We’ve done a few comparisons between the new G20-generation 3 Series and other cars, such as some of its competitors and its predecessor. Though, no other competitor is threatening to BMW than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The C-Class is good looking, sports a great interior and is a great overall premium sedan. So the new 3 Series has its work cut out for it to outsell the Merc and having good looks is a big part of how it’s going to have to do it. So how does the new 3er stack up against the best looking Mercedes C-Class?
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There was a report that came out a few months before the reveal of the new 3 Series that claimed the Mercedes-Benz C-Class to be the car that BMW was hunting for most. And that’s sort of apparent when you see the two back-to-back.
There’s a softness to a lot of the BMW’s body lines that are similar to the C-Class’, as well as a chunky roundness to a lot of its styling. Of course, the two cars don’t look similar at all but you can tell that BMW was targeting the C-Class, as both have that softness to their lines.
Up front, it’s obvious that the BMW is the sportier of the two. Its wider, lower look, thanks to its wide, slim headlights and wide Kidney Grilles, is far sportier than the C-Class’ slightly tall and stubby front end. The C-Class is pretty and looks very premium but the 3 Series looks angrier.
In profile, the C-Class is certainly a bit less exciting looking but it’s also less fussy. There’s a lot going on with the 3 Series’ design and, sometimes, almost too much. The C-Class seems a bit more cohesive. Having said that, the 3er looks a bit more athletic and aggressive, with its shoulder line seemingly invisible until it crosses the rear wheel arch, where it makes itself very known. That makes its rear haunches look more muscular, while the C-Class looks a bit slab-sided.
Out back, I have to give the win to the 3 Series, personally. The rear taillights of the C-Class sedan look a bit dumpy, as do the rear ends of most Mercedes sedans (although I think Mercedes coupes look ace out back). Though, the 3 Series rear end looks a bit too much like the Lexus IS. Still, it’s sharper and more dynamic looking than the frumpy butt of the Benz.
On the inside, it’s a tough to choose. Now, both cars have really quite good looking interiors. Previously, the C-Class wiped the floor with the interior of the F30 3 Series. Now, though, the 3er packs a seriously good cabin. They’re very different, though. The 3 Series is all sport, with sharp lines and angles, and the C-Class is all luxury, with flowing lines and smooth surfaces. However, I think the 3 Series has to take the win, simply for technology. Its new iDrive system is far, far better than the C-Class’ COMAND and its new digital instrument panel looks far more interesting than the Benz’s, which just looks like old-school Mercedes gauges. Just, ya know, digital.
Overall, it’s really hard to pick a winner because they’re so different. The BMW 3 Series is much sportier looking and more athletic. However, the C-Class is smoother and more expensive looking. I think it really comes down to what sort of car you’re looking for. If you’re looking for something sporty, go 3 Series. If you want something more luxurious looking, go Benz.
When a 3 year old Benz look more new than a 1 day old BMW then its problem for BMW. When BMW was busy benchmarking Merc C Class, clearly it was not for the design execution or else we would have had a far classier and graceful BMW.
3 series interiors are leagues ahead though. Its just that they appear remarkably neutral just like Audi’s is what surprised me. But its a timeless design.
Have you tried speaking to someone about this? It sometimes helps to talk.
Going by the lack of progress in your case, I think it’s futile to talk to anyone.
Now now guys, we all expect different things from one marque. We’re allowed to have different opinions.
yep :)
And i have maintained one thing about this car that it is livable just without freshness and wow factor.
have u even seen it in person though? no so how do you know it doesnt have the wow factor? every person that has seen this car in the flesh has said its beautiful
His seeing eye dog needs a seeing eye dog. Or an optician.
i’m a bmw fan but i got respect for benz. you can never rule them out as a competitor.
Same with me. I am an outright BMW lover but also a level headed and logic driven Auto Enthusiast.
By and large, MB is walking all over BMW currently on the design aspect.
mercs are ugly have u seen the new a class looks like a kia
and the new 3 series taillights looks like lexus lol come on man. even bmw have to take criticism.
Until they’re on, when have Lexus had L-shaped taillights? Never.
Never.
Oh yes I can. Any time I see a Mercedes I like it reminds me how old I’m getting. And possibly senile.
well maybe that’s a straight up words coming out of a fanboy’s mouth. no surprise there.
Since 1970. Not on Benzblog, am I?
although it’s a “bmw”blog and i’m bmw fan as well but i’m not gonna be biased.
I’m a BMW fan BECAUSE I’m biased. They sold 1 car here when I started following them, they were an unknown regional manufacturer. By this century they were #1 global premium while Mercedes ruined Chrysler. I’ve watched their success happen, they’ve earned it.
man what is this a batman-news.com of cars website now????
Still bmwblog.
i’m saying it’s the cars website equivalent to the batman-news.com lol
Strange site. They’re talking about cowls.
the fanboys are similar tho.
Sure. Billion dollar global century old German tech./engineering co. vs. comic strip, similarity leaps from the page. To no one but you. Does anyone else even read both? Rather than fanboy, I may just actually know more about the subject than you. Certainly Mercedes & BMW view themselves as rival competitors. NOT equals. That is also on you.
a healthy rival. not like some gruesome fanwars that just spill out of nowhere.
f chrysler lol
They did. Too bad, they did great stuff in the ’90’s. Tom Gale.
90’s is so f****** over dude!
Not here, people keep complaining 21st century BMW isn’t 20th century BMW. Some of Tom Gale’s designs are timeless, some of Chrysler’s ’90’s products are superior to FCA’s, Bob Lutz Europeanized them some.
honestly. why do you have a thing for chrysler at all? they’re irrelevant as the rest of their models.
I used to drive them as rentals, head & shoulders above conte,portray Americans. I mentioned them wrt Mercedes if you recall.
cute. they’re still garbage. i just don’t take american cars seriously.
so when will the new c class be revealed? 3 more years?
Something like that, the C class recently got its facelift, so I reckon 3 years. Could be 2 years though because Merc follows their own production calendar and don’t necessarily follow Bimmer’s.
i know cause mercedes new model release is tending to be a ground breaking than bmw tbh. idk why but bimmer just simply can’t deliver that wow factor like the benz. something’s off.
3 series is king always will be, benz can never pull off a good car the c class struggles every gen to beat the 3 series and never wins. 3er is benchmark everyone knows that. but merc they stuck again like they were in the 2000s only year they had success was in 2014 and thats it they fell off again after that
it’s not just the 3 series/c class. mercedes have their main flagship model “s class and bmw have their’s “3 series”.
Mercedes have always been more conservative, often dull, one reason I started following BMW.
why not like both?
I like BMW because they have always been the innovative alternative to a dull status quo. Mercedes lost me when they abandoned C111 while much smaller BMW evolved Turbo Concept into production racer M1. No comparison, then or now.
Only Benz I might wow today is AMG roadster & I can’t afford to wow that.
The side profile of the Benz is beautiful, definitely better than the Bimmer’s.
Nobody wins the rear battle. If I were to pick, though, I would go with the Benz. There just is something lazy about the three series’ rear design. Like I said before, it is as if the designer was so exhausted that they just slapped it on to complete the work. Boring has a new meaning.
Up front, I would go with the Benz as well. The three series has too many lines and then the weird T or Y design on the sides of the bumper. The M sport bumper doesn’t fare well either, I am reminded of the X7 front. This design language makes the car feel like it was still in conception. The huge gaping intakes don’t suit this car.
no it isnt lol
Benz’ lozenge taillights are lazy, the BMW’s shape is simple until they are on, they are actually quite complex in use & an evolution of previous L shaped stacks.
That 3 series looks suddenly one class above c class in my eyes. Well done Bmw.
F30 3 series was better looking that the current C class. especially in M sport shadowline trim looked so good
Though, the c class is a smaller S class, the 3 series kept his own character. It’s not a small 7er or small 5er, but the design seems to be more progressive, more premium than before. Everything is new. I also think G20 looks a lot sportier and more expressive than C class.
The Merc interior hurts my eyes, I do not know how people can live with that. BMW interiors sure hit a good balance between functionality, class and modernity.
The 3 series sedan is BMW’s bread & butter, and I get it, but they should just kill it, and improve the gorgeous 4 series Gran Coupe, which is a better drive and a 4-door hatchback, not to mention that there should’ve been a “M4” Gran Coupe; also, from what I could gather reading BMW’s online posts, it will be the baseline for the i4 EV. The 3 and 4 series cannibalizes each other’s sales for sure. Kill the 3 series. Now, you guys can trash me for saying all that, then again that’s my opinion.
I understand where you’re coming from Leo. When the 4-series Gran Coupe was released, I didn’t pay attention to the 3-series at all anymore. The whole 4-series sportback design was just my cup of tea. However, I still see so many 3-series around that I think it shouldn’t be blatantly killed off. I am personally curious to know if that’s because people want a more traditional sedan style and don’t like sportback/hatchbacks, or if it’s something else, so maybe a few others can chime in on that.
You don’t improve volume diminishing consumer choice.
Mercedes looks more sporty
no lol
G20 makes C Class look like a bar of soap.
On the exterior C class all the way. On the interior a draw, but not stoked about that BMW virtual cockpit. Unfortunately it looks as if BMW offers the big nav only with that virtual cockpit.
Judging by Mercedes’s recent move with the new 2019 GLE and the A-Class, the next C-Class is likely going to have that new wider-mouth grille and new lights that angle the other way on the front, which look terrible in my opinion. Not sure why they wont stick with refining the current light and front design as we see above (the 2015-2018 C-Class). (Here’s a pic of the 2019 A-Class to show what I mean about the grille/lights https://i.gaw.to/content/photos/35/01/350162_2019_Mercedes-Benz_A-Class.jpg). A progression like this is where I think people really don’t understand the art of design when it comes to evolution. If it’s too radically different from one generation to another, you risk alienating whole groups. I personally think BMW did very well progressing the 3-series design to what we have now. My only issue is really the back of the G20 when it comes to the clear reflector section above the rear brake/red light.
And related to the article, the point in mentioning all that above is that if what I said turns out to be true, I feel like this 3-series will look pretty amazing vs. the next-gen C-class if it has this A-class type front styling. And I think it applies to both the outside and the inside too (the new interiors seem to lack the finesse of the 2015-2018 gens, imo). Versus this current-gen C-class, I like the G20 more, but the C-class definitely has the softer more ‘elegant’ look with the curved rear glass windshield and other elements. The G20 has a lot more sharper lines, which I like far more with the aggressive look.