Google News Science & Technology

More like shades of grey. With the E-Class taking on a sporty demeanour and the 5 Series pulling off an admirably comfortable ride, where to park your 50 lakh rupees has become a rather difficult question

Time was when this would have been a foregone conclusion: BMW would win on dynamic ability, Mercedes on comfort. But in the three years since BMW set up shop in India, it has passed a snoozing Mercedes-Benz.

The model that did the business was the 5 Series, which sold 3500 units in just under three years. On the other side: Though the new E had been launched in Europe nearly a year before, India was saddled with the old one. Everybody who could afford one either waited or bought BMWs. That should have been reversed this year, since there is usually a long gap before new models hit India. But, just two months after we drove the sixth-generation 5 Series (F10) at its world launch it’s here, ready to do battle.

DESIGN
If there’s an instant criticism of the new 5 Series, it’s that it has lost the design mojo that made BMW, well, BMW. The softening and toning down started with the 7 Series and the 5 opts drops all the in-your-face details for sophistication and light and shadows effects. You need an hour walking around it to absorb all the subtleties: tightly-pinched shoulder line running from front wheel arch to tail lamps stretching out the passenger cell, ever-so-slightly concave sides, pumped out wheel arches, deep creases in the bonnet, the short front overhang, the pert bum that stretches over the rear wheels. From the 7 Series come details like the wider, more upright grille (in profile seeming to be leaning forward) and the L-shaped tail lamps with three rows of LEDs. The 7’s heavily detailed head lamps with the iced eyebrows and LED corona-ring daytime running lamps are re-interpreted here. That sets the tone for a car that grows on you, that looks much calmer than its predecessor, more compact, despite having grown.

Which is in marked contrast to the E-Class, where Mercedes has ditched conservatism for a more prominent three-box profile, squared off lines, angular, sharp creases, prominent shoulder lines, interesting wheel arch treatment from the ’53 Ponton Benz and lots of bright-work. It is also the slipperiest four-door saloon in the world, with a drag coefficient of just 0.26 Cd. It is both stylish and elegant and has the potential to look sporty too. This a big luxury saloon that makes no bones about it. Except for rear tail lamps (that could have come from Japan or Korea), Merc has elegant opulence.

INTERIORS
If you’ve sat in a 7 Series, you will be instantly familiar with the 5’s cabin. The trickle-down has really helped; quality (never a complaint) is even better, the materials plusher, the plastics softer, the wood trim very posh and, ah, the aroma of leather. It’s not as driver-focused as before but it doesn’t snub the front passenger either and is probably a better balance. Sporty details abound: Speedo and tacho dials get equal prominence, unencumbered by integrated displays; the steering has thicker hand-holds and a sporty diameter; the gear lever is a handful of metal, not the size-zero lever of the earlier 5.

Other premium touches include the black panel display in the instrument binnacle, 8.2-inch DVD screens integrated into the back rest (Rs. 4.5 lakh option on the 535i) and the second generation iDrive (more intuitive, more functionality, 10.2-inch display, pre-loaded owner’s manual, integrated hard drive that stores music with full iPod and Bluetooth integration).

Upholstery options are black, beige, brown/black, oyster/oyster dark, or oyster/black. Whatever you choose, you get fabulous seats that support and pamper you in the right places. The cabin is isolated from wind and tyre noise, unlike the E which has significant tyre noise intrusion.

Heightened focus on safety is the norm in this segment; there are front, side and head air bags for driver and passengers, rear curtain air bags, and a pop-up bonnet that cushions the blow to pedestrians on impact. Though it is too new to be crash-tested, there’s little doubt it will get five stars in the EuroNCAP ratings.

The E-Class has a full five-star crash safety rating, with all this plus knee air bags, and Attention Assist (which monitors your driving; when it senses you’re falling asleep it flashes a warning).

Inside, the E-Class gets more brightwork, and quality is up there with the best. But while the 5 Series feels like a scaled down 7 Series, the over-riding impression of the E is of being a scaled up C-Class.

Source http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/bmw-or-mercedes-which-one-should-you-buy_475657.html