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BMW 3 Series Touring vs Mercedes SL Class comparison

Compare performance (530 HP vs 816 HP), boot space and price (41,100 £ vs 112,700 £ ) at a glance. Find out which car is the better choice for you – BMW 3 Series Touring or Mercedes SL Class?

BMW 3 Series Touring vs Mercedes SL Class: Key differences

BMW 3 Series Touring

4.3 (1 Reviews)
rate
  • clearly cheaper
  • significantly more efficient
  • clearly more electric range
  • barely lighter
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Mercedes SL Class

  • visibly more power
  • visibly quicker 0–100 km/h
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By Achim Sedelmaier

Here’s where it gets real: The technical differences in detail

3 Series Touring

Costs and Efficiency:

Price and efficiency are key factors when choosing a car – and this is often where the real differences emerge.

BMW 3 Series Touring is clearly cheaper – starting at 41,100 £ , while the Mercedes SL Class costs 112,700 £ . That’s a price difference of around 71,647 £.

Fuel consumption also shows a difference: the BMW 3 Series Touring uses 2.5 L/100km and is significantly more efficient than the Mercedes SL Class with 9 L/100km. The difference is about 6.5 L/100km.

As for electric range, the BMW 3 Series Touring offers clearly more range – reaching up to 97 km, about 85 km more than the Mercedes SL Class.

SL Class

Engine and Performance:

Power, torque and acceleration say a lot about how a car feels on the road. This is where you see which model delivers more driving dynamics.

When it comes to engine power, the Mercedes SL Class offers visibly more power – delivering 816 HP compared to 530 HP. That’s roughly 286 HP more horsepower.

When accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h, the Mercedes SL Class is visibly quicker – completing the sprint in 2.9 s, while the BMW 3 Series Touring takes 3.6 s. That’s about 0.7 s quicker.

There’s also a difference in torque: the Mercedes SL Class delivers significantly more torque with 1,420 Nm compared to 700 Nm. That’s about 720 Nm more.

3 Series Touring

Space and Everyday Use:

Whether family car or daily driver – which one offers more room, flexibility and comfort?

Seats: BMW 3 Series Touring offers more seats – 5 vs 4.

In terms of curb weight, BMW 3 Series Touring is barely lighter – 1,650 kg compared to 1,810 kg. The difference is around 160 kg.

When it comes to payload, the BMW 3 Series Touring carries clearly more – 520 kg compared to 375 kg. That’s a difference of about 145 kg.

Who wins the race in the data check?

The BMW 3 Series Touring is decisively ahead in the objective data comparison.
This result only shows which model scores more points on paper – not which of the two cars feels right for you.

from £41,100
3 Series Touring

BMW 3 Series Touring

  • Engine Type : Diesel MHEV, Petrol, Petrol MHEV, Plugin Hybrid
  • Transmission : Automatic
  • Drive Type : Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
  • Power HP : 150 - 530 HP
  • Consumption L/100km : 2.5 - 10.3 L/100km
  • Electric Range : 91 - 97 km
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Frequently compared as well

BMW 3 Series Touring
BMW X1
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BMW 3 Series Touring
BMW 5 Series Touring
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BMW 3 Series Touring
Mercedes SL Class

Costs and Consumption
View detailed analysis

Engine and Performance
View detailed analysis

Dimensions and Body
View detailed analysis

BMW 3 Series Touring

The BMW 3 Series Touring blends sporting poise with everyday practicality, wrapping sharp handling and a premium cabin into a wagon that actually makes errands feel enjoyable. It’s the kind of car that hides a family-hauler’s sense of duty beneath a driver's-car attitude — useful, classy, and just cheeky enough to make you smile on the open road.

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Reviews BMW 3 Series Touring

4.3 (1 Reviews)
rate

No reviews yet. Share your experience and help others decide.

Mercedes SL Class

The Mercedes SL blends timeless elegance with a cheeky sense of occasion, its retractable roof turning any commute into a small celebratory parade. Behind the wheel it behaves like a grown-up sports car that prefers comfort and presence over headline-grabbing bravado, making it a tempting choice for buyers who want to arrive in style.

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Reviews Mercedes SL Class

No reviews yet. Share your experience and help others decide.

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BMW 3 Series Touring
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Mercedes SL Class
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BMW 3 Series Touring
Mercedes SL Class

Costs and Consumption
Price
41,100 - 91,900 £
Price
112,700 - 219,300 £
Consumption L/100km
2.5 - 10.3 L/100km
Consumption L/100km
9 - 13.6 L/100km
Consumption kWh/100km
-
Consumption kWh/100km
-
Electric Range
91 - 97 km
Electric Range
12 km
Battery Capacity
-
Battery Capacity
-
co2
57 - 233 g/km
co2
206 - 309 g/km
Fuel tank capacity
-
Fuel tank capacity
-

Dimensions and Body
Body Type
Estate
Body Type
Roadster
Seats
5
Seats
4
Doors
-
Doors
-
Curb weight
1,650 - 2,025 kg
Curb weight
1,810 - 2,195 kg
Trunk capacity
410 - 500 L
Trunk capacity
-
Length
-
Length
-
Width
1,827 - 1,903 mm
Width
1,915 mm
Height
-
Height
-
Max trunk capacity
-
Max trunk capacity
-
Payload
430 - 520 kg
Payload
145 - 375 kg

Engine and Performance
Engine Type
Diesel MHEV, Petrol, Petrol MHEV, Plugin Hybrid
Engine Type
Petrol MHEV, Petrol, Plugin Hybrid
Transmission
Automatic
Transmission
Automatic
Transmission Detail
Automatic Gearbox
Transmission Detail
Automatic Gearbox
Drive Type
Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Drive Type
Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Power HP
150 - 530 HP
Power HP
381 - 816 HP
Acceleration 0-100km/h
3.6 - 8.8 s
Acceleration 0-100km/h
2.9 - 4.9 s
Max Speed
-
Max Speed
-
Torque
250 - 700 Nm
Torque
480 - 1,420 Nm
Number of Cylinders
4 - 6
Number of Cylinders
4 - 8
Power kW
110 - 390 kW
Power kW
280 - 600 kW
Engine capacity
1,995 - 2,998 cm3
Engine capacity
1,991 - 3,982 cm3

General
Model Year
2,024 - 2,025
Model Year
2025
CO2 Efficiency Class
D, E, F, G, B
CO2 Efficiency Class
G
Brand
BMW
Brand
Mercedes-Benz
Is the BMW 3 Series Touring offered with different drivetrains?

The BMW 3 Series Touring is offered with Rear-Wheel Drive or All-Wheel Drive.

DriveDuel uses data analysis and artificial intelligence to evaluate vehicle data and create content. Content is regularly reviewed and improved. The displayed prices are estimates based on German list prices, adjusted to the respective country’s VAT. Country-specific registration taxes are not included. This information is not legally binding.