Compare the2024 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2023 Mercedes C-Class Sedan

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4 Series Gran Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Mercedes charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Alert on the C-Class Sedan.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the C-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the C-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4 Series Gran Coupe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the C-Class Sedan.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s reliability 48 points higher than the C-Class Sedan.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4 Series Gran Coupe third among compact premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The C-Class Sedan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Mercedes.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Mercedes is ranked 24th.

The M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 127 more horsepower (382 vs. 255) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the C-Class Sedan:

For better traction, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has larger standard tires than the C-Class Sedan (245/45R18 vs. 225/45R18). The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-Class Sedan (F:245/40R19 & R:255/40R19 vs. F:225/40R19 & R:255/35R19).

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the C-Class Sedan’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers optional 20-inch wheels. The C-Class Sedan’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The C-Class Sedan’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

Laser headlights, optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the C-Class Sedan’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the C-Class Sedan offer available heated front seats. The 4 Series Gran Coupe also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the C-Class Sedan.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the Mercedes C-Class by 41% during 2022.