FlyingSpur & Dippy's Faceoff : BMW 530d v/s Merc E280 CDI

morphin1 · 24th November 2008, 21:52

Good review guys.Good to see someone picking out the nitty gritties

Akshay1234 · 24th November 2008, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingspur

Everyone always talks about how the head wants a Mercedes and the heart longs for a BMW. In my case, strangely, it is the opposite. That is all I will say. I am not delivering a verdict here, for the simple reason that the teutonic perfection achieved in engineering such fantastic automobiles is far above and beyond our personal whims. We will all make the right decision for ourselves should we find ourselves at the milestone of buying one of these.

How about lending us your friend's Audi A6 ??

well but thats a 3.2 fsi. not a diesel. but maybe in december when hes back.

Insane Devil · 1st December 2008, 17:53

hi all!

Great report fs and dippy. Your TD Reviews are almost to the dot, with a few things being as per individual tastes like the ergonomics of the Shift lever in the 5, for u FS, as u are tall. Me being 5'10, have never had a problem with that, and just loved the "electronic shifting lever" of the 5 very much, and this is a fantastic lever, which i think all other auto tranny cars should adopt now.

There are some very good points of this electronic auto tranny lever to note:
1. Automatically shifts to (P) position once u switch off the car and u can switch off the car, in any gear mode. In the mechanical levers, u have to put it in (P) manually and then switch off the car.

2. If u have started the car, and the door is ajar and seatbelt not worn, then if u put the lever in D or R and try to take it forward or back, it will not move - SAFETY FEATURE! it engages (P) mode to protect unintended rolling away of the car.

Other than this, what i loved in the Mercs is the Dialpad they have put on the dash! its fantastic! In Audi and BMW you have to play around with the wheel to select the desired number, while in the Merc you can directly press the number u want!

Regarding the Ride Comfort, well, my ride is on 245/45/R17 - Pirelli P Zero Rosso UHP tyres, and the comfort level in the rear and front are excellent with this. Much Much better than the RFT's. Guys with RFT's on 17" and above, sure are missing a lot!

There is still this feeling in India that a "Merc" is the symbol of luxury, but this is now left to mainly ppl who dont know much about big cars and big brands. People in India have been exposed to MERC first as the ultimate luxury car, and so most still carry that image.
To explain this a bit more clearly, A big builder/partner of ours, has recently bought a M-Class, and his partner bought an X5. I as the him why did he go for the M class, as compared to the Q7 and X5, that is no looker. HE said "No doubt the X5 and Q7 are much better, but then the people i meet - regarding taking lands on developement purpose, and purchase of lands in the outskirts, those people only understand the Mercedes symbol as a super luxury thing. Most of the huge bit land owners, are like got their lands from their forefathers, and are the local andhra people, and for them, Mercedes, with the three pointed logo, is what luxury is all about"

Now about the iDrive - only one word - FANTASTIC
and as they say "imitation is the best appreciation" - Merc and Audi both have copied it now in thier cars. Merc C class has a very very basic version of it, controlling only the audio and a couple other things. Audi has it named the MMI

All it needs is a bit of playing around and getting to know how it works. And as SAHIL rightly said, if u know the shortcuts, then its super easy!

About the Interiors, the E has a much more "rich" looking interiors while the 5 has a more modernistic - simple dash. One thing to note, all bmw models have VERY similar dashboard design and layout. Regarding the Sitting comfort-as in the Sitting and the Seats itself, i found the 5 way better than the E. The E is smaller inside than the 5.

I think i have said enough so far, making this a post too long! haha..!

seeya!

24th November 2008, 21:52	#16
morphin1 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 195 Thanked: 52 Times View My Garage	Nice review Good review guys.Good to see someone picking out the nitty gritties
	() Thanks

1st December 2008, 17:53	#18
Insane Devil BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 987 Thanked: 173 Times View My Garage	hi all! Great report fs and dippy. Your TD Reviews are almost to the dot, with a few things being as per individual tastes like the ergonomics of the Shift lever in the 5, for u FS, as u are tall. Me being 5'10, have never had a problem with that, and just loved the "electronic shifting lever" of the 5 very much, and this is a fantastic lever, which i think all other auto tranny cars should adopt now. There are some very good points of this electronic auto tranny lever to note: 1. Automatically shifts to (P) position once u switch off the car and u can switch off the car, in any gear mode. In the mechanical levers, u have to put it in (P) manually and then switch off the car. 2. If u have started the car, and the door is ajar and seatbelt not worn, then if u put the lever in D or R and try to take it forward or back, it will not move - SAFETY FEATURE! it engages (P) mode to protect unintended rolling away of the car. Other than this, what i loved in the Mercs is the Dialpad they have put on the dash! its fantastic! In Audi and BMW you have to play around with the wheel to select the desired number, while in the Merc you can directly press the number u want! Regarding the Ride Comfort, well, my ride is on 245/45/R17 - Pirelli P Zero Rosso UHP tyres, and the comfort level in the rear and front are excellent with this. Much Much better than the RFT's. Guys with RFT's on 17" and above, sure are missing a lot! There is still this feeling in India that a "Merc" is the symbol of luxury, but this is now left to mainly ppl who dont know much about big cars and big brands. People in India have been exposed to MERC first as the ultimate luxury car, and so most still carry that image. To explain this a bit more clearly, A big builder/partner of ours, has recently bought a M-Class, and his partner bought an X5. I as the him why did he go for the M class, as compared to the Q7 and X5, that is no looker. HE said "No doubt the X5 and Q7 are much better, but then the people i meet - regarding taking lands on developement purpose, and purchase of lands in the outskirts, those people only understand the Mercedes symbol as a super luxury thing. Most of the huge bit land owners, are like got their lands from their forefathers, and are the local andhra people, and for them, Mercedes, with the three pointed logo, is what luxury is all about" Now about the iDrive - only one word - FANTASTIC and as they say "imitation is the best appreciation" - Merc and Audi both have copied it now in thier cars. Merc C class has a very very basic version of it, controlling only the audio and a couple other things. Audi has it named the MMI All it needs is a bit of playing around and getting to know how it works. And as SAHIL rightly said, if u know the shortcuts, then its super easy! About the Interiors, the E has a much more "rich" looking interiors while the 5 has a more modernistic - simple dash. One thing to note, all bmw models have VERY similar dashboard design and layout. Regarding the Sitting comfort-as in the Sitting and the Seats itself, i found the 5 way better than the E. The E is smaller inside than the 5. I think i have said enough so far, making this a post too long! haha..! seeya!
	() Thanks