when switching gears in sport+ mode, while in my BMWs, sport mode was a little less, well... sporty. I also test drove the comparable BMW 530i, and it seemed a little sluggish compared with my E300. Mercedes seems to provide a more comfortable ride than I have experienced with BMW. And about the styling, the two brands seem similar but also very different from one another. It just takes some time to notice how the two handle the smaller details ie. cruise control interface, ambient lighting, navigation controls etc. So with all that said, what should I know about Mercedes for someone who is fairly new to the brand? Has anyone else been loyal to a brand and now finds them self in a Mercedes? Thoughts...?

haibieb

We were BMW owners for about 15 years and in late 2004 shifted gears to the MB. Never looked back. Like you said, both cars are different in performance and handling. I think overall, the BMW is better built in terms of craftsmanship. It is here that MB has lost its sights. I see too many E classes around my neighborhood with driver doors misaligned as well as trunks. Issues that I have encountered in my last two MB's. With regards to interiors, MB has it over the BMW at least on the sedan side. BMW's latest X5 is truly awesome and extremely well put together. Enjoy you E300.

ua549

I've been a Mercedes owner since high school (> 55 years). I've also owned a BMW 5 Series for over 10 years. When I purchased the 2018 Mercedes E300 (an E400/450 was not available) I decided to keep the BMW for highway travel because the E300 was and is under powered for my driving needs. Thus the E300 was relegated exclusively to my in town driving needs. When I trade the E300, I'll dump the ageing BMW and use the new Benz for city and highway driving. Overall the BMW was just OK and the build quality was not well done. I won't buy another one.

suby01

I really enjoy hearing these stories. I myself have been a Infiniti driver for 10 yeas. And my parents were a Lexus household for 10+ years. Now we all drive MB's, and cant imagine going anywhere else in the near future.

chassis

We have a BMW and an M-B in the garage. The brands are different.

The BMW is very direct and a driver's vehicle, even for non-M models. The non-AMG M-B models are comfortable boulevard cruisers. This to me is a difference between the brands, and not better or worse.

BMW iDrive is miles ahead of M-B COMAND. Haven't read many first hand direct comparisons of iDrive and MBUX.

Clicks, ticks and rattles with M-B are surprising. M-B needs to clean up its act on this. So far, none of these annoyances on our bimmer.

stephos

I owned BMWs for over 20 years and less than 6 months ago made the switch to MB. I too cannot imagine switching back.

JDPEClassUK

Really? I think this is very subjective. I have moved this year from a new BMWX5 with latest version of iDrive to MB Comand Online and I find the MB system much better. It takes a little while to get used to and search for features but voice control is hands down way ahead - in my view!

stephos

My hatred of iDrive, particularly the lack of Android Auto, was one of the many reasons I switched and will not even consider a BMW any time in the foreseeable future.

chassis

Yes, most things about a vehicle are subjective when it comes to user preference and enjoyment.

fleuger99

I currently have a BMW X5 diesel which I love. Good performance and fantastic fuel consumption. That being, said I'm planning on ordering an E450 wagon in the next month or two after test driving one yesterday. Loved the interior and the engine was smooth and had great performance. There is also plenty of room for my two large dogs. Only issue with my X5 was creaking in the rear hatch area, they replaced the rubber seal and that fixed the issue. Personally, I have no loyalty to any brand, whom ever produces a car I love driving and its got good build quality and is reliable will get my cash.

martinlarose

I believe in a nutshell the Mercedes is more comfortable than the BMW and I have had several from both manufacturers

rustybear3

Let's touch on the serving of these cars. My brother the Mechanical Engineer calls BMW’s - Break My Wallet. Single use aluminum bolts, expensive parts, lots of labor to get at things… and in current models motors that are often fragile and which fail prematurely… not a good reputation. Plus the special tools needed to replace say a window on certain models. One of the many reasons I steered clear of them when deciding on a convertible.

That being said, most cars when designed are not designed for service or repair - some USED to be. Most cars are designed to use minimal labor and maximum speed for assembly to save the manufacturer expense and screw the consumer when you need to actually fix the car.