325 Sports vs IS250 vs new C Class

[Schwepps]

Yes, El Presidente. the Merc 200K has the same 250Nm torque because of the excellent supercharger, but it's a 1796cc 4-pot with 184hp and 5-speed. That's not going to feel as punchy and smooth under acceleration as our 2497cc 6-pot with 218hp and 6-speed, although it's perfectly adequate for smooth highway cruising.

The higher capacity W204s are a credible challenge to the E90s, especially in looks and prestige. Then it becomes a branding choice. Is one a BMW or Merc person? On that level, a nice choice to make.

 

[David Yong]

I got a feeling that C230 V6 Avantgarde will be nice, in terms of performance and look. Well, I think we need to wait till middle of next year for it to reach our shore.

 

[YellowMellow]

some pics


http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10572&page=7

 

[E46Fanatic]

I got a feeling that C230 V6 Avantgarde will be nice, in terms of performance and look. Well, I think we need to wait till middle of next year for it to reach our shore.

The W204 C230 V6 shares the same engine and tranny as the outgoing C230 V6. Its not a wild engine when you punch it, it delivers power in less dramatic manner than our N52s esp at high revs. However, its smooth and nicer than the C200K for sure. Also the redline for the 230 V6 is ~6k rpms. That engine reminds me a lot of the previous E46 M54 in terms of power delivery and characteristic.

For pure fun, I believe the E90 325i should still give you a more exhilirating drive than the C230V6. But the Merc will likely feel more refined and grown up.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I managed to read a little about Audi's new A4 in CAR magazine over the weekend. This looks more like the alternative car to get if you want German par' excellence. All the R&D for the A4 were aimed at "bludgeoning the 3-series to death...". I must say the new A4 looks very very good. With the new C's fresh looks, I hate to say this but the E90's begining to look very dated. Hope the impending facelift is significant.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I test drove the IS250 today and was quite impressed. Although the E90 325i seemed more powderful, the IS250 isn't far behind at all. Most notably, I liked the IS250's engine soundtrack. The handling is OK but again falls short of the E90. All in all, the IS250 is a better car to drive than the new C-Class and that's saying a lot. However, the IS250's price tag is too steep to choose this over the C-Class (RM40K diff vis-a-vis the C Avantgarde) and not much cheaper than the E90 325i Sports to not go for the beemer if performance is your main criteria. What a dilemma! Lexus says they have sold more than 200 units but I hardly see any on the roads. Shame... cos it's very nice!

 

[David Yong]

Yeah, I saw few units of IS250 on the road and I must say it looks great. Never test drive it before but I guess it will be better than the new Merc C class.

 

[BMW9700]

Yeah, I saw few units of IS250 on the road and I must say it looks great. Never test drive it before but I guess it will be better than the new Merc C class.

just an observation....the speed at which the C200K is being visible on the roads is a testament to the sales..seen quite a few already..suprising though that the E90's despite being in the market for a couple of years is only now being more obvious on our roads..have the parallel importers have started bringing them as in the case of the E60's?

regards

 

[Schwepps]

Not really. It's just that there's always a big demand for the 3-pointed star. My SA told me there were many pre-bookings even before the launch and test-drives. Having seen the Elegance on the road, IMHO it can't match the E90 in panache (neither can the IS250, IMHO ) However, I saw an Elegance with an Avantgarde grill fitted when I went to C&C to service our W211, and that looks pretty cool...

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Not really. It's just that there's always a big demand for the 3-pointed star. My SA told me there were many pre-bookings even before the launch and test-drives. Having seen the Elegance on the road, IMHO it can't match the E90 in panache (neither can the IS250, IMHO ) However, I saw an Elegance with an Avantgarde grill fitted when I went to C&C to service our W211, and that looks pretty cool...

Incidently, I got a friend who booked the Elegance but with the Avantgarde grill cos he thot it's pretty cool too.

 

[BMW9700]

Incidently, I got a friend who booked the Elegance but with the Avantgarde grill cos he thot it's pretty cool too.

the production for the avantgarde is slow..book now for around june delivery..the SA is willing to switch the elegance grill to avantgarde for a fee..the difference apart from the grille is only in the interior appointments, alloys and folding side mirrors...think the suspension set up is the same

 

[Schwepps]

Yes, the SA there told me more or less the same thing, but I think he was just trying to get me to book one Actually I'm surprised how cheap the switch is, seeing as it's original part and installation by C&C. Only RM700, I was told!

 

[GHS]

Test drove the new C Class a couple of weekends ago. Decent power and nice exhaust note compared to the E90 4-potter.

However, I find the steering too light...

 

[TomJB]

Why isnt the Audi in this comparison game?

 

[Schwepps]

Because it's the outgoing model and so no one's interested?

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Test drove the new C Class a couple of weekends ago. Decent power and nice exhaust note compared to the E90 4-potter.

However, I find the steering too light...

That was my finding when I test drove the new C-Class too in Elegance trim. However, I was told the Avantgarde comes with some sort of Active Steering which improves steering weight at higher speeds. This is a material difference to me but is contrary to what has been told to others here. Can someone please confirm?

Oh, the Audi may not feature in this discussion at the moment but with the new model coming in first quarter next year, I'm sure it'll be quite a talking point. After all, this is the car Audi says will "bludgeon the 3 series to a bloody death!".

 

[peanut]

... Oh, the Audi may not feature in this discussion at the moment but with the new model coming in first quarter next year, I'm sure it'll be quite a talking point. After all, this is the car Audi says will "bludgeon the 3 series to a bloody death!".

The new A4 is evolutionary than revolutionary. It is nice and I am always a fan of Audi (especially the A4 Quattro and TT) but I will not buy it in Malaysia.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

The new A4 is evolutionary than revolutionary. It is nice and I am always a fan of Audi (especially the A4 Quattro and TT) but I will not buy it in Malaysia.

Well, I can't wait to see it in the flesh. I have seen picts of the new car and particularly like the interior. Looks like a nice place to be.

 

[viewfinder]

What about the considerations on which one has greener engine (environmental friendly)?

What's the pollution emission index for the boy racer cars per the EU standard, vs the 6-pot 325i? It ought to one of the key factors that automobile companies take into account in the pursuit of balance between performance vs pollution among other things?

 

[keeekeee]

Yes, the SA there told me more or less the same thing, but I think he was just trying to get me to book one Actually I'm surprised how cheap the switch is, seeing as it's original part and installation by C&C. Only RM700, I was told!

i test drove the c200k few weeks ago. not bad. i think enuff for me. just abit too small for a family car. Perfect for a couple or single
I was told by my SA need RM2000 to change the front grill. My friend did it was RM17xx(PENANG). My SA asked for rm2k (KL)

for me la. i would go for C200k instead of 320i. Not saying i dun like 3 series la. it just i like the latest c200k better