Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain WagonVS 2023 BMW X5

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon 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 X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon. But it costs extra on the X5.

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and X5 offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The X5’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and the X5 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the BMW X5:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	190	209
Neck Injury Risk	30%	34%
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	308 lbs.
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	387/481 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	204	342
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	35%
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	220 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	257/308 lbs.	527/418 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is safer than the BMW X5:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	223 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	44 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 9 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s warranty.

Engine

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (362 vs. 335) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 331) than the X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is faster than the X5 40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	13.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	101 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon gets better mileage than the X5:

			MPG
E-Class All-Terrain Wagon
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/28 hwy
X5
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/25 hwy
		4.4 turbo V8	16 city/22 hwy

Both the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All E-Class All-Terrain Wagons have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon higher (6 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X5.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X5:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13.7 inches

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon stops much shorter than the X5:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 X5’s standard 50 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. Run-flat tires aren’t available on some tire packages on the X5.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’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 X5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain handles at .89 G’s, while the X5 xDrive pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E 450 4MATIC All-Terrain executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the X5 xDrive40i (26.2 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the X5’s (39 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain Wagon may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 700 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 5.8 inches narrower than the X5, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is 9.8 inches shorter in height than the X5, making the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Cargo Capacity

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
Third Seat Removed	35 cubic feet	33.9 cubic feet

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

	E-Class All-Terrain Wagon	X5
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	46.3”/78.9”	40.7”/70”
Max Width	43.3”	49”
Min Width	32.2”	44”
Height	32.2”	31.5”

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Ergonomics

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The X5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The E-Class All-Terrain Wagon has a 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 X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the BMW X5 isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or sedan.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon is less expensive to operate than the X5 because it costs $37 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class All-Terrain Wagon than the X5, including $993 less for a muffler, $140 less for front brake pads, $21 less for fuel injection, $144 less for a fuel pump, $269 less for front struts, $688 less for a timing belt/chain and $1061 less for a power steering pump.