Where each one leads
BMW 1 Series
- Against cars of the same age, the BMW 1 Series comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 6% more often than average) than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (passes 1% more often than average).
- Fewer BMW 1 Series cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (3.1% against 4.5%).
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol BMW 1 Series uses 7.5 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 10.9.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel BMW 1 Series uses 5.8 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 6.3.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid BMW 1 Series uses 7.1 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 8.5.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel hybrid BMW 1 Series uses 5.7 l/100 km on the road, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 6.0.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- New Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 116 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 133 for the BMW 1 Series in 2022.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW 1 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2000–2012 | 1991–2012 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 1,543,810 (2010–2022) | 1,573,424 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 399,896 | 342,811 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 70,649 | 78,492 |
| In traffic in Finland | 9,945 | 49,488 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW 1 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 76% | 80% |
| … against cars of the same age | +6% | +1% |
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 1.1% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | −38% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 3.1% | 4.5% |
| US owner complaints | 98 | 192 |
| Most complaints about | Air bags | Electrical system |
| Model year with most complaints | 2011 (33) | 1995 (49) |
| US recall campaigns | 3 | 6 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 544 | 73 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 11 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW 1 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2021) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW 1 Series | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | |
|---|---|---|
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 7.5 l/100 km | 10.9 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | 5.8 l/100 km | 6.3 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 7.1 l/100 km | 8.5 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 5.7 l/100 km | 6.0 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 133 g/km | 116 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 106 kW (142 hp) | 152 kW (203 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,441 kg | 1,818 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €35,136 | €54,166 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 179,000 km | 248,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).