Confused Between Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class

[drdoddapaneni]

Hey guys,
I own a Honda city 3rd generation right now.I want to buy a luxury sedan which has to be a Mercedes benz.I am not considering Audi or BMW.I do all the driving myself and there will be no driver.Yearly on an average the run in will be around 8-10 thousand kms.I am considering C200 petrol,E200 CGI and E 250 CDI.I went through all the revews of E class and I am still confused.I went on a test drive with E 250 CDI and I was impressed with the handling,acceleration and effortless drive.Sadly they don't have test drive cars for E 200 petrol or C 200 petrol.But the sales guy is saying petrol is even more refined then the diesel E class.I like that but the petrol version is down in power and torque compared to the diesel sibling.In summary my requirements are
Budget - 50 - 55 lakhs.
It should be a new car
Location - Vijayawada,Andhra pradesh
Top priorities - Fun to drive,reliability,comfort,safety,maintenance.
Monthly running - below 1000 km.
For occassional use ,mainly highway driving.
And last one but most important one is it should be C class or E class preferably E.
I will keep this car preferably for life,so I want this to be fun to drive for occassional long drives,good reliability and it should age well.Keeping these factors in mind I am leaning towards E250 CDI .My doubts regarding the petrol engine are
1) Is the petrol E200 really that refined compared to E250 CDI?
2) Does the 20BHP less power and 200NM less torque compared to diesel sibling equate to less acceleration and less fun to drive in real life situations?
3) In february Mercede Benz is giving discount of almost 3.5 lakh rupees on E class.The sales people are saying that it may not continue in March.Is it really true?They are also saying that post Budget the luxury car prices are going to increase.Is it true?
Please advice regarding these doubts.Thank you.

 

[Akash1886]

Re: E class or C class

Hello Dr.

Just for your ease here is a comparative table of figures of C and E Class Benz.

​

Now, as you are considering the C 200 then if we take the 0-100 km/h spec, C200 reaches at 7.3 sec where as E200 and comes up at 7.9 sec and E250 CDi Avan reaches at 7.5 respectively, so C200 is better option here.

As monthly running is 1000 kms so petrol one makes sense. C200 here too.

If you want to have the F.T.D factor (Fun-to-Drive) then C200 and E200 are equally good as they have same 2.0 Petrol Engine. Also, the top speed of C200 is 235 km/h and that of E200 is 233 km/h with that of E250 Cdi being around 240 km/h.

For Comfort and Safety, Both C and E Class come with certain standard features like Adaptive Braking, ASR, Hill assist, 7 Airbags and Electric Parking brakes and SRS System. The C Class also has Electronic Stability Program (ESP). There is no compromise on safety in either of them.

If dimension-ally we compare the C and E Class, then C is rather compact among the two which means it takes a bit less space than the E.

As of the engine refinement comparison, The petrol and diesel of E are slightly different on this part as you'll too agree that in both the level of NVH is going to be slightly different. Also one is 2.0 L Petrol and the other is 2.2 Diesel so the engine sound would be definitely slightly different but not harsh on ears surely.

Torque difference in E200 and E250 Diesel, will surely be felt in on-road driving. But mostly, it depends on driving pattern also. Apart from that, the E200 needs to be revved till about 1500 or more for that 300 mark where as E250 gives 500 mark in the same 1500 mark which I feel makes the diesel one more powerful torque and definitely driving the 2 of them will be a different experience altogether.

However, Seeing the traffic conditions, its difficult to find place to rev up the engine so much.

Regards

Akash

 

[drdoddapaneni]

Re: E class or C class

Thank you Akash for the detailed reply.The point which I am considering is E is a class higher compared to C.If I can get an E 250 CDI may be 5 or 6 lakhs more than the price of C 200,is it not worth the price?I am not going to sell this car in the near future.
The points in favour of E in my opinion are

Understated Elegance both interior and exterior
Obviously bigger car.I didn't like the boot in C200.
Felt great to drive.I didn't test drive C200.

And regarding discounts and price hike post-budget can anybody throw light on this topic? thank you.

 

[Akash1886]

Re: E class or C class

Thank you Akash for the detailed reply.

The point which I am considering is E is a class higher compared to C.If I can get an E 250 CDI may be 5 or 6 lakhs more than the price of C 200,is it not worth the price?I am not going to sell this car in the near future.

For sure E Class is above C undoubtedly. But practically, C and E Petrol are having same torque and Petrol Engine so won't be much of difference but yes E250 CDi and C200 are 2 different cars in terms of looks, size and torque delivery too. As you are keeping it for a long time so by investment point of view it is good to invest in E Class. When you have that type budget where in these are 2 contenders then E Class is good enough.

Obviously bigger car.I didn't like the boot in C200.
I didn't test drive C200.

New C is the baby S. Looks of new C are borrowed from the S. Even tail lamps and boot design is inspired from S. Also would request you to take a TD of C Class Petrol. Will help in a informed decision. There is a difference of 60 Ltr boot space in C Class and E Class. C's boot is 480 L where as E is 540 L.

And regarding discounts and price hike post-budget can anybody throw light on this topic?

I'll have to confirm it with Mercedes Benz Dealer and get back to you on this. Give me 2 days time buddy. If in case you get an update then let us know.

Regards

Akash

 

[karthick raja]

My replies in Bold.

Hey guys,...
Top priorities - Fun to drive,reliability,comfort,safety,maintenance.
Monthly running - below 1000 km.
....My doubts regarding the petrol engine are
1) Is the petrol E200 really that refined compared to E250 CDI? - Sure, petrol feels refined than diesel any day.
2) Does the 20BHP less power and 200NM less torque compared to diesel sibling equate to less acceleration and less fun to drive in real life situations? You wont feel the decrease in 20BHP but you will feel the torque difference especially in start-stop traffic.
3) In february Mercede Benz is giving discount of almost 3.5 lakh rupees on E class.The sales people are saying that it may not continue in March.Is it really true?They are also saying that post Budget the luxury car prices are going to increase.Is it true?
Please advice regarding these doubts.Thank you.

Every year the price rises with revised budget, so will be the case for this year too.

'C' cant match the comfort of 'E' class any day but the current 'C' class has definitely the best interiors, even better than 'E'.

If interior bothers you so much then 'C' else its 'E' which betters in all other areas

Just give a TD for BMW 5 series, you may like as its much more Fun to drive.

Happy Hunting!

 

[drdoddapaneni]

My replies in Bold.

Every year the price rises with revised budget, so will be the case for this year too.

'C' cant match the comfort of 'E' class any day but the current 'C' class has definitely the best interiors, even better than 'E'.

If interior bothers you so much then 'C' else its 'E' which betters in all other areas

Just give a TD for BMW 5 series, you may like as its much more Fun to drive.

Happy Hunting!

Thank you very much for the reply Karthick.Does the prices increase after april or the prices increase from march itself when the budget is presented in the end of february?
I may test drive BMW 5 series and see how it's like.But mostly I may go for E series.

 

[karthick raja]

Thank you very much for the reply Karthick.Does the prices increase after april or the prices increase from march itself when the budget is presented in the end of february?
I may test drive BMW 5 series and see how it's like.But mostly I may go for E series.

I am not sure about the month but if the dealer has a car in the inventory which is billed before the price rise then you can absorb the benefits. Try your luck!

 

[Prads]

Let me give you a tip on high end car shopping,never walk into a Merc showroom & make it clear that you will buy only Merc,show them your interested in the competition. Wont harm much if you walk into BMW or Audi & try finding out what discounts they are offering,then convey it to the guys at Merc,you can then push for a better discount.

I recently met someone who was a good sales position in Audi,these guys are trained to be the best & smooth talk you into anything. If your not pushing for delivery of car within the month then you can get yourself a good juicy discount,if your already getting 3.5 then you can easily push for north of 4 lakhs.
Just put it across like your wife or family member likes Audi A6 Or BMW 5 series & you mite change your mind unless you show your family members the juicy discount Merc is giving you.

Edit -I Hear the C class has spare wheel in the boot which takes out all the space. Guessing the E 250 should be the pick My friend picked one up last month,seems to be happy with it. No idea on what discounts he got.

 

[Akash1886]

Thank you very much for the reply

Hello Dr., As promised to you yesterday, I asked about the discount schemes that are running on E250 CDi and the C 200 today from dealer here in Noida. Here's what he has shared with me:

E250 Cdi : Rs 4.5 Lacs on 2014 model and 2.50 Lacs on 2015 model.

E200 is out of stock at this dealer.

C200 has no discounts at present as its launched recently.

* Please note these discounts are applicable for Delhi-NCR only.

Regards

Akash

 

[drdoddapaneni]

Thank you Akash,The dealer here in vijayawada is offering almost 4.9 lakh discount on the 2014 E250 CDI including Indian Medical Association discount for Doctors.For other people they are saying that the discount will be 3 lakh rupees.For me it's going to be 55 lakhs on road price.
I am going to book E 250 CDI probably tomorrow.I will keep updating this thread.Thanks again.

 

[vijay_968]

... My doubts regarding the petrol engine are
...
2) Does the 20BHP less power and 200NM less torque compared to diesel sibling equate to less acceleration and less fun to drive in real life situations?
...

My reply is only to your question no. 2. Its not just about brute Engine power; the traffic conditions do come into play. When you have THAT much power and Torque to play with, there's no need to worry much about acceleration difference under a second, I feel. I drove a 52bHP Matiz for years comfortably maintaining 120 speeds. I have come across a lot of cars under 1300CC (a Palio MJD, a number of Swift / Dzires Cars, few Ritz cars, a Manza, few Micras, a Beat to name a few), all comfortably cruising at 120-130 kph alongside my Verna, which has 250 Nm Torque. The additional Torque I have helps me get away quickly from irritating situations.

In YOUR case we are taking about Torque in excess of 300 Nm, which is way too good. Bottom line is, at these Torque figures, it boils down to YOU the driver. You can read about my recent experience alongside a Audi Q3 here http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...6-crdi-ex-30-000-kms-update-3.html#post433939. If you want to know the speeds at which we drove, PM me. In what way the Audi benefited from ALL those additional Torques at THAT speeds ? ANYWAY DRIVING AT THOSE SPEEDS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE AND ADVISABLE, Isn't it ???

My recommendation is, see which car YOU feel TOTALLY relaxed and comfortable as a driver and which car makes your family go Ga-Ga all over it. AND, I feel a Petrol is the right choice for you.

 

[drdoddapaneni]

My reply is only to your question no. 2. Its not just about brute Engine power; the traffic conditions do come into play. When you have THAT much power and Torque to play with, there's no need to worry much about acceleration difference under a second, I feel. I drove a 52bHP Matiz for years comfortably maintaining 120 speeds. I have come across a lot of cars under 1300CC (a Palio MJD, a number of Swift / Dzires Cars, few Ritz cars, a Manza, few Micras, a Beat to name a few), all comfortably cruising at 120-130 kph alongside my Verna, which has 250 Nm Torque. The additional Torque I have helps me get away quickly from irritating situations.

In YOUR case we are taking about Torque in excess of 300 Nm, which is way too good. Bottom line is, at these Torque figures, it boils down to YOU the driver. You can read about my recent experience alongside a Audi Q3 here http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...6-crdi-ex-30-000-kms-update-3.html#post433939. If you want to know the speeds at which we drove, PM me. In what way the Audi benefited from ALL those additional Torques at THAT speeds ? ANYWAY DRIVING AT THOSE SPEEDS IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE AND ADVISABLE, Isn't it ???

My recommendation is, see which car YOU feel TOTALLY relaxed and comfortable as a driver and which car makes your family go Ga-Ga all over it. AND, I feel a Petrol is the right choice for you.

Well said Vijay,But I have a strong opinion that a 50 lakh plus car should have atleast 200 horses under it's hood.Taking all things into consideration I am going with E250 CDI.I will update about this further.Thank you.

 

[karthick raja]

Also check on E350CDI. You may get even more discounts because of less takers.

Moreover, a 6 cylinder feels even more refined and the power bump is an added bonus for aiding effortless driveability.

 

[Iron Rock]

between the 2 ill pick the E class any day. However and at that budget and to add to your confusion ill definitely look at the Volvo XC90- you get monstrous discounts , yes its not exactly a sedan though! I find it better value for money.

 

[drdoddapaneni]

between the 2 ill pick the E class any day. However and at that budget and to add to your confusion ill definitely look at the Volvo XC90- you get monstrous discounts , yes its not exactly a sedan though! I find it better value for money.

Thank you Iron Rock,I opted for the E250 CDI and made the booking.Although I haven't decided on the colour yet.