NEW BMW i3 vs Mercedes C-Class Electric – 600-mile Road Trip Test!

The new BMW i3 takes on the new Mercedes C-Class Electric in a mammoth electric road trip test– London to Land's End and back! That's 581 miles throughout 2 days in two brand name new executive saloons, with real-world variety, charging speeds, running costs, usefulness and driving good manners all checked.

In this evaluation, we drive both cars from Cobham to Cornwall and back to find out how far the 2027 BMW i3 and Mercedes C-Class EV actually go on a charge, how effective they are, and how they compare as comfortable long-distance cruisers

You'll discover:
– Cost & specs: BMW i3 50 xDrive from ₤ 53,425 and as much as 566 miles claimed, vs Mercedes C400 4Matic from ₤ 57,995 and approximately 452 miles
– First-leg outcome: 285 miles from Cobham Providers to Land's End– battery % and miles staying for both automobiles on arrival
– Real-world range & performance: extrapolated maximum variety for both cars in 8-12degC conditions, and true efficiency including charging losses
– Charging test: 14-90% and 20-80% times, typical charging rates, and how they compare with the main 400kW and 330kW peak claims
– Trip cost: total public charging cost at 79p/kWh for the complete 581 miles in each car, and what that drops to with a 26p/kWh home charge for the last top-up
– Boot & frunk test: the number of suitcases each car actually swallows
– Interiors & tech: Breathtaking Vision iDrive vs Hyperscreen, Apple CarPlay, driving position, seat comfort and interior quality
– Rear area & functionality: knee space, headroom, foot space and why tall grownups will find both tight
– Motorway vs country-road driving: refinement, wind and suspension sound, trip comfort with air suspension, guiding feel and regen-paddle control
– Equipment & company vehicle tax: scenic roofing, heated rear seats, guest screen and why both are pricey for executive saloons
– Tesla Model 3 context: why our preferred variation at ₤ 45,000 still matters, and what's coming next on the channel

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Which would you take on a long trip– the BMW i3 or the Mercedes C-Class Electric? Let us understand in the comments.

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#BMWi 3 #MercedesCClass #ElectricCars #TeslaModel 3 #WhatCar

Video chapters:
0:00 Intro– London to Land's End face-off
1:16 Meet the vehicles– costs, specs & official range
7:18 200 miles in– freeway driving impressions
9:05 Land's End arrival!
9:52 Boot & frunk test
12:33 BMW i3 interior review
18:26 Mercedes C-Class interior review
24:03 Rear seats & practicality
25:42 Charging stop
27:15 Twisty-road handling
32:02 Real-world variety, performance & journey expense
36:18 Price, equipment and decision

Comments

41 responses to “NEW BMW i3 vs Mercedes C-Class Electric – 600-mile Road Trip Test!”

  1. @whatcar Avatar
    @whatcar

    Let us know which executive saloon you’d buy and why….

    – BMW i3 🇩🇪
    – Mercedes C-Class 🇩🇪
    – Tesla Model 3 🇺🇸

    1. @ZakPooe Avatar
      @ZakPooe

      I’d take the i3. The C-Class just isn’t appealing to me, seem a bit too serious

    2. @davidfujkk8018 Avatar
      @davidfujkk8018

      Cold effects efficiency by ≈25% meaning if you did the same test in warmer conditions you would and could get 25% more range from both of these amazing evs

    3. @hanshenrik9870 Avatar
      @hanshenrik9870

      I will stay with my ID.7 which is more spacious than any of those cars. Will never take a Tesla due to its stupid cockpit interface and aging battery tech

    4. @QuantumEntangled-yt Avatar
      @QuantumEntangled-yt

      I just bought I3, did consider Merc but didn’t like prices

    5. @VSS1 Avatar
      @VSS1

      A Tesla for half the price, anyone paying these prices are fluffing crazy.

  2. @avtomad722 Avatar
    @avtomad722

    I would 💯 go for the BMW, it looks so good, clean, modern and distinctive.

    1. @MaticTheProto Avatar
      @MaticTheProto

      Looks like an overstyled gaming accessory

  3. @davidfujkk8018 Avatar
    @davidfujkk8018

    Cold effects efficiency by ≈25% meaning if you did the same test in warmer conditions you would get 25% more range from both of these amazing evs

    1. @UnknownUser-rb9pd Avatar
      @UnknownUser-rb9pd

      It would also likely be affected by driving at motorway speeds for most of the journey.

  4. @Sweepdog700 Avatar
    @Sweepdog700

    Screen control instead of buttons is a deal breaker for me. Especially for vents, is stupid.

  5. @ambergris5705 Avatar
    @ambergris5705

    2:13 I feel like the Model 3 is more of a competitor to the all-EV CLA than the C-Class, but that’s more because Mercedes-Benz is multiplying models than anything else.

    1. @MaticTheProto Avatar
      @MaticTheProto

      Also Tesla used excuses as well for German car magazines to not give them a car for a comparison test.

      Tesla is embarrassed 😂

  6. @80y3r9 Avatar
    @80y3r9

    BS using the price cap – no one with a 100kwh battery isn’t on an overnight tariff

    1. @TruthTeller-100 Avatar
      @TruthTeller-100

      overnight tarrifs usually increase your normal electric prices. so crossover approx 13k miles for me.

    2. @zeedustrakok Avatar
      @zeedustrakok

      The whole calculation is rubbish. As an EV driver I get a charging plan. Hence I charge way cheaper at my fast chargers. I do charge at home at a more interesting price.
      So once again they will only keep discounted prices in mind for a tesla while all others charge at full price.

    3. @NicholasBlair-z4o Avatar
      @NicholasBlair-z4o

      Very interesting. I average more miles per kWh in my iX and i7, both are a lot bigger. My summer average in my iX was 3.9 and currently getting 3.3

    4. @drufc Avatar
      @drufc

      I charge my car at the price cap.
      My wife works from home and we constantly have the washer, dryer and a million TVs running during peak hours. I also claim back my charging costs from my employer, so I’m not willing to increase my personal electric costs to lower the costs of my employer.

    5. @NicholasBlair-z4o Avatar
      @NicholasBlair-z4o

      @drufc whenever I charge in public, it cost on average 40p per kWh. Only pay 79p if I have no other choice, and only for a quick top up. Who stays on a 79p plus charger from 10% to full

  7. @ExpeditiousTraveller Avatar
    @ExpeditiousTraveller

    26p a kWh for a home charger… Here in Australia it’s 40 cents (20p) a kWh at a supercharger … Shocking prices back home

    1. @TruthTeller-100 Avatar
      @TruthTeller-100

      its all the eco taxes here!

    2. @forferdeilig Avatar
      @forferdeilig

      Do you know what % those taxes make up? I haven’t looked it up but I’d be surprised if its more than a few %, willing to be corrected if anyone knows

    3. @BAZvonRichthofen Avatar
      @BAZvonRichthofen

      That’s the standard rate . You can get a tariff to charge at 7p/kw

  8. @sajinair5747 Avatar
    @sajinair5747

    What was the average speed you maintained in each car?

  9. @philhartley7564 Avatar
    @philhartley7564

    Personally, I think that public charging has not kept up with the progress that auto manufacturers are making – not after what the numbers on the cabinets say.

    1. @mad4tar77 Avatar
      @mad4tar77

      True, but most EV very rarely or never need them, so it’s not the big deal people make it out to be. I’ve been driving an EV6 with great long range for 5 years now, and it charges very fast as an 800v car, but I use public charging so rarely that I don’t really care about the speed or price of it.

    2. @wassap786 Avatar
      @wassap786

      Ive done 50k in 2 years in my ID7, ive had no issue with public charging, certainly heading north from the midlands, theres loads of charging options on the M6 and M1. M40 heading south needs to be better, but its still not bad.

    3. @drfisheye Avatar
      @drfisheye

      I see Bjorn Nyland charge EVs at high rates in Norway and Sweden all the time. So is it a UK problem?

  10. @herrnaico Avatar
    @herrnaico

    Both cars charge perfectly fine. It’s just the poor net in the UK. BMW always beats its time, Mercedes tends to overheat a bit more but also manages to meet the projected charging time plus a minute or two more

    1. @MrMVR2 Avatar
      @MrMVR2

      Overheat what? The battery? We do not face any overheating issue here in Mauritius and here your car gets cooked in the sun like in Dubai.

    2. @HardCheese-q9r Avatar
      @HardCheese-q9r

      The poor net means the cars don’t charge “perfectly fine”. Charging time is an issue whether it’s down to the manufacturer, the infrastructure or both.

  11. @fablab_EE Avatar
    @fablab_EE

    Looks like Eighth-generation Civic hatchback

  12. @gonzochild Avatar
    @gonzochild

    As an increasingly middle aged person I’m very much aiming at the Merc here.

  13. @renitur2292 Avatar
    @renitur2292

    No passenger screen is a massive win for BMW

  14. @RowanCantley Avatar
    @RowanCantley

    Apologies for this but the guy with hair sounds EXACTLY like Rupert Lowe 😂

  15. @cnoros Avatar
    @cnoros

    I kind of wish there was a ‘dumb’ dashboard option on luxury cars that has dials, buttons, knobs and just a pop-up reversing camera screen

  16. @zarodkiewicz Avatar
    @zarodkiewicz

    Loved your video. A ride down the memory lane. All those memories. Thank you. ❤

  17. @DocHelfti Avatar
    @DocHelfti

    I’,m wondering that you didn’t compare the assistant systems of both cars!

  18. @Scribble-g4y Avatar
    @Scribble-g4y

    It would be nice to see a row of metal switches under the screen for quick air con controls

  19. @GauriIsHereNow Avatar
    @GauriIsHereNow

    The best line in the video – “Other than price, range and charging speed, there is no other area where the BMW is significantly superior to the C-class”. 😂

    Pretty much sums up the comparison.

  20. @xavierbouvet1975 Avatar
    @xavierbouvet1975

    There are both great cars using 800 volts technology. However, the BMW is fully compatible with the 400 volts chargers (e.g.Tesla charging stations) while the Merc is not unless you add a roughly 1k option, which only allow 100kw peak.

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