Mercedes-Benz has been building high-powered bruisers for quite a few years, not only through their in-house AMG tuner, but in the main part of their showrooms, too. Even run-of-the-mill E-classes are sometimes more powerful than recent AMG products.
Audi has been declared by many the builder of terrific automobiles that lack a satisfactory connection with the driver. Too much weight on the nose; too much assist for steering and brakes. The RS4 and R8 sing a different song.
BMW builds famous fast cars. Their followers know the cars not by model designation but by internal code name – E36, E46, E92. M, as in Motorsport, BMW’s have long been regarded as the cream of the crop; in addition to their standing as the driver’s choice.
Car&Driver compared the three latest small supersedans (the BMW is a 2-door but offers the space you need and will be available in 4-door fashion) a short time ago and came away with unsurprising end results. Audi finished third, Mercedes filled the middle, and BMW took the prize. But there’s more than just the surface to see. GoodCarBadCar offers you the numbers.
163, 161, 153: The governed top speeds for the RS4, M3, and C63, respectively. The German gentlemen’s agreement to shutter top speed at 155 isn’t completely working, but it’s close.
3.9: Seconds required for the Mercedes to reach 60mph. This is exoticar fast, folks, and you can utilize this speed on an interstate on-ramp with your family aboard.
6: Speeds in the transmission’s of both the Audi and BMW, all 6 of which must be found by you, the driver.
7: Gears in the automatic-equipped Mercedes.
451: Horsepower produced by the 6.2L AMG V8, 31 more than its closest competitor, the Audi, which is 6 stronger than the BMW.
8.6: Pounds which each BMW horse must tote, the best ratio in the test despite its comparably low power rating.
295: Pound-feet of torque at your disposal in the BMW M3’s high-revving V8, 148 less than the AMG V8.
10: Miles traveled for each gallon consumed by C/D’s test driver’s in the Mercedes, four fewer miles than the Audi or BMW would journey.
85: Decibels produced by the M3 at full-throttle, 6 more than both the Audi and Benz. Beautiful. 4034: Pounds of metal, plastic, and cowhide needed to construct one Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, 220 more than the Audi which is 243 pounds heavier than the BMW.
51: Cubic feet of interior volume available to front passengers in the Audi and BMW, 2 more than Mercedes provides.
39: Cubic feet of interior volume available to rear passengers in the Audi and Mercedes, 2 more than the BMW provides.
17: Cubic feet of trunk volume available to Mafia victims in the Mercedes, 4 more than the Audi provides; 6 more than the BMW.
15: Inches of front discs Audi offers for your braking pleasure, the size of a base Honda Civic’s wheels.
40: Profile of BMW’s tires, the tallest available in the trio, although the Benz’s front tires are equal.
59.5: Percentage of total vehicle weight the Audi rests on its front axle, 7.6 percentage points more than the BMW.
