Mercedes-Benz and BMW unveiled the current E-Class and 5 Series within a month of each other in 2023. Buyers are clearly favoring one over the other so far this year, and those in Stuttgart have to be a bit disappointed with the trend. The 5 Series is outselling the E-Class and its other rivals by a wide margin.
Automotive News Europe reported on numbers published by Dataforce that show BMW sold about 5,000 more cars than Mercedes through the first four months of the year. That’s despite both models seeing sizeable sales increases compared to the same period in 2024. Sales for the 5 Series and E-Class are up 56 percent and 19 percent, respectively, according to the data.
The E-Class barely outsold the Audi A6/S6, which saw a 10 percent increase, but both crushed the Volvo S90/V90, Lexus ES, and the Audi A6/A7. BMW’s electric i5 also outsold its other electrified rivals, squeaking past the Audi A6 E-Tron—8,843 versus 7,460 units. Mercedes sold just 3,740 EQE sedans.
Completely missing from the list is the Jaguar XF, which the automaker stopped building in the middle of 2024. The brand is undergoing a bold reimagining that will move the automaker upmarket to compete with Bentley, Maybach, and Porsche.
The Ghibli, at the bottom of the list, is another discontinued model. Maserati announced it would end the car’s production in 2024, leaving buyers with fewer choices, which makes the current iterations of the 5 Series and E-Class even more important to their respective brands as they battle for customers.
