2019 Mercedes E-Class Sedan vs. 2019 BMW 7 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class Sedan are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The rear seatbelts optional on the E-Class Sedan inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The 7 Series doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

Both the E-Class Sedan and the 7 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Good” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the E-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2018, a rating granted to only 28 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 7 Series has not been tested, yet.

There are over 10 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

The E-Class Sedan 300’s standard fuel tank has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the 7 Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 12.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes E-Class Sedan higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW 7 Series (3). This means the E-Class Sedan produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 7 Series every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the 7 Series.

The E-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the 7 Series:

The E-Class Sedan’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 7 Series’ standard 50 series tires.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 7 Series doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC handles at .93 G’s, while the 740e xDrive pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 740e xDrive (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E-Class Sedan’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the 740i’s (38.2 feet vs. 42 feet). The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the 750i’s (39 feet vs. 42.3 feet).

The Mercedes E-Class Sedan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1000 pounds less than the BMW 7 Series.

The E-Class Sedan is 1 foot shorter than the 7 Series, making the E-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the E 300 Sedan 4MATIC is quieter than the 750i xDrive (67 vs. 68 dB).

The E-Class Sedan’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The 7 Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mercedes service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, BMW is ranked 8th.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The 7 Series doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The 7 Series doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The E-Class Sedan offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the BMW 7 Series isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or station wagon.

Insurance will cost less for the E-Class Sedan owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the E-Class Sedan will cost $1455 to $9485 less than the 7 Series over a five-year period.

The E-Class Sedan will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the E-Class Sedan will retain 38.57% to 39.14% of its original price after five years, while the 7 Series only retains 30.92% to 36.65%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes E-Class Sedan will be $29849 to $74837 less than for the BMW 7 Series.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mercedes E-Class Sedan and the BMW 7 Series, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The E-Class was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2018. The 7 Series has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Mercedes E-Class outsold the BMW 7 Series by over five to one during the 2018 model year.