Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2023 BMW 3 Series Sedan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The E-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 3 Series Sedan’s blind spot costs extra.

Both the E-Class Sedan and 3 Series Sedan offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class Sedan with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the E-Class Sedan and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	E-Class Sedan	3 Series Sedan
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	204	252
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	33%
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	170 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	E-Class Sedan	3 Series Sedan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	149 lbs.	179 lbs.
Hip Force	223 lbs.	252 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	215	305
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	47 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	13 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the E-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 9 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the E-Class Sedan has a standard 850-amp battery. The 3 Series Sedan’s 720-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the E-Class Sedan third among midsize premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The 3 Series Sedan isn’t in the top three in its category.

Engine

The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 107 more horsepower (362 vs. 255) and 75 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 294) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the E 450 4MATIC Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	E-Class Sedan	3 Series Sedan
Zero to 30 MPH	1.6 sec	1.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	5.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	11 sec	13.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.2 sec	6.4 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.8 sec	3.2 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.6 sec	3.9 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	13.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	100 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The E-Class Sedan 350’s standard fuel tank has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan (17.4 vs. 15.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The E-Class Sedan 450’s standard fuel tank has 5.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan (21.1 vs. 15.6 gallons).

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the 3 Series Sedan.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 3 Series Sedan:

	E 450 4MATIC Sedan	330i	M340i
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches

The E-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

	E-Class Sedan	3 Series Sedan
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	106 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the E-Class Sedan has larger tires than the 3 Series Sedan (245/45R18 vs. 225/45R18). The E-Class Sedan’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (245/45R18 vs. 225/40R19).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the E-Class Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. Run-flat tires aren’t available on some tire packages on the 3 Series Sedan.

Suspension and Handling

The E-Class Sedan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class Sedan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the E-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the 3 Series Sedan (115.7 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC handles at .92 G’s, while the 330i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the 330i xDrive (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E 350 Sedan’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (39 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the E 450 4MATIC Sedan is quieter than the 330i (68 vs. 69 dB).

Passenger Space

The E-Class Sedan has 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the 3 Series Sedan, the E-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The E-Class Sedan’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the E-Class Sedan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the E-Class Sedan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The E-Class Sedan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 3 Series Sedan.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the BMW 3 Series isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or station wagon.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class Sedan is less expensive to operate than the 3 Series Sedan because typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class Sedan than the 3 Series Sedan, including $69 less for front brake pads, $277 less for front struts and $63 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The 3 Series Sedan has never been chosen.