[wceoscar]

I love BMW, or should I say loved?!My 70kmiles 1999 328i is a disappointment. It breaks and breaks and breaks... U fix something, another thing fails... A cheap car with an expensive name... Very hard to break up with it yet very disappointing if u keep it...
Is Merc better? Certainly yes... My friends 2000 CLK 320 is so quiet, so smooth, so responsive! Man my car is totally stock with new suspension parts and yet his lowered CLK w 19" wheels and Bilstein shocks is 100 times smoother than my harsh bumpy rattling vibrating always breaking E46...

I'm on the same boat... Ill check a kompressor I saw on my way home on a dealer...

 

[330ciandr6]

i disagree with the people saying mb makes better cars. i work on both brands daily from older models all the way to 08's. the mercedes have alot more problems compared to the bmws. bmws are soooooooooooo much easier to work on. both makes have their own specific common problems such as bmw trans problems and mercs air suspension problems on the sclasses. every car company has specific problems. both bmw and mercedes have window motor/regulator problems. but overall from what i see at work everyday bmw builds an all around better car

 

[GRIDLOCK]

I'm a BMW fan through and through, but I must admit, lately MB has been putting out some sexy lines, and some very stout engines.

 

[sonspot]

i most say after reading the thread you guy are car/driving Enthusiast and not car snobs or haters for the most.. my friend have a c320K, he likes bmw but hates the interior so he got the MB instead, its all about what you want, not what someone else says is better(within reason), fyi he's only 30yr old not a old man..

thanks

 

[iftwb]

Okay let me ask you these questions:

Which company has show that its performance cars are better all-round cars - for both everyday street use and when required, track/performance use: ///M cars or AMG cars?

I wouldn't know which one to argue conclusively for because I have not test driven any apart from the C63AMG...but from what I can see; I'll make a judgement based on the majority of reviews, peoples opinions, specifications and track times.
I personally think that ///M has accomplished more in the performance/handling department than the currently available AMG cars.

Consider the E9x M3. When Top Gear and Fifth Gear tested, reviewed and benchmarked the M3 against its primary competitors...the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the Audi RS4; the M3 managed to get the votes of all the Automotive reviewers. Intitially, they were very divided in which car was better. After doing some strenuous driving and exchanging cars, its concluded that the performance, handling and looks of the M3 attracted all of their votes. Now that's saying one thing, but for Jeremy Clarkson to give the vote to an M3, especially when his a die-hard AMG fan! He drives an SL55AMG for crying out loud and we can see his a die-hard AMG fan because even when he tested the Brabus V12, despite its pathetic handling...he still made very little mocking of it.

Now consider the E60 M5. This car sends a clear message in performance/handling engineering. The car owns around the track and BMW have shown that it does not take a large engine to produce a performance car. It may not be the fastest on the straight, but the addition of some forced induction or increasing the engine size of the car should see it comparing to the current 6.2L/6.3L V8s from AMG, even the upcoming CLK63 AMG Black Series. BMWs answer to this is supposedly twin-turbocharged V10s from latest autospies pictures.

But the standard 5.0L V10 E60 M5 has my vote. It had Jeremy Clarkson's vote. It beat almost every single non-supercar when driven by The Stig around their famous test track; even the CLS Coupe! It was even considered by Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson to even compete with the F430 - and we all know that nothing can as its probably one of the best engineered performance/handling cars available.

But some of you people would say - who gives a f**k about what Jeremy says. It's true in one way, but Jeremy does know what his talking about: he has driven plenty of cars, he can actually drive considerably well, and his a die-hard AMG fan. So for his vote for the M5 is a bonus!

The M6 is a big disappointed like I mentioned earlier. BMW seriously f**ked up here big time and it really does disappoint me - what the hell were they thinking with the design! In the Mercedes-Benz lineup, although their is slightly little variety amongst their common 6.2L/6.3L V8s, at least their top range models have distinguishably more bhp and more torque. For the M5 and M6 to come from two different model lines - the small difference in performance does not satisfy me.

In terms of looks across both companies, I think the M3 is the sexiest car from BMW and the sexiest car from Mercedes-Benz is the CLS63 AMG. Although from a generalized view, the interior and exterior aesthetics of Mercedes-Benz has improved substantially over the past decade. I would have to say that currently available M-Bs have the best looking interiors I have ever seen; but their overall performance/handling factor of the car has not quite met BMWs and it is all evident in the hundreds of comparison the Internet has shown us.

Basically, my two cents:
- BMW need to wake up and realize that their current lineup is dead ugly. They really need to improve their looks because Audi, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz produce very sexy cars. The X6 IMO is a really sexy car. Some of you may disagree, but I think is screams sexy, contemporary and the future!
- Mercedes-Benz need to realize that throwing in large 6.0L+ engines will not get them their overall win over BMW and other competitors. Although some of us would say that the C63AMG [being MBs answer to the E9x M3] is the better car; its not! Again, think M3 vs C63 vs RS4....and Top Gear. The M5 is most definitely a better car than its CLK63 and E63 competitors in terms of overall performance/handling and we can see that from the track times it gets across many different tracks. The only possible MB car I think would pose a threat to the current, non-turbo E60 M5 is the CLS63AMG.

Some would argue - why worry about track times to define a car? I argue that it is an important factor in comparing two cars. We can immediately differentiate that cars like the Pagani Zonda F, F430, Enzo and other supercars are better, because their simply supercars! That being so, they should be supercars on the road - and their top 15 tracks times has imperatively shown that. So far the ///M cars to attain faster times than most AMG cars...apart from some DTM MBs; we can see that BMW has really made progress in the way to have engineering their cars.

If track times did not matter, we wouldn't even bother with ///M cars and AMGs! They are built simply for performance and thrill. Being performance cars, their performance and handling are echoed in their ability to go fast and handle well! Go figure!

 

[prznskillz]

ok i have had both a 1999 CLK 320 and a 2001 330ci...

CLK never had any kind of problems....e46 always has this CEL...CLK and 330 are about the same speed wise, but i love the handling on my 330ci...looks hands down goes to the e46...i still like my e46 better, but the benzo never gave me any problems!

 

[iftwb]

I see a lot of problems with the E46, but you find just as many 'problem' posts on Mercedes-Benz related forums also. Personally, I've had very few problems with my E46. They're more of inconveniences rather than actual faulty technicalities. For instance, the only faulty equipment/parts I've had is my Cruise Control. For some odd reason, every time I press it nowadays [And just recently], it doesn't activate. Another problem, every time I'm in reverse and making slow maneuvers couple with tiny braking, it makes a deep croaking noise near the wheels.

 

[iftwb]

Mmmm. BMW Power...Comparison Test: 2007 BMW 335i vs. 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mEf4WGc_No

 

[iftwb]

Fifth Gear Comparison of E9x M3 vs C63 AMG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQOqLMHzBtk
Top Gear Comparison of E9x M3 vs C63 AMG vs RS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaZExdTHHjY
Top Gear Review of E60 M5 - one of the best cars his ever driven...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsKHf4j6xV0

 

[swoobies]

BMW forever! The E46s are sexy but all these new bimmers are getting ugly.

 

[StylGryCi]

For all the similarities, they have just as many differences.

The word better isn't a very good adjective in this comparison.

My pops owns a Benz. I like to ride in it, but don't care to drive it (as much.) It doesn't inspire me like my Bimmer does.

I like them both :craig:

 

[jason330cic]

Mercedes built from around 2000 - 2005 were know as some of the most unreliable cars ever, thanks to their involment with Daimler-Chrysler.

 

[fmre46fanatic]

watch the review of the AMG black series.... its rediculous and then they go head to head with the M6 and M6 gets OWNED in every category except price lol... i will dig up the link...

once again im a die hard BIMMER fan but the black series clk is one of the best cars ever made IMO

of course the e46 m3 is THE greatest

 

[fmre46fanatic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqU32xYvAg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNzuI7LO5lE

 

[iftwb]

Well sure the Black Series is nice. But autotranny? Comeon where's the fun in that!!!!??!
We'll have to wait an see how the new M5 turns out. Sure the M6 is ****, but hopefully we'll see a wakeup call in BMW

 

[Kubica]

You guys failed to mention MBs almost exclusively come with slushboxes in the US- no manual tranny's. So if you want a nice German car with a proper gear box, it's BMW and Audi- although Audi RS4 gearbox feels like it was modelled after one of those old wooden rollercoasters- real notchy.

 

[wceoscar]

Yesterday I test drove a 03 C240 just because of this thread... And WOW, I must say compared to my 323i this car is way more comfortable and the suspension feels so much nice... It doesn't handle as good as the e46 but in the other side it feels so much better. As It goes for looks, the e46 is a better looking car, Also the engine... I prefer inline engines, the mercedes had a V6...

I really don't know what type of issues these things are prone to, Compared to BMW.
But on conclusion I thing bmw is a better made car, Interior is way better engineered...

Oscar.

 

[samBROchill330i]

+4534545634 BMWs are the driver's car!!!!

 

[Team_Persia]

eh, i agree and disagree with some of you guys, I was a die hard merc fan and now i own a zhp 'vert. my previous car was a '99 SLK230 kompressor and man that car was loads of fun, i dont know about bmw and mercs in general but my SLK compared to my 330 was a whole different story, even with less hp than the 330, the SLK felt like it had more exciting speed rather than controlled constant power like in the 330, in some cases yeah the 330 is better, but all in all i love both BMW and Mercedes.

they both have their ups and downs, my hardtop went out at 114K miles on my SLK and cost around 2000 dollars, and the top has yet to go out on my 330 so well have to wait and see.

btw, lack of manual tranny FTL on the mercs:thumbdwn:

 

[TerraPhantm]

If the Merc's were available in manual, I'd seriously consider one, but as it stands now, I feel Mercedes is better for luxury, and BMW for that sport/luxury combo.