[leofuxing]

Hello, Has anybody cross shopped this new generation 5 series vs the new generation E class? Curious for those who tried both cars what made you decide to go with the 5?

[mwilson122]

This probably isn't the direct cross-shopping answer you're looking for, but since you haven't gotten any replies yet let me try and chime in.

I personally have owned three E-class and three S-class vehicles, for a combined driving time of probably over 15 years. I have also previously owned one single BMW, a 5-series, the F10, back in 2013 or so, for two years. It was by far the most engaging, fun, driving experience of my life, so much so that I sold my last S 500 (a 2022 model) and got an i5 last December, a decision that gets validated every single time I get in the car and start driving.

This is, again, my very personal opinion and thus take it with a generous grain of salt, but I find the current MB offerings (E and S classes, have no experience with others) no doubt luxurious but somewhat devoid of personality. They do check many boxes; however, collectively they don't quite "gel" for me. The 5 series is not as luxurious (and has some questionable materials choices with plastic in more areas than I'd like to have seen) but more than makes up through sheer driving enjoyment. I connect with the i5 in ways I never did with any of the MB E and S. I also happen to find the star branding on the new E class (such as in the tail lights) a bit over the top.

If I could offer a non-scientific summary to the MB experience, it would be "detached luxury." It's top notch but lacks soul. Like fashion models, with their "I don't really want to be here, I'm too good for this" look. The 5 series on the other hand is the girl next door you go to dinner with at a non-Michelin-starred restaurant and manage to have a fantastic time together.

[Scrapula]

I cross shopped with the Lucid Grand Touring. The Lucid has more range, faster charging, leather, massaging seats, Dolby Atmos sound, more room inside and more storage. What it lacked was sportiness. It’s faster than the i5 but doesn’t feel like it. I preferred the styling of the i5 as well.

[mwilson122]

Originally Posted by Scrapula

I cross shopped with the Lucid Grand Touring. The Lucid has more range, faster charging, leather, massaging seats, Dolby Atmos sound, more room inside and more storage. What it lacked was sportiness. It’s faster than the i5 but doesn’t feel like it. I preferred the styling of the i5 as well.

I never got the appeal of massage seats. My wife on the other hand, while I owned S-classes, would never, and this literally means not a single time, get in the car and not activate the massage. . The sounds of inflatable bladders or whatever they used in those seats drove me crazy.

[PsychDoc]

I cross shopped the E-Class but was turned off when they had significant delays. I liked the exterior looks of the E-Class and the interior is very nice at first glance but looks tacky at night where it has a "Tokyo at night" vibe.
But most importantly the bulletproof reliability of the BMW was in another league compared with the E-Class. As someone who buys my vehicles and drives them for 6-7 years, reliability is a major concern for me. My previous two 5 series were solid as a rock and required virtually no servicing outside of oil changes, alignment and break pads. So far, after a year, my 540xi has had zero maintenance issues.
My friend got the new E-Class and has had quality control issues with it as soon as he picked it up. The heads up display didn't work and the passenger side window didn't go all the way up. My other consideration was the B58 engine (I'd never consider a 4 cylinder engine in a midsized car like this) which is simply the very best mass produced 6 cylinder engine ever made (IMO). To be fair, the newer inline 6 in the E-Class is very good, smooth and powerful, but nothing can compare to the B58. So, in spite of concerns about the exterior appearance of the G60, I pulled the trigger - my third 6 cylinder 5 series. The appearance has grown on me - especially the headlights and rear view. From the side it still looks ungainly and overweight. The E-Class now just looks pleasant enough but is really quite forgettable.

[AlteBMW]

We turned in a 23 MB E450 wagon for a '25 530i and my wife could not be happier. The MB interior was more luxurious but the MB electronics made both of us crazy. We both had shouting matches with the car (the car won). Say what you want about Idrive. It is not perfect but once you get used to it it is easy to work. And the 4 cylinder 530 to her handles better and accelerates better than the 6 cylinder E450. The E also had some computer and camera problems that were PITAs.

[wknddrivr]

I have a 2022 E450 and have had nothing but issues with it. I’m just over 50k miles and the car has spent over 140 days in for service. I’ve tried 5 Mercedes dealers, most are incompetent except for 1. Like the previous poster, some of my issues were the parking cameras failing, the stereophonic driver assistance camera failing, and various other electronic glitches, mechanical failures and rattles and build quality problems.

I also had a 2017 530 which was an excellent car and never had an unscheduled service visit aside to check something for a recall. I tried the e class because I’ve always had BMWs and wanted something more laid back this time around.

I would say the e class is a nice looking car on the surface but the G30 5 series was better built, had nicer materials, better ergonomics, and generally was better thought out. Mercedes cuts corners in places they don’t think you’ll notice. The e450 has dual zone climate control but only single zone fan vs the 5 series which had independent fan control. The driver side footwell of the e450 is comfortable but if you sit on the passenger side, the footwell curves in so you’re sitting with one foot further extended than the other. If you’re test driving the car and you don’t sit in the passenger seat you wouldn’t notice this. The Mercedes seat memory system makes no sense at all. You can’t tie it to a key. I share the car with someone much shorter than me, and after she drives I get in the car and it goes to her position and crushes me. I have to wait for the infotainment system to boot up before I can select my profile and get to my seat position. Even after I select my profile, I still have to press the physical memory position button on the door because only the seat adjusts when you select your profile but you need to press the button to get the mirror to adjust.

The new generation e450 is a nice looking car but Mercedes is a crap company resting on their laurels. Their cars are styled well but underneath the veneer you find a poorly engineered piece of garbage.

I don’t have a G60 yet, but it’s high on my list of options for a replacement when the warranty is over on my e450

I have sat in the G60 a few times and the w214 but haven’t test driven them yet. The w214 interior design is more opulent but the g60 feels better built and more expensive even if some of the interior material choices are lower budget than the G30

[Country91]

So for me it was down to the E450 vs the 540i. After test driving them both and discussing them both I went with the 540i (obviously because I’m on this thread). While both are very nice I felt the Bimmer had an edge on sportiness while the Mercedes led on luxury IMO. Ultimately the familiarity with BMW, technology and 540i performance along with about $ 8k less price tag led me to the 540i X drive. I typically keep a car between 8 - 12 years and plan to keep this one for a while. It’s only been a month but very happy with it! Follow your dreams….

[wknddrivr]

Originally Posted by wknddrivr

I have a 2022 E450 and have had nothing but issues with it. I’m just over 50k miles and the car has spent over 140 days in for service. I’ve tried 5 Mercedes dealers, most are incompetent except for 1. Like the previous poster, some of my issues were the parking cameras failing, the stereophonic driver assistance camera failing, and various other electronic glitches, mechanical failures and rattles and build quality problems.

I also had a 2017 530 which was an excellent car and never had an unscheduled service visit aside to check something for a recall. I tried the e class because I’ve always had BMWs and wanted something more laid back this time around.

I would say the e class is a nice looking car on the surface but the G30 5 series was better built, had nicer materials, better ergonomics, and generally was better thought out. Mercedes cuts corners in places they don’t think you’ll notice. The e450 has dual zone climate control but only single zone fan vs the 5 series which had independent fan control. The driver side footwell of the e450 is comfortable but if you sit on the passenger side, the footwell curves in so you’re sitting with one foot further extended than the other. If you’re test driving the car and you don’t sit in the passenger seat you wouldn’t notice this. The Mercedes seat memory system makes no sense at all. You can’t tie it to a key. I share the car with someone much shorter than me, and after she drives I get in the car and it goes to her position and crushes me. I have to wait for the infotainment system to boot up before I can select my [...]

As if the 140 days in for service thus far hasn’t been enough, the air suspension failed today and is stuck. I have a warning indicator telling me not to go over 50mph and the air pump keeps running but nothing happens.