With this new 3 Series, BMW’s goal was to do two things; put it back on top of the segment and silence the criticism of fans. However, let’s be real. There was only one car BMW was taking aim at when designing this new 3er — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. So has this new car beaten its main rival? That’s what Auto Bild attempted to find out. In this recent comparison, the BMW 330i took on the MercedesBenz C300.
Both of those cars are the turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline variants of the 3 Series and C-Class, respectively. They’re also going to be the volume sellers, at least in the US market, but they’re not boring efficient versions. So it’s the right choice of cars for this comparison. Before we get into what Auto Bild thought, let’s take a look at each car.
Both cars pack 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines and 258 hp, which is interesting. But the BMW 330i makes more torque, packing 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) to the C300’s 272 lb-ft (370 Nm). Both also have automatic gearboxes as standard (eight-speed for the BMW and nine-speed for the Benz) and both cars are rear-wheel drive (both also come with all-wheel drive as an option).
In terms of performance, the BMW 330i was quicker in every test. For the Bimmer, 0-100 km/h happened in 5.5 seconds, compared to the Benz’s 6.0 seconds flat. It was also faster to 160 km/h and to 200 km/h. Its split from 60-100 km/h was also faster. So if you’re looking for performance, the BMW 330i is where you wanna be.
However, if you want comfort, the C300 is the car for you. At least according to Auto Bild. In this comparison, the BMW 330i was knocked for having a jarring ride. While the Benz was said to be more comfortable and composed over choppy pavement. Though, in fairness, the BMW 330i was equipped with its stiffer, lower M Sport suspension for this test.
Overall, it seems as if Auto Bild favored the C-Class. It’s the more well-rounded car in the test, in their eyes, while the BMW 330i is more of a sports car with a harder edge.
[Source: Auto Bild]
