2026 BMW 5 Series vs 2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The BMW 5 Series is one of three cars that prove the country known for Autobahns, the Nürburgring, and Oktoberfest builds the best luxury sedans on the planet. It competes with the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, each taking a distinct approach to design but measuring up closely in other parameters. The 2026 5 Series is virtually unchanged, entering its third year following a 2024 redesign.

Verdict: Putting BMW’s love-it-or-hate-it design aside, the 2026 5 Series is a sensational automobile offering the right blend of luxury, technology, and performance. Choose the M Sport setup for maximum driving enjoyment, or stick with the standard specification to emphasize luxury. Either way, the styling is the most controversial thing about the 5 Series.

Available as a sedan or as a wagon, the 2026 E-Class lineup adds a new bit of kit in the form of a standard biometric fingerprint scanner to authenticate saved driver profiles. The bigger news is the debut of the AMG E 53 Hybrid wagon variant, which offers plug-in hybrid efficiency combined with AMG-engineered performance. It joins an E-Class family that also includes the E 350 Sedan, the E 450 Sedan, the E 450 All-Terrain Wagon, and the AMG E 53 Hybrid Sedan.

Verdict: Anyone suffering from SUV fatigue will find a lot to like about the 2026 Mercedes E-Class wagon, especially the AMG-tuned model. It offers electric-only propulsion for short trips, a gasoline engine for long-distance drives, impressive performance, and plenty of utility.