The BMW 3 Series won our 2019 Car of the Year Award.
So did it even need to turn up?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Not so fast, back it up a little.
More people bought the Mercedes Benz C-Class last year than the Beamer.
So, clearly, it's doing something right.
We're gonna pit the base grade Beamer, against the entry level C-Class, to see what they
do well, and what they do not so well.
Priced at around $66,000 apiece, these German luxury sedans deliver on their promise of
seamlessly blending luxury and technology.
Okay, let's start with the BMW, which gets a lot more technology now, and it starts with
these two beautifully integrated, high-def LCD screens.
Input is via touch or rotary dial, the latter more effective when on the move.
Overall, BMW's latest operating system makes the experience smooth, intuitive and engaging.
A couple of other little features too, you've got wireless phone charging, which is great,
and four USB ports, including USB C.
There is, however, one little problem, and that's the fact this car only works with Apple
CarPlay.
Android Auto?
Doesn't have it.
On the whole, however, BMW has done a great job with the integration of technology in
this car, and the new 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster is a case in point, with its simple
but vivid implementation.
Righto.
The Mercedes Benz, very different in look and feel, and the technology is executed a
little differently too.
You do have the same two side screens, 10 inch infotainment, and 12.3 inch instrument
cluster.
However, they both work quite differently.
There's no touch screen here, so instead, you get a central touch-pad and two tiny finger
pads on the steering wheel, along with a rotary dial, similar to the BMW.
In this car, you have five USB ports all up, but there are no USB C ports like you get
in the BMW, which offer faster charging.
The infotainment system isn't quite as polished, nor the operating system as instinctive as
the BMW's, but the Mercedes has better customisation, and gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Overall, the BMW is more intuitive and has better equipment levels, with a wireless phone
charger and head-up display fitted as standard.
Back in the BMW, and I wanna talk comfort, because these are luxury cars, they should
be comfortable.
And the BMW is very comfortable, you've got leather covering the armrest, the seats, and
the cushions are probably a little firmer than I was expecting, but adjustability is
all electric, and it's excellent, these controls are easy to use, and you've even got lumbar
adjust and these inflatable air bladders in the side bolsters, good for slim types like
myself, plus you've got the adjustable under-thigh seat cushion here as well.
Very nice.
Right, the Benz.
Okay, I'm perched a little higher, even in the lowest position, but the leather quality
is a little bit more supple, the cushions are a little softer, I like that.
You've got the under-thigh support here, you've also got lumbar adjust, but changing the seat
position is a little different from the BMW.
You do it via controls on the door.
The Mercedes provides better comfort and gets the nod here, by a possum's whisker.
Back-seat accommodation in the BMW, is very good.
I'm about six foot and I've got a little bit of headroom, the legroom isn't too bad, there's
plenty of features, including twin cup holders, the fold-down armrest, and I love the fact
you've got two USB C ports and tri-zone climate control at the back here, that's nice.
Okay, the Mercedes.
Definitely less room here, less legroom, head room's fine, and the seats, you don't kind
of slide into them as comfortably as the BMW, but there's plenty of amenity, you've got
the twin cup holders, little secret stash there.
There is no climate control for the rear seats, you just have to use whatever the front seat
uses, but there is twin USB ports down here, which is good to see.
If you've been relegated to the back seat, the BMW is the peak.
More leg room, more features, and when it comes to cargo space, it's the same again,
the BMW offering a wider, more spacious boot.
It's no surprise that the newer, more advanced BMW has edged ahead in this comparison, but
let's see which one drives better.
Both are well suited to urban driving and make for excellent commuter cars, but the
BMW's smoother eight-speed auto is my preference to the Benz's nine-speed auto for daily duties.
The BMW also comes with more safety tech and driver aids as standard, which make everyday
driving and parking easier and safer.
When you find yourself on a twisting turning road, the BMW comes alive.
As we said in Carsales Car of the Year, this 3 Series is a return to form for BMW, and
it's that connection the driver has with the car that makes it so special.
You really do feel ensconced in the action.
The steering is nice and direct, and the suspension, even though it's not adaptive, is so well
sorted, it absorbs bumps and lumps, but still gives you a really good feel of what's going
underneath.
Simply put, if you enjoy spirited driving, you're not gonna be disappointed with the
BMW.
It's also more efficient than the C-Class, using less fuel than its German rival and
is quieter and more refined inside too.
This is largely due to its smoother engine, which brings me to an important point.
The Mercedes is based on much older architecture, and you can tell, it doesn't feel quite as
sharp, quite as pointed, as the BMW, nor as balanced.
Even with adaptive suspension, however, the Mercedes doesn't engage like the BMW does,
it doesn't make you feel like you're part of the machine, you're really involved in
proceedings.
It's almost like you're sort of a passenger.
The steering isn't quite as precise, throttle response isn't quite as sharp, and the suspension,
it kind of jostles you around a little bit.
Don't get me wrong, this Mercedes tracks through corners pretty well, for an entry level car,
but it doesn't absorb those mid-corner bumps quite as effectively and smoothly as the BMW.
Little things too, even the brakes in the Mercedes don't have quite as much bite as
the BMW.
Dynamically speaking, the BMW, it's just better.
Let's not take anything away from the C-Class, though.
For an old girl, she's ageing gracefully, is still hugely popular with buyers and fun
to drive.
Well, that was surprisingly enjoyable.
For entry-level models, these cars deliver very good driver dynamics, but they also have
high levels of luxury and loads of functional tech.
But at the end of the day, the BMW is the winner, and that's because it is technically
superior on almost every level, it has higher levels of fit and finish and more standard
features, and it solidifies the fact why it was named Carsales Car of the Year.