Yes everyone, Driven Web Series is back, powered by Petronas Primax! For the 2017 season premiere, we’re looking at the latest pair of plug-in hybrid compact execs, the F30 BMW 330e and the W205 Mercedes-Benz C 350e. To make it even more interesting, we’ve brought along what we think is a great budget alternative, the B8 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TSI.
Prices range from RM200k for the Passat to just under RM300k for the C-Class, with the BMW slotting in neatly in the middle at RM250k. Can the plug-in hybrid pair justify their price premiums? Well, find out in this in-depth comparison video.
The electrified sedans sure boast impressive numbers: 279 hp and 600 Nm for the Mercedes and 252 hp and 420 Nm for the BMW. This episode features a drag race to see just how far ahead the plug-in hybrid models are compared to the petrol-only Volkswagen, with its measly 217 hp and 350 Nm.
Too add to that, we also race the C 350e against the 245 hp/370 Nm C 300, so see just how much extra performance electrification brings to the table. As usual, we also carry out our fuel economy test, comparing all four models.
Everything considered, which one is the one you should buy? Spare a few minutes to watch this new episode of Driven Web Series :)
GALLERY: F30 BMW 330e Sport
GALLERY: W205 Mercedes-Benz C 350e Avantgarde with AMG Line interior
GALLERY: B8 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TSI Highline
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
I guess VW is the premium car but BMW & Merc are luxury car. That’s why VW is D segment, BMW & Merc are C segment car. The similarity of the 3 cars are prices.
Re-phrased. The similarity of the 3 cars is their German roots.
Compare to German D-segment 5-series and E-class, price of Passat do hell lot of savings.
correction 5 series and E class are E segment.
Wrong, the similarity between the three cars is they are tow truck best friends!
Bimmer , boring to look at after a glance.
the instrument cluster the most outdated compared to the others.
1st choice, the Merc ;D
2nd the passat
E segment are 7 Series & S Class bro. VW E segment car is Phaeton.
I owned all 3 cars.
BMW 330e – Daily workhorse & weekend joyride.
Mercedes-Benz C350e – Golfcourse, in-law & outstation trips.
Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TSI – Meeting with VIPs & grocery shopping.
7 Series & S Class for F segment according to EU classification.
I still like Diesel. I like the klok klok klok sound
Turbo whistle puts hairs on your chest
All 3 are D segment. Just that 3 series and C Class target luxury market whereas Passat is not.
The Passat is a tad larger and should be compared with 5 series and E Class
The passat is D-Segment and Volkwagen is NOT a luxury brand so should compare with Mazda 6 and Honda Accord. 5er and E-Class is E segment. Also passat is front wheel drive
aiyoo…still dont get it ker? VW is sub premium, their premium brand is Audi….luxury is Porsche/Lambo/Bentley….skoda/seat is their budget brand
Va va voom! Who’s your daddy?
Seems we got a new boy mr adian here. Should have started with a proper introduction. Perhaps he can share his credentials during his time at proton with R3 buddy djan and daddy boss leel. Awesome job at proton. Gen 2 is the best car ever. Not.
Welcome Adian to this site. Superb review you have given. thank you for the superb Driven piece
Not a bad presenter at all. Much2 better job now than in proton doing body kits n joy rides.
How does a presenter skills relates to bodykit? I cant brain how u link a persons capability to a physical product.
Audi A4 2.0TFSI Quattro pleading : Hey dudes, i’m righta here! Bring me out too.
Lexus IS200T, 2nd to None.
Err lexus is just glorified toyota nothing more
Beemer is always my preference. VW is just too mature here
In Malaysia, most plug in buyers buy their cars to save on fuel. Few few are interested in the higher torque or helping the environment when they buy their plug in.
However, many don’t realise, all hybrids and plug ins have one big problem. Very steep depreciation. One good example is the Audi A6 Hybrid. Once going for RM380k, now a 2014 model can be had for RM110k. Honda Insight owners also can verify this. The Insight now is going for ridiculous figures.
In comparison with the non hybrid/ plug in model, the normal NA petrol engined version still hold its value well.
So, a message to plug in and hybrid owners, in the short term and long term, you lose more money instead of saving petrol.
To make matters worse, once warranty over, you will cry paying the parts prices cause EV/PHEV and Hybrid parts cost a bomb. This is why in the 2nd hand market, these cars collapse cause 2nd hand buyers are too scared to touch these cars.
For example, the price of the A6 Hybrid battery is RM60k. Yes, just the battery alone. Do yourself a favour and ask BMW how much the 330e battery will cost and also the C350e. Cause once warranty is over, you had it. And even when warranty is left 1 or 2 yrs, 2nd hand buyers are also too scared to touch your car.
Then you have the electricals and the EV elements. Any small repairs outside warranty is about RM10k. Ask the Prius owners now, they are all crying.
So remember, if you are buying a hybrid, EV or PHEV to save petrol and money, think again!
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
RM60k max. not RM100k Honda City hybrid to cover pitiful RV.
Hidden due to lowcomment rating. Click here to see.
Forever stuck at nasi lemak kukus stage. Lolz!
Proton EV arriving 2017, priced under RM100k :
https://paultan.org/2014/10/14/proton-ev-2017-under-rm100k/
Since when does toyota owns P1?
Do you even understand how to read? No one has said anywhere that P1 owns Toyota. We are fed up of your fake news.
Huh? Then why U bring in P1?
best to ignore the fake poster. I totally ignore him. He thrives like a troll when people answer him
The best is to ignore multi dupe fake poster like kunta samy etc
Everybody now sick and tired of john’s sick comments. Want to puke
Quite fed up with uneducated comments about Toyota
Of course because you are his dupe, still a blind basher
There is advantage in steep depreciation cars too. At the very least, nobody want to steal your car because there is no demand.
There is hot demand, for spare parts^
Very well written, that is probably the reason why despite being around for many years, hybrid is still not popular over here, unless the government were to implement law to wipe out petrol/diesel cars, like what will happen in France and UK.
I have to agree. Bravo Periasamy. Thank you for telling us the reality.
Care for MBM and BMW Malaysia to tell us their TRUE battery price?
Brand new 330e RM249k
Brand new 320i RM230k
5 years down the road,
The 330e will be RM70k
The 320i will be RM140k
Can ur cristel ball then gip me 4D? Oh wai… then why u still here?
SO what are waiting for? Go and get the used car. The world is not giving you silver plate so you yourself gave the answer!
Serious, if it’s true, i will have to abandon my PHEV plan.
This guy is so dumb OMG. I am always bashing Toyota and yet he continues to say I am selling Toyota. Pls pakai brain, would I bash my own brand which puts food on my table?
Nope. Everyone cans see thru who really bashing. Caveman too primitive to use sophisticated way to cover line.
Honestly, if I’m forking that much for a car, would I bother of the savings on petrol? I probably want something different, bragging rights and the hassle of going to petrol pump that much more.
Talking from u kno wer,is one thing,bt keep liking ur own garbage is jus psycho…admin shares da blame for allowing him to post….ADMIN ,WHAT SAY U??????????
it’s true. My previous prius replace battery cost almost 30k but I tried so hard and ask insurance to claim
Please study more about Plug In Hybrid then commend
I tried hard to search what is the battery replacement cost for Audi A6 Hybrid, but seems nothing can be found online… any A6 hybrid owner here? mind to share how much is the battery cost? Many ppl says 40k, 50k 60k. But it’s all based on guessing game…
I did owned an A6 hybrid but it has tons of issues. Always in and out of workshop, not reliable outstation and depreciation really took a toll. Lost 100K+ just in 3 years. Had to sell it due it its defects and really owning a hybrid in the malaysian weather is not as good. Better wait till the technology comes more advance.
This C350e is not very good to drive! Yup, pretty much sums it all.
Tak brani ajak Camry hybrid lettew…Kih3
Camry hybrid is junk so why bother
Betui betui betui, camry can only be compared with Trabant
Camry not plugin
Kia Optima GT would be a better alternative than the passat.. maybe after this can bring this german engineered/korean made car in the stable for comparison…
(Like) Optima GT.
(Dislike) Mazda6 2.5GVC
Is Optima GT a plugin hybrid?
its a 2.0 turbo gdi with 245hp/350nm. D segment car with glass roof, ventilated sport seats and solidly build interior.. peter schreyer spent a lot of time on this car and albert biermann did the engineering part of this car.. at less than 200k this car is a better option than the C segment 3 series and c class… or the passat.
is passat a pluggin hybrid?
Even PT agrees with me
Badge prestige > all
Tristar > all
PT also agreed that the Tristar Ah Pek car is not very good to drive.
Ekceli in final conclusion, PT says C350e is a better overall car.
It is because C350e is relatively new to 330e, and old uncle like the boat drive of C350e.
U saying all 3 PT reviewers r unkers? They look quite young thou..
Am just too crazy over Harve’s long fingers…
So you like him because he owns a 3 series , that’s the truth right?
The 330e looks so lame with the old school handbrake. Even the popular Honda HRV which cost half the price gets an electronic parking brake.
Anyways, among the 3 of them, which one has the best car audio system ? Since you are paying over 200 grand for a car, it is not absurd to expect good car audio.
C-Class Burmester. period
C class burmester sound shit….any sony HU paired with rm200 each speakers sounds better!
If use electronic park brake how to drift? Manual brakes are the best
Driving the 3 is fun and pleasurable. The handling is great; steering is precise. Oh yeah, i love the the 2nd gen 8 speed ZF.
The built quality of 3 series is definitely lagging behind C Class. I would say you need to buy 5 series to get ‘proper’ built quality from BMW. Anyway, F30 exterior and interior still look great in its own way. And, it’s just so easy to drive a BMW. The cockpit layout, buttons and system are simply intuitive.
Therefore, it’s BMW for me.
Get a city at half price of 3series instead. Rear from abit of distance, both looks same same.
Good choice! BMW 3 series comes with 5year Free service too.
John, You never drive a 3 series, did you?
I drove 2 units 3 series , and currently driving a X1.
3 series handling is good. You can feel the joy of driving and I feel safe in BMW car. The breaking system is great too.
3 series is not a 18 year old hot chic. Not LUXURY as competitor. It is a fun car to drive.
If you talk about budget fun car to drive, my wife VW POLO hatchback is very fun to drive, less $$, little under power. I prefer drive the POLO over X1.
I would say no no to all three of cars above. No Hybrid system, No DSG.
before the optima gt 2.0 tgdi 245hp/350nm or the elantra sport 1.6tgdi 205hp/265nm came there was almost no alternative to those who wanted a good solid interior car that comes with a proper power drive train and a european flair design. say if i have a taste of minimalist sophisticated design which doesnt shout futuristic (coughing honda interior) and a decent powered drive train that give confident to overtake or to stay on the right lane on the highway, i will only have either the impreza/evo or the bmw 328i, audi a4 or the c250…. accord camry civic vios altis mazda 3,5,6 they are all under powered sub 180hp sub 250nm cars that doesnt have a proper acceleration between 80kmh to 150kmh.
now u can cut your spending on these rm300k germans car and get the optima at a mere 190k (if u want a decent nvh and spacious n comfy ride of a d segment) or u can opt for elantra sport (its a c segment car that have a great handling – chasis n engine tune by the ex bmw m division chief engineer) with great european design inside out… seriously the gap between the german premium and these korean cars getting smaller by days…
As the review says, 3 series is a noisy vehicle. Too much road and wind noise for a seemlingly luxury car
It is true
Weird… why do I feel like the passat was the better car here lol.
Feel the same way. Rather keep that extra cash in my hand. Passat has more than enough for a daily.
That extra cash saved will come in handy when replacing the dry clutch DSG.
DSG story alredi basi john…come out of your cave.
Passat 2.0 wet dsg
caveman still bad mouthing DSG? Basi already bang!
Huh? Ur periperikunta dupe persona oso bang DSG what. Go ask a mirror 1st b4 u bang!
berambus john. This is a car site. Not for your private fights. Bawak malu shj
Bawak malu shj. Haha is it the right term in m language after donkey years of merdeka?
the passat saves you money up front..
and saves you money on the long term…
hybrids drops in value like its hawt….
too bad the c300 and 330i are no longer on sale…
wow! working in paultan is good. you can earn a lot and own luxury cars.
Any vacancies? no need drive BMW or Merc. Can own an Accord also happy already.
Just aiming for Accord alredi disqualifies u for the job.
Ouch!
Get in touch with Nancy
A little long video. Don’t you all think?
Go back to reading Twitter feeds
Paultan, between merc, vw , audi and bmw of C segment, which car has the quietest n most comfortable cabin?
VW, AUdi and BMW of C segment are rubbish. Talking loud oso cannot hear because of wwoooowooooowwoooooo sound like those in jepunis cars.
Another Caveman here who never drive or sit inside this car yet cave out his CAVE knowledge!
Welcome..back driven.. I really your like the series..especially the comics.. This new format is fine but please add a tinge of humour..please
Haha. PT shud get resident commenters inda video, Kunta samy & john to add some spice & humour.
Why did not feature yours truly?
What about the RV of these vehicles featured?
Rich pipu don’t worry RV.
Sushi still Best RV, Lexus.
Wait till you have to change the spare parts, you will regret it for life!
Guess the concise conclusion is apt: BMW wins on driving experience esp. steering feedback, Merc on brand/image becoz U pay more, and VW just need not pay so much $$.
The emphasis on the fact that this Passat is using a dual wet clutch system is not exactly that convincing
My feedback is that Hafriz needs to stop reviewing cars now that this Adian guy clearly proves that he is miles ahead in reviewing skills.
Although Hafriz has improved over time, his speech is still too rushed, mumbles and mispronounces words too often. It is almost cringy to watch his reviews. Especially those hand movements, totally unnatural.
Give Aidan more chances to review cars and get feedback from the audience. Don’t take this too harshly but a true car/tv journalist needs to be critiqued to improve or to realise if they are good enough for the role..
you, moron. always missing THE point!.
Agree with you. Hafriz not able to deliver clear speech and sound very scripted. In fact, i skipped any review by hafriz becoz of this. Should rest Hafriz and bring forward Aidan.
Younger gen no longer have capacity to focus on the message instead of the messenger.
I am not affliated nor having any inside info about paultan and its team, but as an outsider (a reader), based just on observation since mid- 2015… I am pretty sure Hafriz himself isnt thrilled to be a presenter.
If anything, Hafriz is mostly forced to present because the other staff are either avoiding or unavailable due to the way they assign responsibilities.
Coupled with the fact that Gregory left (i think? Saw him at USJ a month ago, ridiculously handsome in person) , there isnt any new long-term staff to be the main presenter.
Everything above is pure speculation from my part xD.
Meh, if it were me i would force Anthony to review ALL the cars.
How abt picking guest presenter among avid PT readers. he he
If it were me, it shud be Boss man only to do it. Just so to be fair to all staff.
Imagine ending his presentation with:
“Finally, signing off. This is Paul Tan from PaulTan” Lolz!
Agree that EV/Hybrid parts are expensive since many marques have yet to reach the desired “economies of scale” and I speculate, the reason now why EV is found mostly in expensive/luxury cars is because the owners can afford them.
If I was given the option to buy 1 of the 3, the Passat 2.0 would be my choice. It’s premium and powerful enough for me and much cheaper to own and maintain the in long run.
So many talking about EV Battery price. Have you guys actually know of anyone with EV Battery problem?
although one may think that owning a merc and beemer in real life would make them the best candidates to review other models from the same marque, i think the team needs to steer away from letting hafriz and harv review mercs and beemers respectively.
it doesnt come off as objective because it appears as if there is a subtext message of “this one is the best.. thats why i bought one la..”
but naturally we try to convince ourselves and justify our purchases right? no one wants to come to terms with “i bought this and it was a big mistake”.
in short, the team at paultan are not shorthanded and to appear to be completely objective, please disqualify yourself from reviewing a car if you own one from the same marque.
would u trust any review of a toyota from SamLoo?
think about it.
Dude work harder & get yourself mercs and beemers. Work harder.
u think cos my handle is regretbuyingford i got one car only eh?
if u think that having a beemer or merc means its a sign that u have worked hard for what u have, then please continue doing what ur doing.
it’ll be funny if i buy an A-Class and then live with my parents cos i cant afford to buy a house.
and if all success were to be benchmarked on mercs and beemers, wonder why there are some humble relaxed old uncles still driving their old mobiles with 7 figures in their bank account.
please understand that the world is a much wider place than just what u have seen in ur lifetime.
It’s not an issue if there is safeguard to their objectivity.
Often, people made choices they like most, so yes there is element of emotion into play. However, as they’re enthusiast of the brands, they’d be more knowledgeable about the brand and its quirks can be pointed out more detailed.
But if they can let it all out in a matured and fair manner, the threat to their objectivity is mitigated. It also added diversity to the show, as each person represents different profile, reaching out to more audience. Viewers can relate and understand better which profile they fit in with and make more informed decisions.
I’m a huge Volvo fan as many here probably knows, it’s natural I feel even I know better and can present better than paultan writers when discussing about Volvo. If they are shorthanded, I’d be happy to help ;)
LOL tokmoh your avatar! Just noticed what you trying to imply there!
You cunning bastard xD
Ah i see you’re a man of culture as well.
Syukurlah Proton ditongsankan. First achievement sales H1 2017 > H1 2016. Second, after sales service even better than Honda jepunis copycat design Volvo ptuik.
Proton’s counterattack has begun, with the might of tongsan, Proton and Geely family ke arah kuasa besar dunia!
One of the important points was not mentioned….The cost of replacing lithium battery with the lifespan of 5 years is RM 40K…
I would pick the BMW if running costs are a concern. Who doesn’t want free 5 year service and warranty? It would do well as a company car but for family drives I would pick the C class as my choice but I do agree that the Passat is the locgical choice if you are not looking at the badge. I personally went to have a look at it in the showroom and went back impressed with it.
Initially we save on service & running costs.
but BMW’s inferior resale value negated the initial advantages.
People with status don’t worry about RV, dumb.
Seriously – a Passat in this comparo…mind boggling
Let VPCM fix their after sales service and the Passat’s powertrain and significant other quality defects first…
Enjoy watching the driven by ur guys . Hope to see Honda Civic 1.5T vs Elantra Turbo Sport vs Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost . Currently was eyeing on these 3 cars and still can’t make my choice . Can’t wait for ur comparison among these 3 cars
Another stupid and dump job by paultan. People buy Mercedes and BMW because of status. VW is only a proton class in Germany. Cannot compare to BM or Mercs. Dump paul tan team.
This is not comparing Apple to Apple. Suppose comparing Mercedes /BMW/Audi ….Skoda /Opel is VW rival.
Good video. Looking forward to watch the comparison of SUV.
why no comparison of SUV???
What happen to this web series? Kena axed ka?