Giant test THE DEFINITIVE VERDICT
BMW 5-SERIES I MERCEDES-BENZ E- CLASS
Bigger and cleverer than ever, the combustion-engined 5-series and E-Class are back for another round of the timeless duel
What we took for granted for so long suddenly seems quite exceptional. Two new premium cars, with not a single charging cable between them. But here they are, combustion-engined four-door saloons from BMW and Mercedes; in some ways doing what they’ve done for decades, in other ways very different. To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of their death have been greatly exaggerated.
In the past, the 5-series and E-Class were flag bearers for two different worlds. The BMW was as a rule the driver’s choice, more involving and dynamic, a sporty car for a clientele who pictured themselves in the fast lane of the autobahn, less so on urban boulevards. The Mercedes was typically a more comfort-orientated status symbol, safety-rich as well as notably plusher inside.
But the lines have recently blurred. Software became the prime innovation driver, AMG started challenging Mon all fronts and both marques sped off in the same direction, signposted premium luxury. Both Mercedes and BMW were also developing some unusually risky approaches to design – think EQE and EQS or 4- and 7-series. In the core segment, however, where 3-series and C-Class and 5-series and E-Class compete, the rivals still play it safe.
And yet when you open the door and step inside the 520i or the E220d, nothing is the way it was, and not every change is for the better. The new BMW looks almost anonymous inside, a hi-res gaming console with steering wheel attached, a couple of tablets next to each other plus a head-up display and a shiny centre stack not unlike the elaborate control panel for a high-end home entertainment system.
Our Benz welcomes its user with the XXL Superscreen (standard on some versions, an extra on lower-spec models), which is barely less intimidating than the XXXL Hyperscreen offered in even more upmarket models. Although you pay extra for leather and open-pore dark timber, there is barely any room left for these precious materials since almost all surfaces in the driver’s field of vision are already tiled with touchpads, monitors, brightwork, sensors and various adjustment devices. There is a passenger display to busy restless occupants.
There was a time when operating these models was intuitive and instantly gratifying, but those days are long gone. Starting the engine of the 520i is okay, but don’t shift into Drive before disconnecting the acoustic speed-limit warning and the lane-departure observer that never sleeps. That’s four stabs with the index finger and still zero yards travelled. It’s the same challenge in the E220d, where the symbols are even smaller and accordingly harder to hit. Can’t you store you
