[sanjeev.d]

As you might know, I am a huge fan (as well as owner) of Mercedes-Benz. So, when I read that it beat out the BMW 530d as well as the Jaguar XF in the ultimate showdown, I was so pleased I couldn't stop quoting the article at friends who are BMW enthusiasts. So, for the reading pleasure of fellow Mercedes-Benz fans like myself, here's the link to the Autocar article about the biggest comparative win for the E-class. BMW 5-series v Mercedes E-class - Autocar.co.uk

[Nitin]

While I have nothing against the Mercs, I'd go with the BMW anyday. For truely, it is the 'Ultimate driving machine'. We could pit both cars and look at all the numbers, but finally its all about how one likes his/ her machine. Mercs are 'Exec-like', while the beemers are more 'fun' filled cars.

[.anshuman]

I like both these cars a lot. The verdict declared in the article is strictly that magazine's personal views, i can point out a lot of other reviews by other magazines/websites which favor the BMW more than the Merc.

[Mayavi]

"But the Mercedes has rediscovered the values of quality, comfort and luxury. The result is two gloriously different cars."

So the essence is Merc is back to building Solid yet luxurious cars and BMW is still making sporty cars. How is one better than the other?

[CPH]

Originally Posted by Mayavi

"But the Mercedes has rediscovered the values of quality, comfort and luxury. The result is two gloriously different cars."

So the essence is Merc is back to building Solid yet luxurious cars and BMW is still making sporty cars. How is one better than the other?

My father used to be a Mercedes hardcore fan for 40 years. 3 years ago he changed and doesn't look back. Mercedes aren't as solid as claimed. In Germany a lot of people say that Mercedes is the highest paid piece of scrap.

Unrelibility issues and falling of bits as well as rust problems alongside many other issues can make them hardly solid cars.

10% higher fuel consumption with a lesser performance is one other factor to off many people.

I would never call this superior.

[speedy]

Originally Posted by CPH

My father used to be a Mercedes hardcore fan for 40 years. 3 years ago he changed and doesn't look back. Mercedes aren't as solid as claimed. In Germany a lot of people say that Mercedes is the highest paid piece of scrap.

Unrelibility issues and falling of bits as well as rust problems alongside many other issues can make them hardly solid cars.

10% higher fuel consumption with a lesser performance is one other factor to off many people.

I would never call this superior.

My father still is a die hard Mercedes person and to shake the Mercedes off him is very very difficult. I know the trouble i went through to have him look at the 3 series and a even tougher task to get him to agree to buy it. He does not like it till date and each time he sits in it (which is rare) he says you should have just got the C230 instead.

I have never had issues with any of the Mercedes with the Ml being the only exception to the case. She has brake issues that have costed me a small fortune and alot of time (9 times in a span of a year, each time 2 weeks minimum). No rust in any of the previous cars and current cars so dont know where the rust issue comes in. Yes these are cars and if they are not kept well would trouble you with rust or any other problem just like any piece of metel would. Till now my friends or me have not had these issues with our cars.

I agree the build and the feel is not the same as the older cars. My W211 E280 cdi does not even come close to my W123 240d in terms of seating comfort or solidness of the body. Even at high speed the W123 feels more grounded than the W211's. Just for information my W123 has done 2 lakh odd kms and the W211 55000 kms. Except for gearbox mountings nothing has been done on the W211 and my W123 nothing except regular service.

I dont call the Mercs superior, but i would say they are good cars and can compare to any other car in the market.


@ Sanjeev no where in the arcticle it says Mercedes beats the BMW. The two cars are evenly matched with the Mercedes being slower by a few seconds from the BMW in the 0-60 dash. The verdict by Frank was if he was forced he would go by the Mercedes and thats probably because the Mercedes suits his driving and comfort style. He has also mentioned that both cars are for different kind of audiances and have been made to suit that. I still feel Lazy boy then Mercedes and attentive then BMW.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

1stly as speedy correctly stated, there is nothing like "Merc beats Beemer" in that article.
There is something else you need to realize, like this review, i could point out a 100 others that claim BMW is a much better car than the Merc.
So there is really no sense in saying 'One is better than the other'. As most have mentioned above, totally depends upon the driver and his priorities.
I am a huge Audi/BMW fan but that never meant Merc sucks, for me.

[kau_therock]

Where does Jaguar come into the picture? (as mentioned in the thread title)

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by CPH

My father used to be a Mercedes hardcore fan for 40 years. 3 years ago he changed and doesn't look back. Mercedes aren't as solid as claimed. In Germany a lot of people say that Mercedes is the highest paid piece of scrap.

Unrelibility issues and falling of bits as well as rust problems alongside many other issues can make them hardly solid cars.

10% higher fuel consumption with a lesser performance is one other factor to off many people.

I would never call this superior.

Hi CPH,

I cannot argue with you here. You have much much more superior knowledge than me in all aspects of the topic in hand. But would like to point out my experience of living in Netherlands for some time.

Being car - curious, I used to ask any and all my superiors in Netherlands, in the company I worked for, about their opinion about Audi, BMW, Mercs, Volvo and the like.

The overwhelming response was that Mercedes was the car maker that they would be more inclined to in terms of choosing the better car maker. I am not sure what was the basis of this opinion of the majority. But what I can vouch for is that all of them are extremely smart men, who are known and paid to make intelligent choices/decisions.

I do realize that Netherlands is quite the 'Mercedes country' and the people whom I put the question to, are generally considered to be Mercedes' core or traditional customer base. But at the same time, the people I interacted with were not your show-off types but on the contrary the types that Warren Buffet would term as 'Intelligent Investors'

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by sanjeev.d

As you might know, I am a huge fan (as well as owner) of Mercedes-Benz. So, when I read that it beat out the BMW 530d as well as the Jaguar XF in the ultimate showdown, I was so pleased I couldn't stop quoting the article at friends who are BMW enthusiasts. So, for the reading pleasure of fellow Mercedes-Benz fans like myself, here's the link to the Autocar article about the biggest comparative win for the E-class. BMW 5-series v Mercedes E-class - Autocar.co.uk

And the Jaguar site quotes Auto Motor and Sport which places the R above the M Unthinkable.

At these stratified levels (Rs and Ms), I think you go with your heart. These are not vehicles, but expressions of character. Like a Rolex is not really a watch. It just happens to keep good time. And if you can afford them, you don't have to justify your decision.

But then I drive a M800.

Regards
Sutripta

[VIPER_SRT]

Mercs and Beemers are defined by their character presence. I agree with Nitin. It took me almost a year to decide which one to go for; Merc GL450 or BMW X5. I knew I wasn't Exec type from inside though I had E350 in the past which I liked a lot, felt good to take my clients out for lunch but then I figured out that I'm not the kind of guy who likes smooth driving and luxurious interior. So I went for Merc SLK which I thought would be fun to drive but after I drove a 335i for some time (bought by my brother) I knew what "Fun to Drive" meant. Both brands speak 2 different languages and it all depends on the person what he's from inside. I've a X5 now and its way too different than ML. If you day dream about driving all the time then nothing beats BMW.

[suhaas307]

At the end of the day, it boils down to your opinion and your preference. 'Better' or 'worse' is subjective. Do you like to drive or be driven in?! BMWs are popular among those who like to drive and Mercedes make cars that you'd rather be driven in. At least, most of them! Audi and Jaguar have tried arriving at a good balance between ride/comfort and performance/handling and they've done a fair job. But IMO, BMW and Mercedes have set benchmarks by strengthening their + points.

P.S. I'd prefer to drive myself, and that's why I'd go in for a Bimmer rather than a Mercedes. But that doesn't mean BMWs are better!

[4x4 cruiser]

In my case, I like to drive instead of being driven and i am fortunate enough to own E280 (W211) petrol and 520d (e60). I love both the cars and both have their good points and bad. As it is mentioned several times on the forum that Merc is purely for Chauffer driven and BMW for Self Drive, for me the equation and comparision is a bit different as i love to drive myself.

So if i have to drive in City, say Chembur to Fort in that heavy traffic, i will always prefer my Merc

But if i have to go anywhere from Chembur to Navi Mumbai and beyond, it will always be BMW.

Basic point, both are the best brands you can get in the world and its you driving style or to be driven style which will help you in deciding either.

[sanjeev.d]

Hello All. I seem to have stirred up quite a hornet's nest with my little post. So, let me try to set the record straight.
First, to all those who said that the choice is based purely on personal opinion, I couldn't agree more. As you may have noted, I'm a Mercedes-Benz loyalist. So, finding out Merc won that particular comparison (after 23 years of not doing so), even if just by a hair's breadth, is what made me so happy.
Also, for those who think I'm putting BMW down, you couldn't be more wrong. I think Beemers are stunning cars & meant for those who like a little adventure. I'm a bit of a laid-back soul myself, which is why I like my ride to be smooth & uncomplicated.
Now, for those of you who questioned the reliability of the car, a company that's in the Guinness Book for having some of the best machines in the world, & has won a million accolades for their reliability, innovation & design, could hardly be messing up where their cars are concerned, could they?
So, to end this extremely lengthy post, let me just say I will always be a true Benz fan. It was my first "executive" car & I'm very fond of it. I am always open to driving (or owning) other cars because I love cars after all. But let's just say to each his own & be done with it. Drive on!

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by sanjeev.d

Now, for those of you who questioned the reliability of the car, a company that's in the Guinness Book for having some of the best machines in the world, & has won a million accolades for their reliability, innovation & design, could hardly be messing up where their cars are concerned, could they?

I take it you haven't owned any Mercedes made between 2002 and 2006, especially the C-class?

There is a reason why Mercedes took a beating post year 2000, till 2006, before realizing that they are losing market share and invested in quality. The W203 C class is one of the worst cars when it comes to quality. No wonder Mercedes emphasized their '1 million miles of testing' and showcased the engineering when advertising W204, while all the previous adverts emphasized luxury and status.

I think there are enough people on this forum who own cars built during those years and they can tell you the problems they had. I had one for 2 years before I switched to BMW, unable to keep up with the repairs. That said, I drove the newer W204 for a while and can tell you that they are not lying in their advertisements.