Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2022 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 and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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.

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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the E-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 7 Series has not been tested, yet.

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 Sedan’s warranty.

As tested in Motor Trend the E 450 4MATIC Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the 745e 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the E-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the 7 Series running its gasoline engine:

The E-Class Sedan 350’s standard fuel tank has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the 7 Series 745e’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 (6 out of 10) than the BMW 7 Series (3). This means the E-Class Sedan produces up to 23.4 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.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the E-Class Sedan 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 7 Series.

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 745e xDrive pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the 745e xDrive (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26.1 seconds @ .73 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the E 350 Sedan’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the 740i’s (38.1 feet vs. 42 feet). The E 450 4MATIC Sedan’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the 7 Series xDrive’s (39 feet vs. 42.4 feet).

The Mercedes E-Class Sedan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 950 pounds less than the BMW 7 Series.

The E-Class Sedan is 1 foot shorter than the Alpina B7, making the E-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The E-Class Sedan is 1 foot, 1.1 inches shorter than the 7 Series.

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.

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 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 $2850 to $10990 less than the 7 Series over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class Sedan is less expensive to operate than the 7 Series because it costs $237 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class Sedan than the 7 Series, including $75 less for a water pump, $134 less for front brake pads, $91 less for fuel injection, $97 less for a fuel pump, $1793 less for front struts, $239 less for a timing belt/chain and $772 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes E-Class Sedan will be $31835 to $93254 less than for the BMW 7 Series.

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The 7 Series has never been chosen.

The Mercedes E-Class/CLS outsold the BMW 7 Series by over three to one during 2022.