1. When we talk about actual driving, BMW is usually considered the better driving machine. Their cars are most of the time lighter than the MB counterparts and thus are able to take on corners better, plus they are sporting one of the best manual shifters ever. MB normally tries to overcome this by putting big engines in their models which can make them quite aggressive and unpredictable if you want them to be. But that brings up a second advantage of BMW. Due to their bigger weight and bigger engines, MB cars usually drink more fuel than their Bavarian counterparts. The difference may vary from model to model, but as far as I am concerned, BMW´s are usually described as being more fuel efficient.
2. When sitting inside them, the two cars again go into two directions. MB tries to make their interior as luxurious as possible. The driver gets cocooned in leather, a lot of chrome and wood, while giving everything a modern touch nowadays. BMW shifts more towards ergonomics. If you look into a 3-series for instance, you will see, that most things on the center console, including the radio, the little buttons and such are slightly leaning towards the driver, they are driver-oriented, making it easier for him/her to operate them while driving. So the first priorities are Luxury vs. Ergonomics.
Credit: Julio Marquez – Flickr.com
