323i and C200K...

[EuJax]

Gentlemen, hope all is well. So...its the same old comparo between BMW and Mercedes. As much as i try to convince my dad to go for the 323i, it seems that he is leaning towards the Merc simply because his current e46 318i dissapoints him a lot, having to be in workshop always and such....and having been told that the e90 have some engine issue, he is even more turned off. Myself too actually, having the thought that a brand new car that cost above a quarter million, and actually need to top up engine oil every 8k to 10k? No kidding... Its actually kinda depressing, seriously. As much as i love the ride and the drive... Right here, i would really appreciate if you guys could point out the weaker side of the Merc, if any of you have any experience with it, compare to e90 and perhaps i could make my dad stick to BMW. Thanks guys..... Regards

 

[glock_8]

Gentlemen, hope all is well.

So...its the same old comparo between BMW and Mercedes. As much as i try to convince my dad to go for the 323i, it seems that he is leaning towards the Merc simply because his current e46 318i dissapoints him a lot, having to be in workshop always and such....and having been told that the e90 have some engine issue, he is even more turned off. Myself too actually, having the thought that a brand new car that cost above a quarter million, and actually need to top up engine oil every 8k to 10k? No kidding... Its actually kinda depressing, seriously. As much as i love the ride and the drive...

Right here, i would really appreciate if you guys could point out the weaker side of the Merc, if any of you have any experience with it, compare to e90 and perhaps i could make my dad stick to BMW.

Thanks guys.....





Regards

let ur dad decide for himself...its his money afterall...u can study hard so u can own ur udm soon.:top:

 

[jeffreychung]

From my point of view . Merc maintainance fees is slightly cheaper than BMW as way more ppl is driving Mercs . Are you getting the new 323 or c200k for yourself or your dad ? ? If its your dad i think mercs suits him more . . . If for you . GO for BMW bro . . Youngster favourite always BM

 

[Juan Powerblow]

The Merc is dead boring plain and simple. My dad has a company E240 which has served him well for more than 5 years. He paid RM420k for it back in thoooose days. One day, I had a courtesy E60 530i over for the weekend and my dad took it for a spin. The sheer thrills and how well it drove with tonnes of useful specs like sat nav, heads up display made a world of difference. Yes, you get GPS Sat Nav with the i-Drive in the 323i. You get squat in a C200k. Then, there's a true blue 6-potter to provide quality refinement over a what? 1,800 c.c. 4-pot with a bolt on supercharger. Yeah, Honda Civic VTEC engines are probably more advanced man. So, to me, the better car is obviously the 323i. I've been driving one albeit in E92 spec for 2 years now and never had a problem. The engine top-up issue doesn't afflict everyone and won't be a problem anymore now that BMW is revising the service schedule. I thot I said this already?!

 

[EuJax]

glock 8, i am not a student LOL....sorry if i sounded childish but anyway me and my dad, we'd always discuss and exchange opinions, he doesnt know much about cars but what he had to gone through to maintain his e46 makes him tired...but i wonder if the Merc shares the same problem...that would really sucks then...thats why i asked if any here had any experience with the W204...

Jefferey, its for my dad by my dad i am just giving him opinions and what i hear and learn from this forum as well as other friends who owns the cars....i think both the 323i and C200k is pretty sporty. He doesnt care bout the look or rather thats the last to worry, just want a reliable car

Powerblow, thanks for the info. Agree that engine wise, the 323i is definitely stronger and faster, but is it more reliable? Just came from Ingress Auto today and having spoken to them, seriously, its like they are admitting their engines have design flaw that they themself cannot explain the fast consuming of engine oil...thus the free top up every 10k, for like the first 60k or 3 years whichever come first... so...

We know all the good points of both the German make, but i really appreciate to hear the bad side of it, esp the Merc, if you guys know any. So far, i've heard more horror stories of the e90 then the W204....driving pleasure is personal i guess, i love BMWs but dont hate Merc either. Thanks buddy.





Regards

 

[glock_8]

glock 8, i am not a student LOL....sorry if i sounded childish but anyway me and my dad, we'd always discuss and exchange opinions, he doesnt know much about cars but what he had to gone through to maintain his e46 makes him tired...but i wonder if the Merc shares the same problem...that would really sucks then...thats why i asked if any here had any experience with the W204...

Jefferey, its for my dad by my dad i am just giving him opinions and what i hear and learn from this forum as well as other friends who owns the cars....i think both the 323i and C200k is pretty sporty. He doesnt care bout the look or rather thats the last to worry, just want a reliable car

Powerblow, thanks for the info. Agree that engine wise, the 323i is definitely stronger and faster, but is it more reliable? Just came from Ingress Auto today and having spoken to them, seriously, its like they are admitting their engines have design flaw that they themself cannot explain the fast consuming of engine oil...thus the free top up every 10k, for like the first 60k or 3 years whichever come first... so...

We know all the good points of both the German make, but i really appreciate to hear the bad side of it, esp the Merc, if you guys know any. So far, i've heard more horror stories of the e90 then the W204....driving pleasure is personal i guess, i love BMWs but dont hate Merc either. Thanks buddy.





Regards

i c....for ur dad sake...recommend him the c200k w204. it avoids ur dad's friends think he has a mid life crisis.

 

[Schwepps]

The engine top-up issue doesn't afflict everyone and won't be a problem anymore now that BMW is revising the service schedule. I thot I said this already?!

Ummm. Mr Secretary, sir, still waiting for details of the revised service schedule, sir.

EuJax, Mercs are very good cars, but boring as JPB says. I have both the W211 and E90. W211 problems starting from 200km: parking brake stuck, brakes recall, petrol tank recall, ECU breakdown at KLIA. E90 up to 18k, no problem whatsoever, touch wood. It's sometimes a matter of luck. I like the Merc, but I LOVE the e90. Having said that, I think Merc's aftersales service commitment is miles better than BMW's.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Ummm. Mr Secretary, sir, still waiting for details of the revised service schedule, sir.

EuJax, Mercs are very good cars, but boring as JPB says. I have both the W211 and E90. W211 problems starting from 200km: parking brake stuck, brakes recall, petrol tank recall, ECU breakdown at KLIA. E90 up to 18k, no problem whatsoever, touch wood. It's sometimes a matter of luck. I like the Merc, but I LOVE the e90. Having said that, I think Merc's aftersales service commitment is miles better than BMW's.

Ooops, sorry sir. Will call my contact tomorrow.

 

[EuJax]

Schwepps, thanks for your info. Which model is your W211 if i may ask? Is it the Compressor engine? 200k on the mileage is quite a bit already and i'd say if thats all the problem u had face, its consider very reliable. You mentioned Merc's aftersales service is good, which workshop do you always go to? Thanks buddy, appreciate your advice alot.

Does your e90 need to top up engine oil in every 8k to 10k? And which model is it? Sorry for my many questions but its really helpful to be able to hear from owner themselves. Thanks.





Regards

 

[jeffreychung]

Aiyo easy decision . . . Old man no need fast car haha Just kidding . . Go to Merc showroom and BMW showroom . Ask for a test drive . then let ur dad make his decision . . . Cuz is he is getting the car . let him choose the feeling he likes . Well some might love merc . Jus like my dad . He's a business man . . He strongly go for mercs instead of BMW .

 

[Schwepps]

EuJax, starting from 200KM, not at 200k! Ie, parking brake stuck a few days after leaving the showroom. All those issues came up before the end of warranty. The car is only at 80k now. But I don't see those issues as bad per se, they happen to every marque. I use C&C workshops for the Merc, and my favourites for Merc and BMW are C&C Mutiara and IA Mutiara.

The customer service is great in both, but the overall philosophy of Merc aftersales seems to be: 'fix the defect for all units out there even if the customers haven't complained'. That's the right way to look at recalls - the manufacturer acknowledging defects and taking the financial blows without being demanded to.

So far I haven't had a single issue with my E90 (touch wood) The oil is always at max from one change to the next. It's a much more pleasurable car to drive than the W211.

 

[ebby37]

Eujax... I faced this similar dilemma when I was in the process of picking a car... There were many people out there who kept suggesting that i get the merc. It does seem to suit the older crowd more. Just the look inside and outside, it spells 'old and matured' all over it. It lacks fun !!
If you were to chose between the 320 and the 200k, then I think the 200k may be a better choice, but if you look at the 323's specs, it wins hands down. I ended up getting the 323 and I absolutely love it.
Good luck

 

[astroboy]

1. The Merc steering is very light compare to the E90, does your father like what we call "steering feel" or "road feedback"?

2. If go for the Merc, get the 6-pot and avoid the compressor model. Was told the compressor very problematic and almost every unit on the road had their compressor fixed. Can someone confirm this?

It depends on what you want for the car. For the sake of comparison, between Toyota and Honda, its reliability, simple, boring, cheap common parts versus performance, hi-rev, excitement, and bold features.

That's why I have a Toyota MPV and a BMW at home.. I also have a Volvo 940 for fetching kids.. you see they serve different purpose. So for spirited drive you know which I'll use. The only common thing is all RWD.. :rock:

 

[David Yong]

Suggest new Audi A4 or VW Passat to your dad.

 

[astroboy]

Suggest new Audi A4 or VW Passat to your dad.

Hey! What's wrong with Skoda? Volvo? Saab?.. I wonder what purposes they serve?!

 

[David Yong]

High cost of maintenance!

 

[astroboy]

High cost of maintenance!

Yah... high cost plus deprecation eh?!.. U didn't tell our friend your E90 nightmare ka.. better not. OTW nobody buy lio..

All that matters is u still "rempit" with it and loving it ya.. :wink:

 

[EuJax]

Thanks all for your input. Cheers....