SHOWDOWN: R&T Puts The BMW 328i And Mercedes-Benz C250 Sport In A Cage, Lets Them Have At It

I don't know in US but in Europe the Mercedes C250 has a top speed of 149 mph not 130 as stated in the video. //CZ

I don't know in US but in Europe the Mercedes C250 has a top speed of 149 mph not 130 as stated in the video. //CZ

R&T should have not wasted their time comparing these two cars. BMW is always sports biased while Mercedes aren't. It's always been this way and the 3er will generally always win against other cars if sport is the criteria. This article just wasted gas comparing two cars that couldn't be more different.

And sport is subjective. I drive a W203 C230 V6, one of the few with a 6-speed M/T in the US, and I love it. Back when I bought it I felt it drove better than a BMW 3er which I also tested. I liked the excellent combination of sport and comfort which my C230 offered. The 3er was to sports focused for my tastes.

Agreed.

We all know the BMW will win. We all know they could have tested a C-Class against an A4 and given first place to a BMW 3-Series that didn't participate in the first place!

These comparisons are so meaningless to me since we know the 3er has the best driving dynamics. And guess what? Only a small portion of the market cares about that. Most people buy an entry-level luxury car because they want something prestigious and comfortable and not because they want to burn rubber and abuse their car around corners.

Interesting, the fact that this 6 year old refreshed C is still competitive with an all new 3, and holding on to a SOLID #2 position sales wise, suggest that the next Gen C class will dominate, especially with BENZ taking more and more advice from in-house tuner AMG.

Well said!

My question is why the BMW 3 Series has been a benchmark in its category for such a long time. It’s like free publicity for BMW, when everyone tries to compare or beat the 3 Series with their car.
To me here is the main difference between BMW and MB.
BMW = Sport, Luxury.
MB = Luxury, Sport.
So depending on what is more important to you, either can be # 1, or #2.
Still I wouldn’t want a car that feels like I am driving my living room. I want a car that is communicative, meaning I can tell from the steering feel and from the seat, what my car is doing, and how close to the limit it is. It doesn’t mean that you have to drive it like a maniac all the time, I mean like for example if you are drive in rain, and right when your car starts to hydroplane, you can tell from how your steering feel. Now if you already have a numb steering how can you tell, and make necessary corrections to avoid an accident.
I mean it won’t tell me telepathically, I don’t think they perfected that technology yet.
Both are really good cars, it all comes down to a person’s personal preference.

Regarding your steering feel remarks, you may not like the new 3-Series then!

If you want communicative steering feedback you'll have to go back to the E46.