Verdict
The BMW M3 is the hard-edged choice: 503 hp, 650 Nm and a 3.5-second 0-100 km/h time put it 2.7 seconds ahead of the Mercedes-Benz CLE, while its four doors, five seats and 480-litre boot suit real family use. At RM846,800 against RM518,888, though, it asks RM327,912 more, and annual road tax is RM2,113 rather than RM380. The CLE counters with a 23-hp electric motor, adaptive cruise control and a four-year factory warranty. For Malaysian buyers, the M3's pace must matter more than its steep outlay.
M3
Pick the BMW M3 if 503 hp, a 3.5-second 0-100 km/h run and five-seat practicality justify RM327,912 extra upfront.
CLE
Pick the Mercedes-Benz CLE if you want the lower purchase and road-tax bills, plus adaptive cruise control and a longer four-year factory warranty.
Key differences
- Price: BMW M3 RM846,800; Mercedes-Benz CLE RM518,888.
- Performance: BMW M3 503 hp, 650 Nm and 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds; Mercedes-Benz CLE 255 hp, 400 Nm and 6.2 seconds.
- Road tax: BMW M3 RM2,113 per year; Mercedes-Benz CLE RM380 per year.
- Practicality: BMW M3 has four doors, five seats and a 480-litre boot; Mercedes-Benz CLE has two doors, four seats and a 460-litre boot.
- Warranty: BMW M3 gets a two-year manufacturer warranty; Mercedes-Benz CLE gets four years.
- Driver assistance: BMW M3 has warning-only lane keeping; Mercedes-Benz CLE has steering-correction lane keeping and adaptive cruise control.
M3
- 503 hp and 650 Nm, with 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds.
- Four doors, five seats and a 480-litre boot.
- Adaptive M Suspension, Active M Differential and selectable 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD modes.
- Costs RM327,912 more and carries RM2,113 annual road tax versus RM380.
- Two-year manufacturer warranty versus four years.
- Warning-only lane keeping rather than steering correction.
CLE
- RM327,912 lower purchase price and RM1,733 lower annual road tax.
- Four-year manufacturer warranty, two years longer than the M3's.
- Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping steering correction and a 360-degree camera.
- 255 hp and 400 Nm fall well short of the M3's 503 hp and 650 Nm.
- 0-100 km/h takes 6.2 seconds, against 3.5 seconds for the M3.
- Two doors, four seats and a 460-litre boot are less accommodating than the M3's four doors, five seats and 480 litres.
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM846,800 | RM518,888✓ |
| Body type | Sedan | Coupe |
| Segment | Compact Executive | Compact Executive |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM2,113 | RM380✓ |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC with Twin Turbochargers, Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift | 16-valve DOHC, Turbocharged with Direct Fuel Injection and Variable Valve Timing |
| Capacity | 2,993 cc | 1,999 cc |
| Horsepower | 503 hp✓ | 255 hp |
| Torque | 650 Nm✓ | 400 Nm |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Bore | 84 mm | 83 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 9.3 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 23 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 205 Nm |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 8-speed M Steptronic Transmission with Drivelogic | 9G-Tronic |
| Gears | 8 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | ZF | Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG) |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 3.5 seconds✓ | 6.2 seconds |
| Rated Economy | 10.1 L/100 km | — |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | 230 g/km | — |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,794 mm | 4,850 mm |
| Width | 1,903 mm | 1,860 mm |
| Height | 1,433 mm | 1,428 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,857 mm | 2,865 mm |
| Weight | 1,855 kg | — |
| Fuel Tank | 59 litres | 66 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 2 |
| Seats | 5 | 4 |
| Boot Space | 480 litres✓ | 460 litres |
| Front Tyre | 275/35R19 | 245/40R19 |
| Rear Tyre | 285/30R20 | 275/35R19 |
| Spare Tyre | — | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | Michelin Pilot Super Sport Run-flat | Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 Run-flat |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Germany (CBU) | Germany (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones | Multi-link |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Multi-link |
| Front Wheels | 19" Double-spoke Style 826 M Two-tone Forged Alloy | 19" AMG Multi-spoke Alloys |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Double-spoke Style 826 M Two-tone Forged Alloy | 19" AMG Multi-spoke Alloys |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive M Suspension, Active M Differential, 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD Modes | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | Driver and Front Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Centre Airbag |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for Rear Doors | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 4 Three-point with Illumination and Front Belt Feeder |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available for 2 Outer Rear Seats | Available for Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, with Pedestrian Detection (5 km/h to 80 km/h) | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Warning Only | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Attentiveness Assistant, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Collision Prevention, Active Protection | — |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Laser Projectors with Auto High Beam | Digital Light Matrix LEDs |
| Taillamps | Full LED | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function | Driver and Passenger Powered Seats with Memory Settings, Heating & Ventilation |
| Rear Seats | 40:20:40 Split-folding | 60:40 Split-folding |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Single-zone Automatic Climate Control | Rear AC Vents |
| Sunroof | Front, Tilt and Slide | Panoramic Glass Roof |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 1 Boot, 2 Front USB-C, 2 Rear USB-C | 1 Front, 2 Front USB, 2 Rear USB, 1 Wireless Charger |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights (11 Colours) | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | — | Sunroof Shade |
| Audio | BMW Live Cockpit Professional with 10.25" Touchscreen, iDrive Controller, Voice Control, Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto and 12-speaker 360W Harman Kardon Sound System | 11.9" Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Voice Control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 17-Speaker Burmester Sound System |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-pinch | Two Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation with Smartphone Key and Proximity Auto Lock/Unlock | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Passive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Tiptronic | ✓ | — |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | — | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Activation with Contactless Opening | Contactless Opening |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes | Yes, 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking, with Reversing Assist | Yes |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | Qi Wireless Charger, BMW ConnectedDrive, Concierge Service | — |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 4 years✓ |
| Warranty Extended | 5 years | 6 years✓ |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used M3 & CLE for sale
M3 vs CLE FAQ
Is the BMW M3 or Mercedes-Benz CLE better?
The BMW M3 is better for outright performance and family-carrying flexibility, with 503 hp, a 3.5-second sprint and five seats. The Mercedes-Benz CLE is the more cost-conscious choice, with much lower road tax and a four-year warranty.
What is the price difference?
The BMW M3 costs RM327,912 more than the Mercedes-Benz CLE. Its annual road tax is also RM1,733 higher, so the ownership-cost gap extends beyond the initial purchase.
Which car is faster?
The BMW M3 is decisively faster. It reaches 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds versus 6.2 seconds for the Mercedes-Benz CLE, a 2.7-second advantage, backed by 503 hp and 650 Nm.