BMW and Mercedes-Benz are two of the most luxurious car companies in the country. Many people dream of driving a vehicle of this caliber, and both are incredibly popular among car buyers. Just about everyone can say that we see these cars driving along the roads on a regular basis, but the question remains—is BMW or Mercedes-Benz more popular in the United States?

A history of two of the most popular German car companies in the United States

BMW made its debut in the United States in 1956. At the time, however, a buyer simply couldn’t walk in to a dealership and purchase a car like they do today. Instead, the vehicle had to be delivered from abroad and for a few years, the company was in a financial slump.

This ended in 1959, and right after the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, things began to look on the bright side for BMW. The BMW New Class compact sedans were introduced in 1972, and four years later, the BMW 3 Series luxury coupes. In 1986, the first luxury sedan hit the market, and in 1994, production began outside of Germany.

Mercedes-Benz has a rich history as well, originally founded in 1965. It was Max Hoffman, the man who helped cement the identity of this iconic vehicle with the 300SL gullwing that every car enthusiast will surely recognize. It was after entering a distribution agreement with Studebaker-Packard Corporation that Mercedes-Benz USA was officially formed.

What were the year-end 2022 and Q1 2023 sales for both car companies?

According to BMW Group, 2022 was a pretty strong year for the automaker. The company sold 332,388 passenger vehicles in 2022, and in Q1 2023, their sales came in at 82,466.

By contrast, Mercedes-Benz sold 286,764 passenger vehicles in 2022, and ended the first quarter of 2023 with 61,531 sales.

These numbers however, don’t include sales of vans such as the Sprinter and Metris because they aren’t considered passenger vehicles. So, which car is more popular in the United States? Based on the sales, it looks like BMW is the more favorable choice.

Their two most popular models are SUVs

Drivers are leaning more towards the BMW brand, however, their two most popular models are both midsize SUVs. The 2023 BMW X5 and the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE have slightly different starting prices with the X5 starting at $61,600, and the GLE coming in at $57,700.

Both a pretty comfortable interior and many features are comparable. An adjustable steering wheel, auto-off headlights, a hands-free liftgate, and a driver vanity mirror come standard in both vehicles, among many other optional features. Both SUVs have an automatic transmission, and the cars are about the same size as well.

Based on the comparison between the two most popular models of the two automakers, it appears to be a close race, however, the X5 outrivals its competitor just a bit.