Vehicle Comparison

Mercedes C-class

Fuel Economy

25 city / 34 hwy

Engine Options

241 hp / 2.0L turbo-4

Transmission(s)

7-speed automatic

Drive Type

RWD

Body Type

4-door Sedan

Description

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class remains a crowd-pleasing luxury sedan with a nice variety of both body styles and engines. Additionally, the C-Class has held its own among competition when it comes to retaining its value, which ultimately drives down both leasing rates and overall cost of ownership. The C-Class also performs well in fuel economy, providing approximately 34 mpg on the highway and 25 in the city.

BMW 3 Series

Fuel Economy

24 city / 36 hwy

Engine Options

180 hp / 2.0L turbo-4

Transmission(s)

8-speed automatic

Drive Type

RWD

Body Type

4-door Sedan

Description

The BMW 3 Series sports modest upgrades from the previous model year with popular features, such as a power sunroof, now available as standalone extras. Like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the BMW 3 Series performs very well in crash-test ratings. Both the 3 Series and C-Class boast impressive technology and safety features, like blind-spot monitoring systems and lane-departure warnings, but when it comes to standard features the C-Class trumps the 3 Series.

Lexus ES 350

Fuel Economy

21 city / 31 hwy

Engine Options

268 hp / 3.5L V6

Transmission(s)

6-speed automatic

Drive Type

RWD

Body Type

4-door Sedan

Description

The base model Lexus ES 350 comes standard with a bigger V6 engine, but it sacrifices fuel-efficiency for a modest gain in output. The six-speed automatic transmission is hit-or-miss, occasionally struggling to find the right gear when a quick boost in passing power is needed. Less responsive than its predecessor, this newer model retains the overall ride quality of prior Lexus generations.