Lexus ES vs BMW 3 Series vs Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Which has the best infotainment system?

By Chad Lückhoff

We score the Lexus ES infotainment system as we compare it against its peers from BMW and Mercedes-Benz

The Lexus ES finds itself in a strange gap in the market locally. Where many of the larger sedans have made way for the SUV brigade, the Lexus ES finds itself stuck somewhere between a compact sedan, like the 3 Series and C-Class, and the medium sedans, like the 5 Series and E-Class.

While it's dimensions lead you to believe that it should play with the bigger boys, it's priced right alongside the smaller counterparts, making it a more relevant comparison.

Lexus ES
1/5

Lexus certainly crafts fine vehicles with robust build quality and irrefutable reliability but the one area that many still feels lets the brand down is the infotainment. The Lexus system is complex and confusing at the best of times and the user interface particularly difficult to use, whether in motion or not.

The ES uses a dashboard-mounted 8-inch screen that copies a few design cues from the BMW range. The 250 EX model accepts CD while the 300 H models are equipped with DVD reading capabilities. The 300 H also benefits from standard fitment navigation. This is an optional extra on the 250 EX.

The menu hierarchy is complex and convoluted with many of the adjustment and settings tucked away in obscure locations. This is compounded by trackpad interface which controls a mouse pointer on the screen. While it is possible to customise the sensitivity of this trackpad, it's still the least preferred method of interacting with an infotainment system that we have encountered.

Audio is plumbed through a 10-speaker sound system that sounds respectable in this class for a standard fitment system. The 300 H receives a powerful Mark Levinson system that recreates the audio more accurately though.


BMW 3 Series
4/5

The new 2019 BMW 3 Series packs a considerable amount of punch in the infotainment stakes in this segment. Utilizing a large 9-inch touch screen (with an optional 10-inch screen as part of the Live Cockpit Professional package), the BMW has a system that is largely simplified and considerably more intuitive than in earlier years.

BMW has introduced a Mercedes-Benz-like voice activation system which owners can customize, doing away with the “Hey BMW” phrase in favour of a user-designated phrase for activation. The voice control will allow drivers to adjust settings, tweak climate control or even enter in a new navigation destination with plain English phrases. Saying, “I'm hot” will have the system adjust the cabin temperature without having to remove your hands from the wheel.

The system is Apple CarPlay equipped allowing for additional options and audio streaming but this deactivates the voice control system. A Harmon Kardon audio system is an optional extra but the standard system sounds impressive without having to go the route of the additional audio hardware offered by the Harmon Kardon system.


Mercedes-Benz C-Class
3/5

The C-Class was refreshed and given a facelift in 2018 with a number of new additions forming part of the upgrade. Of those was the bump to a larger 10.25-inch screen for the infotainment system and an improved operating system. Unfortunately, the COMAND system is still rather complex and while it will be familiar to previous Mercedes-Benz owners, those new to the brand will sit a while, trying to figure out the menu hierarchy and learning to use the console-mounted interface.

One of the areas that we would have liked to see an improvement is in the user interface as this system still uses the familiar rotary dial in the centre console that is shrouded by a touch-sensitive trackpad. This method of interacting with the system can be frustrating at times and one is left with a similar result from the steering wheel mounted controls.

Mercedes-Benz opted to fit the new C-Class with micro touch-pads on the steering wheel, allowing for free-form control over the infotainment system. This small black squares remind us of the BlackBerry days and prove to be equally frustrating at times. Despite these concerns, the system is robust enough to deliver respectable audio and has adequate functionality, including voice control, but not free-form voice recognition as found in the A-Class.