New BMW 520d or Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
Tell me all about Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon and new BMW 520d. Which would you buy next January?
Fergal Reidy (Celbridge)Jun 2010 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Fergal,
You're in an enviable position if that's your choice for a new 2011 car! You can't go wrong with either. Before I give my personal preference let's look at the facts:
The new BMW 520d SE will be priced from €41,750. That's for the manual model, which is lovely, but for resale values it makes sense to opt for the automatic, bringing the price up to €43,964.
In comparison, the entry-level diesel E-Class (the E 200 CDI BlueEfficiency) costs from €41,035 - or €43,885 with an automatic gearbox.
However, on paper the BMW beats that car hands down. It has 181hp to the Merc's 136hp (and hence takes only 8.1 seconds to get to 100km/h versus 10.4 for the E 200 CDI) and yet it is much more efficient. In automatic guise it emits 137g/km, which means band B annual road tax. A manual version of the E-Class will do the same, but the automatic transmission moves the car into band C, almost doubling the tax. The BMW's fuel economy is better too.
The more expensive E 220 CDI BlueEfficiency costs €43,425 with a manual or €46,275 with an automatic. It's not much less efficient than the E 200 model, but it's significantly faster. However, the 520d still betters it in both respects.
Having driven both cars my personal preference would be the BMW. The new 5 Series has taken a major step forward in terms of luxury over the old car yet it's still good to drive.
Let us know what you decide by leaving a comment in the box below.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser@Shane_O_D