Does the all-new Mercedes-Benz C 200 set a new benchmark in the mid-size luxury sedan segment? To do so, it’ll need to topple the BMW 330i…
- Munich versus Stuttgart
- Largesse aplenty
- Safety in numbers
- Power balance
- Luxury or sport?
- Sign of the times
Munich versus Stuttgart
The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class have been at each other’s throats seemingly forever.
The German mid-sizers have been swapping number-one spot at the premium end of the segment with almost monotonous regularity.
Of course, they’ve both recently been overtaken by the disruptive Tesla Model 3 electric car, which currently leads the medium-size passenger car segment in Australia – not only premium players, but mainstream too.
But there’s still plenty of action on the ‘Munich versus Stuttgart’ battleground, where supply issues are impeding both popular model lines but where the fight has nonetheless intensified this year with the arrival of the new-generation 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Mercedes-Benz is confident of a rebound in C-Class sales with its new W206 generation, and industry stats are backing those claims, while BMW – for now – has a slight edge amid monthly downturns for its middle-aged 3 Series.
The current G20 3 Series was launched in 2018, won carsales’ Car of the Year the following year and still stands today as the benchmark in class even as new rivals from across the globe have come and, in some cases, gone.
But this is BMW’s biggest test.
Borrowing a lot of technology from the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class – including its basic platform – the all-new C-Class lays its cards on the table at launch with two mild-hybrid engines, a bigger cabin, an oversize Tesla-style LCD dash display, multi-accessible second-gen MBUX infotainment system, fingerprint scanning, upgraded safety (including centre-front airbag) and new suspension with optional rear-wheel steering.
BMW, facing the allure of the glamorous C-Class, would seem to be in the awkward phase of its new-model rollouts. With a facelift of the current seventh-generation 3 Series coming late this year, and an all-new replacement still off in the distance, the Bavarian marque is girding its loins to fend off its formidable new rival.
That said, the 3 Series is still secure in its top-rated status and has plenty of firepower to draw on.
Comparing a non-optioned 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 200 with an equally options-free 2022 BMW 330i reveals that the latter is priced a whit above its Benz equivalent. And yet, apart from one or two hiccups, it’s similarly equipped.
In fact, the closer you look at the all-conquering BMW and the all-new Benz, the further you get from making a clear-cut decision on which is better.
It’s a compelling reason to line up the BMW 330i and the Mercedes-Benz C 200 to get a clear answer on which is better – and therefore the benchmark in this class.
Largesse aplenty
Attempting to define what’s standard equipment and what isn’t in the 2022 BMW 330i and Mercedes-Benz C 200 isn’t straightforward, with tricky-to-decipher spec levels with both brands.
Our BMW is a 330i M Sport – it’s also available in Luxury Line guise for the same price – while the Benz is a standard C 200, which is now presented essentially at AMG-Line level although it’s not formally known as such.
The options were easy to suss in our BMW on test because there were only two – a panoramic sunroof and Portimao metallic blue paint.
The Mercedes-Benz, fitted with two option packages, was more complex. It came with the $3154 Vision Package, the $1307 Sport Package and one standalone option – the $1615 Burmester sound system.
Respectively, these options lifted the BMW 330i’s as-tested price from a base $79,900 to $84,900, while the Mercedes-Benz C 200 on test moved from $78,900 to $87,360. On-road costs are extra on all counts.
The C 200’s Vision Package bundles in a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, traffic sign assist, MBUX infotainment, sat-nav and heated and cooled front seats, while the Sport Package brings staggered 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, a repair kit in lieu of run-flat tyres and tinted glass from the B-pillar back.
Unsurprisingly, both models have discrepancies concerning what’s standard and what isn’t.
Common standard equipment includes powered sports front seats, wireless phone charging and aero elements around the body (M division in the BMW, AMG in the Mercedes), but much of our test C 200’s equipment came courtesy of the aforementioned option packs.
The optional head-up display in the C 200 is already fitted standard to the BMW, for example, while the heated and cooled front seats are added-cost in the 330i.
Headline standard features in the 330i M Sport include adaptive LED headlights, a power-operated boot, three-zone climate control and 10-speaker audio, while the new C 200 includes the stunning AMG Line interior package complete with the large portrait-oriented central display, a fingerprint scanner and, like its opposite number at BMW, a powered boot lid.
Safety in numbers
The 2022 BMW 330i M Sport and Mercedes-Benz C 200 are both well-stocked with standard safety equipment.
You’ll find autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring (with active assist on the 3 Series), self-parking capabilities, an array of bird’s-eye view cameras, speed limit monitoring and driver attention detection.
The C 200 also comes with a centre-front airbag for a total of 10, plus lane tracking and DISTRONIC Active Distance Assist (adaptive cruise control).
Surprisingly, adaptive cruise control is optional on the BMW 330i.
There’s also no centre-front airbag on the 3 Series, leaving a total airbag count of eight, but in other respects there’s little missing in terms of safety tech.
Lane departure and lane change warnings, and pedestrian detection, are standard.
The BMW 330i comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2019, while the W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is yet to be tested.
Power balance
Central to the fundamental differences between the 2022 BMW 330i and Mercedes-Benz C 200 are the powerplants.
Where the 330i M Sport’s 190kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is the same as that seen in the sDrive30i M Sport version of the BMW Z4 sports car, the Mercedes-Benz C 200 heads in a presumably more eco-friendly direction.
The entry-level C-Class uses a 150kW/300Nm 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with mild-hybrid assistance. The latter supplements the combustion engine with an extra 15kW/200Nm from an electric motor fed via a 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack.
Whatever the hybrid configuration produces is counteracted by the C 200’s weight. At 1722kg tare, it’s up by around 100kg over the previous C-Class and is quite a bit heavier than the 1545kg BMW 330i.
Consequently, it slips backwards in terms of both economy and performance.
The BMW, aided by a hefty 400Nm of torque that stretches from just 1550rpm to 4400rpm, is capable of sprinting from zero to 100km/h in a swift 5.8sec. The Benz, despite help from its electric motor, is quite tardy at 7.3sec, although when booted along in Sport mode it feels quicker.
Both have artificially enhanced exhaust notes that are most evident in Sport mode. The BMW 330i’s barely-muted growl emanates from two-by-two outlets on either side of the rear-end, while the Mercedes-Benz C 200’s more subtle symphony comes from a dual outlet that exits out of sight under the left-side rear of the car. The four neatly crafted apertures in the rear bumper look to be exhaust outlets but, like many C-Class contemporaries, they’re not.
Sweet torque-converter automatic transmissions are common to both models here. The eight-speed BMW 330i, aided by its strong torque, is unhindered by having one gear less than the 9G-TRONIC Mercedes-Benz C 200, which needs – and uses effectively to fill the power gaps between ratios – the extra cog.
In most circumstances, the C 200’s shifting, helped by the system’s hydrodynamic rather than mechanical torque transfer system, is seamless and only made evident by watching the blips on the tachometer.
Thanks to the mild-hybrid system’s integrated starter-generator, there’s no cranking on start-up. The C 200 fires up just like flicking a switch.
But the C 200 is not only slower than the 330i, it’s a whit thirstier too.
Against the official claimed combined-cycle consumption figures of 6.4L/100km for the BMW and 6.9L/100km for the Mercedes-Benz, we recorded 7.9L/100km and 8.1L/100km respectively in a mixed variety of driving conditions.
It’s not a huge difference given the weight of the C 200 and is balanced out by its larger 66-litre fuel tank. The BMW’s tank holds 59L.
As for exhaust emissions, the BMW 330i is quoted at 147g/km and the Mercedes-Benz C 200 at 157g/km.
Luxury or sport?
We’re talking about two opposing types of executive sedan here. Both are clearly aimed at slightly different demographics.
As we said at the outset, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 200 is clearly of a newer generation with its seductive internal architecture, high-tech control functions (the sunroof uses finger-touch, finger-slide controls, for example) and an airier, more luxurious mien.
From the intricacies of the satin-finish Burmester speaker surrounds in the doors to the oversize portrait-style LCD display in the dash centre and the lush, multi-adjustable front seats, the C 200 seems more than just your average luxury-class mid-size sedan.
By comparison, the more simplistic 2022 BMW 330i is just, well, classy.
There’s virtually nothing separating the two in terms of cabin size. In fact, despite the W206 being the biggest C-Class ever, the BMW 330i tends to have a slight edge in overall shoulder-room and headroom and is only slightly less generous with rear seat legroom.
And if the rear foot-room is only fair in the BMW, it was judged as poor in the Mercedes.
The 330i, with adjustable auto air vents for the rear passengers, has what qualifies as three-zone climate control where the C 200’s system, with its rear vent temperature adjustable only from the front seats, is two-zone only.
The BMW’s boot, at a claimed 480 litres compared to the C 200’s 455 litres, is larger partly because it capitalises on its space-saving run-flat tyres. The AMG-Line C 200 Mercedes uses a tyre repair kit which doesn’t leave quite as much room in the boot.
Though everything in the BMW is immaculately put together, the architecture is already beginning to look a little outdated. And so, it would seem, are the controls which tend to rely on a proliferation of buttons and switches rather the super-slick touch-screen functions of the C 200.
But hold it right there. The different approaches to control operation invite diverging opinions. Some prefer the clean, minimalist look of touch-screens, where others argue the case for the less-distractive, tactile nature of push-buttons and switches.
In this comparison, tactility won the day. Where it seemed to take ages getting our heads around the impressive but often unfathomable touch-screens of the Mercedes, the BMW’s more complex-looking array of switches and buttons never actually confused.
Though its central LCD screen is tiny by comparison with that of the C 200, the intuitiveness of the 330i’s centre console-located controller makes for quick, logical and safer operation of the control systems, particularly when driving.
Where the BMW 330i speaks to you, the Mercedes-Benz C 200 challenges.
On the road, the differences between BMW and Benz are clear too.
While the 330i’s standard adaptive suspension is tuned for a brisker, more responsive experience, the C 200’s standard set-up exhibits a quieter, controlled demeanour.
Cabin noise is measurably lower in the C-Class, and while the steering on both is similarly geared, the C 200 is not as sharp as the 3 Series.
Not unexpectedly, it would be fair to say the BMW 330i is clearly the more driver-oriented of the two.
And where the BMW makes good use of its staggered 19-inch wheel and tyre combination to further enhance the handling/roadholding, the Mercedes-Benz C 200 – also using staggered 19-inch wheels, but with slightly higher-profile tyres – felt a little compromised by some noticeable impact harshness on our test which was at odds with the otherwise serene ride.
On the debit side of the 330i was a degree of noticeable bump-steer that was often exacerbated by the lane keeping system’s insistent attempts at adhering to the painted white lines. This became so intrusive that at times we turned the system off.
Sign of the times
Comparison tests wouldn’t be comparison tests if the probable outcomes were clear from the start. Comparing the 2022 BMW 330i with the new Mercedes-Benz C 200, we faced a real dilemma.
There is a disarming allure about the all-new 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 200 that is truly entrapping. Though the exterior styling is clean and elegant, the interior is close to gob-smacking in its ultra-clean, new-age looks, its slick, touch-sensitive functionality, its airiness and spaciousness.
The same feeling extends to its smooth road behaviour and, to a certain extent, its admittedly attenuated mild-hybrid performance.
Compared to the sharper, sportier BMW, it’s a more rounded experience.
By comparison, the BMW 330i is almost in a generation gap, particularly in terms of cabin presentation and even in the driveline where there’s a relatively straightforward single-turbo engine and an auto transmission that offers one less ratio than the Mercedes.
But then we come to the pure practicalities and we find that the two are so close in size that any comparison seems irrelevant. There’s no real distinction in terms of passenger comfort and both are pretty equal in terms of practicality.
The bottom line is there’s no yawning gap to give either the BMW 330i M Sport or the Mercedes-Benz C 200 a decisive lead.
Scraping to find negatives, we think the BMW’s lack of adaptive cruise control is almost inexcusable, and that both, with their 19-inch wheels, are pretty equal in their dislike of sharp-edged bumps.
For pure positives, there’s no question that the 330i’s driveline is not only more engaging, but that its fuel economy and exhaust emissions are better than the C 200.
On the other hand, the generally cool and hushed demeanour of the C-Class is what you have a right to expect of an all-new mid-size luxury car.
Warranty arrangements favour the Benz – five years and unlimited kilometres beats three years/unlimited any time.
BMW’s service-when-needed plan has the potential to be less costly than Mercedes-Benz’s 12-month/25,000km arrangement, though Benz is ahead with its five-year roadside assist plan beating BMW’s, which only runs for three years.
Tailored, pre-paid capped-price servicing is offered in the BMW starting with the basic five-year/80,000km package priced at $1800, while the Benz comes with a choice between three packages: three years ($2650), four years ($3600) and five years ($5200).
So, what do you do when you find two excellent cars that, in practical terms, are almost inseparable?
You pick a winner. And in this case the gong goes to the new Mercedes-Benz C 200.
Not just for its capabilities and technologies which, in the end, are a bit better than lineball with the BMW 330i, but also for its unquestionable comfort and its seductive, new-age cabin that is on track, and should remain so, for a generation or two to come.
How much does the 2022 BMW 330i M Sport cost?Price: $79,900 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowEngine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolOutput: 190kW/400NmTransmission: Eight-speed automaticFuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 147g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)
How much does the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C 200 cost?Price: $78,900 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowEngine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrolOutput: 150kW/300NmTransmission: Nine-speed automaticFuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)CO2: 157g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz C-Class v BMW 3 Series 2022 Comparison