Prizefight: 2008 BMW M3 vs. 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

• The Contenders
• Design
• Performance
• Cabin Tech
• Electronics interface
• Value
• The winner is...

Round 5: Value

MSRP and cost of ownership, including fuel economy. Is it worth it?

Mercedes-Benz C63

Car	Wayne	Antuan	Brian	Average for round
2008 BMW M3 Convertible DCT	3 The base price of the M3 is higher than the C63, and then BMW makes you pay extra for things that should be standard, such as electronic damping control.	3 With performance that's not much better than that of the C63 and slightly inferior cabin tech, the price premium on the BMW is only justifiable to die-hard BMW M-philes.	3 An awful lot of money for a car you will seldom get the chance to wring out. Add to that the Gas Guzzler Tax and the "M" tax dealers demand and, well...	3
2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG	4 Not as much cachet as the M3, but the C63 is a great sleeper car, blowing other cars away off the line and taking them on the curves.	4 With the money you'll save by purchasing the C63, you'll be able to buy new tires after you burn through the first set doing doughnuts in the parking lot.	3 Done up CNET-style, we're talking about spending well into the mid-$60s for a C Class with an automatic. It's also a gas guzzler.	4

Winner: 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG