Luxury has no limits as every rich thing has its own charm and it becomes really tough to differentiate which one has edge over the other. The same applies to automobiles, where each day a new model comes in the market with a variety of features and as a customer, we get confused which one to take home. With the introduction of Mercedes C Class diesel variant in the country, a new question has aroused, which one to pick up out of three; Merc C 220 CDI, BMW 3 Series 320d and Audi A4 35 TDI. However, BMW and Audi get an edge over newly launched Merc C Class as they not only have more variants in their line-up but also they are a couple of lac cheaper than C Class’ 2 variants.
Here is a list of differences among the German Trio
Exterior and Interior - On the exterior front, Merc C Class takes the lead as the car features all LED-headlamps with daytime running LEDs, which are still missing in both BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. Taking its design cues from the S Class, the C Class has raised the bar when it comes to interiors and exteriors. If looked at the dimensions, Audi A4 is the longest in the class and 3 series is the most compact but the newly launched C Class comes with the largest wheelbase, thereby adding comfort to the rear seats.
In terms of interiors, all the three cars put their own value with host of new features incorporated in them. Where BMW 3 Series sports a 6.4 inch screen with iDrive controller featuring horde of connectivity options and a built-in navigation, Audi A4 offers MMI (multi-media-interface) and Bang & Olufsen audio (Only in Technology Edition). The new Merc C-220 CDI features its 5.5-inch display (In STYLE Variant) and 7 inch (In AVANTGARDE Variant) with company’s COMAND infotainment system and new interface featuring a touch pad along with a regular scroller. Comfort and convenience in BMW is maintained with the help of Automatic 2-zone air conditioning with rear air vents, Audi A4 pleases customers with 3-zone automatic air conditioning. Merc C Class on the other hand, comes with THERMATIC – two zone Automatic climate control.
Engine and Performance – When it comes to engine performance, BMW 3 series has an advantage over the two. Where Merc C-220 CDI is powered by a 2.2-litre in-line 4 cylinder engine, able to churn out a max power of 167bhp and top torque of 400Nm, BMW 3 series gets its power from a 2.0 TwinPower Turbo engine that musters 181bhp and peak torque of 380Nm, while Audi A4 is equipped with a 2.0-litre engine that generates 174bhp and max torque of 380Nm. In addition to this, both BMW and Merc cars are rear wheel drive, while Audi A4 is a front wheel drive vehicle. With maximum torque among three, Merc C Class can achieve the 0-100 figure in 7.4 seconds.
Coming to the mileage part, Merc C Class, BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 offers 19.27 kmpl, 18.88 kmpl and 17.11 kmpl respectively.
Safety - All the three vehicles come with their own safety measures. Merc C Class comes packed with all the standard safety features like 7-airbags, ABS, BAS (Brake Assist System), ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ASR (Acceleration Skid Control). It is housed with Pre-Safe system as a precautionary move and also with Attention Assist, which can analyze driving styles providing audible warnings.
BMW 3 Series comes with 6-airbags along with ABS, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control (TC), Cornering Brake Control. It is also packed with full-color head-up display that project driving information on the windscreen (optional feature).
Last but not the least, Audi A4 too is equipped with a number of safety features. It comes with dual-front airbags, front side airbag along with rear side airbags, ABS, Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC), ESP with electronic axle-differential lock.
So, looking at the above description, it is clear that all the three cars carry their own uniqueness and only pricing is the factor that differentiates them. As one of the decisive factors, the pricing of Mercedes Benz C-Class 220 CDI starts at INR 39.90 lac while BMW 3 series 320d and Audi A4 35 TDI base variants are tagged at INR 35.90 lac and 33.69 lac respectively.