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<\/p>\n<\/div>The front of the 2019 Mercedes C300, right, is an ornate sculpture of three-star grille and diamond-studded grille. The electric Tesla Model 3 doesn’t even have a grille.\u00a0(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n There are different luxury tastes. Some shoppers like ornate things, others prefer it simple.<\/p>\n Think of a diamond-encrusted necklace compared to a simple stone. A Rolex or\u00a0an Apple watch. A Tudor home or\u00a0the horizontal elegance of a Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style.<\/p>\n Add Mercedes C-class vs. Tesla Model 3 to the list.<\/p>\n These two\u00a0rear-wheel-drive based\u00a0icons offer styling that is as dramatically different as their gas-powered turbo-4\u00a0and electric powertrains. My $63,000 Mercedes-Benz C300 tester is the old-money classic. The $57,500 Tesla is the new-money rebel. Tuxedo or jacket casual. Grosse Pointe meets Ann Arbor.<\/p>\n Credit Tesla with not just pushing the envelope,\u00a0but establishing new class aspirations. But look a little closer and both cars want to take you to the same digital future.<\/p>\n After some stodgy years at the turn of the century, Mercedes’\u00a0exterior design has emerged as the segment\u2019s fashion plate. From its flowing lines to its diamond-studded grille, it\u2019s palace sculpture.<\/p>\n The Model 3 is a different aesthetic. It\u2019s iPhone simple from sleek shoulder lines to \u2014 well, it doesn\u2019t even have a grille, much less one with diamond studs. It eschews badging. The Tesla announces itself from the front with a simple \u201cT\u201d logo. The Mercedes? An \u201cM\u201d would never do. This ship\u2019s bow carries a giant three-pointed star.<\/p>\n Out back, the Mercedes provides more information with C300 and 4MATIC badging on the trunk announcing its unique class and drivetrain. The Tesla is naked. Not even a \u201c3.\u201d<\/p>\n Climb inside under their panoramic skylights and the differences are even more dramatic.<\/p>\n The Mercedes comes with a handsome, weighty doorknocker of a key. The Tesla\u2019s key is a Visa-shaped card that fits in your wallet.<\/p>\n Push the start\u00a0button and the dapper German\u2019s turbo-4 shudders to life. Slide into the battery-powered Tesla and it\u2019s already on,\u00a0having recognized your key card (assuming you didn\u2019t\u00a0summon it from its parking space via Tesla\u2019s phone app). Oh, these Silicon Valley engineers are clever.<\/p>\n The cabin of the Mercedes is like something out of Neuschwanstein Castle. The decoration is exquisite. Lush console wood, chromed oval vents, tanned leather. The steering wheel has more buttons than a Wurlitzer organ. The doors are laid out with so much silverware \u2014 seat controls, Burmester speakers \u2014 that it could be an ambassador\u2019s dinner table. All that\u2019s missing is a chandelier.<\/p>\n The Tesla is remarkably minimal. A polished plank of wood spans the dash with a giant 15-inch tablet hanging in the middle. The cabin is monochrome black. There are just two buttons on the steering wheel. No vent ornaments. No door-mounted controls. No ornate speakers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s as if Rubens and Mondrian painted a car in the same year.<\/p>\n Behind the divergent designs, however, both automakers have labored to make high-tech, driver-centric products.<\/p>\n Those buttons on the Mercedes\u00a0steering wheel mean you can thumb through multiple menus without taking your hands off the wheel. More information \u2014 navigation, speed limit \u2014 is available in a head-up display floating above the hood. Other commands are voice-operated \u2014\u00a0\u201cSet the cabin temperature to 72 degrees.”\u00a0<\/em>Navigating to a destination requires only a direct command \u2014\u00a0\u201cNavigate to Detroit Metro Airport\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 rather than having to enter a full address.<\/p>\n The Mercedes’ commands can be hit-or-miss (this is not the latest MBUX system I recently experienced in the A220 sedan) and will get better with the next generation.<\/p>\n The Tesla is state of the art. Voice commands are as good as your phone. The big screen seems a distraction until you realize that almost everything\u00a0is automatic \u2014 headlights, wipers, even music requests:\u00a0\u201cPlay the Rolling Stones.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Speaking of automatic, the C300 and Model 3 are desperate to drive themselves.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let them. These are Level 2 systems far removed from fully autonomous Level 4.\u00a0But they are competent within limits.<\/p>\n The Mercedes is controlled via cockpit buttons in plain sight. Tesla settings are automatically configured in the screen. Engage the systems (C300 via the cruise-control button, Model 3 via a double pull on the shift stalk) and instrument icons light up letting you know the cars are in charge.<\/p>\n Both systems are true to the road with\u00a0no ping-ponging between lines. Both can automatically change lanes with the pull of a turn signal (and both are smart enough not to if another car is present). Both will come to a stop behind another car \u2014 then start up again. Over time the Tesla\u2019s system proves superior, in part because of over-the-air updates like the new Navigate on Autopilot.<\/p>\n Design is a powerful statement of self. But what will ultimately force your choice between these cars is their power source.<\/p>\n My friend Rick, an experienced\u00a0luxury-car connoisseur, jumped into both cars and was instantly enamored with the 3\u2019s performance. It\u2019s a tiger. The steering is rooted to the ground, the 307\u00a0pound-feet of torque as instant as a lightning bolt. The hills of Oakland County were our playground.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tesla is just so much fun to drive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Mercedes is tight enough, but handling has never been the brand\u2019s forte. The steering is numb, the turbo-4 engine \u2014 smooth as it is with a dual-clutch, 9-speed automatic \u2014 seems coarse after the Tesla\u2019s liquid torque.<\/p>\n But the Mercedes will go 574 miles (highway) on a fill-up. And when it runs out, it will fill up again at the nearest filling station in just five minutes.<\/p>\n The 325-mile range Tesla, by contrast, is a car for defined commutes. Install a 240-volt charger in your home and draw a driving radius as to where you need to drive. Lansing? OK. Pittsburgh? You\u2019ll need to plan. Sure, the Tesla\u2019s navigation is superb, telling you exactly where Tesla\u2019s network of superchargers are along the way. But each stop requires at least half-hour to top up on electrons.<\/p>\n Speaking of planning, repairs to the Tesla will take a month via mobile service units, since Michigan bans Tesla dealers. There is no such ban on the German’s service centers.<\/p>\n Given the Tesla\u2019s range and service limitations, its strong sales numbers are testament to how different its design is. After last year\u2019s flood of orders (to curious folks like me), sales have steadied at about 6,000 a month \u2014 similar to the beautifully decorated Mercedes.<\/p>\n One last detail about these very different masters. The C300 and Model 3 use the same transmission stalk. Just like Rubens and Mondrian used the same sable paint brush.<\/p>\n