You have to feel a tinge of sympathy for
Mercedes-Benz. Perennially, its compact-executive sedan has lagged behind its
rival from Bavaria in terms of sales success and its inability to gamer
overwhelmingly positive reviews from the motoring press.
In an attempt to bridge the sales gap, Benz
decided to move the C-Class closer to the 3 Series in spirit; from the
W203-generation, the Three-pointed Star cars became more dynamically styled and
set up, eschewing the company's traditionally conservative approach to chassis
engineering and design.
This approach culminated in the outgoing
W204 C-Class, a vehicle that looked more dynamic (yet aged really well) and
drove wonderfully. It was firm, yet compliant, and showed up the E90 3 Series's
harsh ride quality (in no way aided by the standard fitment of first-generation
run-fiat technology) and too-derivative design.
And yet, on balance, the BMW was still the
more poised, rounded offering. The buying public agreed, regularly placing the
Bavarian on the bestsellers' list in South Africa.
The
3-series remains strong in the areas it has always excelled
Fast-forward to 2011 and the launch of the
current-generation F30. Its brilliance left the W204 floundering, even after
the latter underwent a significant facelift earlier that year. The 3 Series had
taken such a bold leap forward that no other car in its class stood a chance.
It's twice been crowned Best Compact Executive in the Top 12 Best Buys, and
deservedly so.
And then international reviews of the W205
you see on these pages started trickling in... It seemed Benz had finally
managed what seemed an impossible feat - build a better 3 Series than BMW is
able to.
Associate editor Ian McLaren drove the C in
May and concluded his driving impression with the following sage words:
"... don't be surprised if the Benz is named the Best Compact Executive,
trumping the 3 Series in the process".
We decided to pre-empt voting for the 2015
Top 12 Best Buys and assemble a group of the best compact-executive sedans in
the market (we would have liked an Audi A4, but the firm could not supply one
in time).
The
IS350 E is a visual standout from every angle, inside and out
It would be a tough test for the Benz.
First, in C200 form, it would square up against what we consider the best 3
Series model (bar the M3), the 320i, as well as a dark horse with a strong
following in the team, Lexus's lovely IS350.
Benz was kind enough to supply a second
C-Class, a C220 BlueTEC, and that has an equally trying task as it battles the
newest addition to the class, the tech-laden and value-led Infiniti QSO 2,2d.
Right, enough dilly-dallying. Is the Benz
better than the BMW, or will history repeat itself?
Design And Packaging
In terms of static appeal, the C-Class
functions on a different plane than the 3 Series and IS. Kitted out in the AMG
Line option packs ($2,280 for the exterior; $1,805 for the cabin), the Benz
looks expensive, svelte and thoroughly modern.
The 3 Series, by contrast, is a study in
simplicity, but there's little doubt the M Sport package ($2,895) flatters the
looks. It's aged well, but the 4 Series and its Gran Coupe offshoot have shown
there's more dynamism to be had in the Bavarian line-up.
In
any case, the Mercedes-Benz C200 is superb dynamically and the benchmark for
handling
The Lexus, younger than the BMW, conversely
is starting to show signs of age. The fussy double-decker front lamps continue
to be divisive, while we remain unconvinced of the visual quality of the rear
clusters that dip deeply into the flanks. At least the IS doesn't require an
expensive factory-fitted body kit to get heads swivelling.
