Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Mercedes Benz S-Class VS 2014 BMW 7 Near Scottsdale, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes S-Class have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW 7 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes S-Class 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.

The rear seatbelts optional on the S-Class inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The 7 Series doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

To help make backing safer, the S-Class’ optional cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the S-Class 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 and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 11th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 16th.

The S-Class has more powerful engines than the 7 Series:

Regardless of its engine, the S-Class’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The 7 Series 760Li doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The S-Class has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 7 Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 20.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the S-Class’ brake rotors are larger than those on the 7 Series:

The S-Class offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The 7 Series doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the S63’s front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 7 Series (F:255/45R19 & R:285/40R19 vs. F:245/35R21 & R:285/30R21).

The S-Class’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 740i’s standard 50 series tires.

The S-Class has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 7 Series, it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The front and rear suspension of the S-Class uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the 7 Series SWB, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The S-Class’ 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S-Class’ wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the 7 Series SWB (124.6 inches vs. 120.9 inches).

The S550 handles at .87 G’s, while the 750Li pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The design of the Mercedes S-Class amounts to more than styling. The S-Class has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the 7 Series (.3 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S-Class get better fuel mileage.

The S-Class has 9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 7 Series SWB (115 vs. 106).

The S-Class has .1 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 4.1 inches more rear legroom and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the 7 Series SWB.

The S-Class has a much larger trunk than the 7 Series SWB (19 vs. 14 cubic feet).

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the S-Class 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. It’s standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The S-Class has a 115 volt a/c outlet in the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters which can break or get misplaced. The 7 Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The S-Class was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” for 3 of the last 14 years. The 7 Series has never been an “All Star.”

The Mercedes S-Class outsold the BMW 7 Series by 6% during 2012.