Peugeot 406 SE V6 Coupe' vs Bmw 328i Coupe' vs Mercedes CLK 320

[Fantomas72_]

Choosing a victory seems on first thoughts, dose to impossible. Even if you were to dismiss the Mercedes from the running, because it costs around £10,000 more than the Peugeot without seeming to be £10,000 better (if indeed better at all), that won't stop others from thinking it the best - obviously the best - simply because it is a Mercedes. And while people think that, the cars will sell, they will hold their value and won't end up costing anything like as much to run as the cost of funding the capital might have suggested at the start of ownership. On that basis the CLK's price matters little. What does matter is that, in concept and size, the established BMW 328i and upstart Peugeot 406 Coupe are direct rivals to the pricey CLK and both are highly capable, highly desirable . Of the three, leaving purchase price aside, no dear winner stands out. Right. Let's take this business of quality and integrity, things that are supposed to be German cars' strengths. The CLK feels flimsier than the BMW in certain areas, and shows no sign of being any better-built overall. But then it would be hard to improve on the build quality of either, Look dosely at the Peugeot, though, and you'll find it's up at the same level. See, the French and the Italians, both involved with the 406 Coupe, can do it too. Quality. then, is not the tie-breaker here. Looks? A Peugeot win, surely. Pace? Victory to the BMW. Handling? Tricky; the Peugeot satisfies the most for most of the time. Equipment levels? The Peugeot, easily. Whether or not you prefer the idea of a BMW or Mercedes badge to that of a mere Peugeot, you can't deny that the 406 Coupe has the looks and the presence to transcend badge snobbery. It rekindles older Peugeot values, of beautiful cars Pininfarina-designed and solidly built before things went tinny. The 406 saloon has already pointed in that direction; this new coupe amplifies the point. So, let's look at things as they really are, not how the status-conscious would like them to be. Peugeot's 406 Coupe V6 SE is the bestvalue car here, and in most respects it's also the best, full stop. It wins - it has to win - with the BMW hard on its tail, hiding its years unexpectedly well. And the Mercedes? It, too, is a fine thing. But, depreciation notwithstanding, it's hard to see how its maker can justify such a high purchase price. The quality gap has dosed. Let's hope the snobbery gap goes the same way..

http://www.406coupeclub.org/me [...] ly1997.pdf