Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are three of the best German luxury car manufacturers. These brands produce a great selection of cars, with the A8, 7 Series, and S Class sitting at the top of the sedan lineup. These luxury sedans have a lot to offer, with Audi boasting the lowest price of $88,900, BMW retaining its fun-to-drive character, and Mercedes-Benz doubling down on luxury. Our Audi vs BMW vs Mercedes-Benz comparison helps you find the best German luxury sedan.
Trims and Pricing
Audi
2024 Audi A8 Pricing
| A8 L | $88,900 |
Audi is among the few brands that keep everything simple with its lineup. In the U.S., the 2024 Audi A8 is available in one well-equipped trim level that comes standard with an extended wheelbase. The 2024 Audi A8 L comes with everything you would want from a luxury sedan. It also has a great starting price of $88,900, and it includes 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive damping, automatic LED headlights, a power moonroof, rain-sensing wipers, tri-zone climate control, dual infotainment screens, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a full suite of driver assistance systems, etc.
BMW
2024 BMW 7 Series Pricing
| 740i | $96,400 |
| 750e xDrive | $107,000 |
| 760i xDrive | $121,300 |
BMW offers three 2024 7 Series trims: 740i, 750e xDrive, and 760i xDrive. The entry-level 2024 BMW 7 Series gets a great selection of standard features, including an adaptive air suspension, a power trunk lid, a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch alloy wheels, soft close doors, etc. BMW fits the base 740i with a well-appointed interior, offering creature comforts like four-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, etc.
Mercedes-Benz
2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class Pricing
| S 500 4MATIC | $114,500 |
| S 580e 4MATIC | $122,550 |
| S 580 4MATIC | $124,000 |
For the 2023 model year, Mercedes-Benz offers three S Class trims: S 500 4MATIC, S 580e 4MATIC, and S 580 4MATIC. The base 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 500 receives a well-equipped interior featuring adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery, wireless charging, a modern infotainment system, a surround-view camera, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, etc. Mercedes offers an optional AMG Line package with an exterior body kit, AMG floor mats, special wheels, and brushed aluminum pedals.
Engine, Performance, and Transmission
The 2024 Audi A8 is available with one engine option, a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. This engine pairs with an 8-speed automatic transmission, allowing the A8 to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
The base 2024 BMW 740i uses a reasonably potent turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine with 375 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. The engine pairs with an 8-speed automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels. BMW also offers a 740i xDrive with all-wheel drive capability. While the base model sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, the all-wheel drive variant does it in 4.9 seconds. The hybrid variant adds an electric motor to the base engine, producing 483 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. BMW’s top-of-the-line 760i xDrive uses a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 536 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque.
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class lineup has three powertrain options: a turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine, a turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder hybrid engine, and a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. All-wheel drive is standard on all models, and the engines mate to a responsive 9-speed automatic transmission. These engines produce 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque, 510 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, and 496 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, respectively.
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Fuel Economy and Estimated Annual Fuel Costs
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Audi’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 has an impressive fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. The 2024 Audi A8 has a 21.7-gallon fuel tank, while the 2023 model has an annual fuel cost of $3,050. However, despite having a less powerful engine, the Audi A8 has the worst fuel economy compared to the other base sedans from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The 2024 BMW 740i sedan has the best fuel economy rating of 25 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined. All gasoline-powered 2024 BMW 7 Series models get a 19.5-gallon fuel tank, with the 740i getting an annual fuel cost estimate of $2,500. The more powerful 2024 BMW 760i xDrive sedan gets a lower fuel economy rating of 18 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined. It also gets a higher annual fuel cost of $3,500.
The base S 500 4MATIC gets the second-best fuel economy rating of the three sedans. It manages 20 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. Both the 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 500 and S580 4MATIC have a 22.1-gallon tank, with the base variant getting an annual fuel cost of $3,050 and the top trim S 580 getting a higher annual fuel cost of $3,700.
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580 4MATIC gets the lowest fuel economy rating in the lineup. It manages 16 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. The S 580 also manages 420 miles of total range, while the S 500 outperforms it with 508 miles of total range.
Interior Room and Cargo Space
Interior Proportions
| 2024 Audi A8 | 2024 BMW 7 Series | 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class | |
| Front Headroom | 38.3 inches | 39.8 inches | 42.1 inches |
| Front Legroom | 41.5 inches | 41.2 inches | 41 inches |
| Rear Headroom | 38.5 inches | 38.6 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Read Legroom | 44.3 inches | 43.3 inches | 43.8 inches |
| Trunk Space | 12.5 cu.ft | 19.1 cu.ft | 19.4 cu.ft |
The 2024 Audi A8 has one of the best interiors in the luxury sedan segment. Thanks to using an extended wheelbase, the A8 offers class-leading legroom for the rear occupants. The A8’s cabin feels luxurious, thanks to the leather-wrapped surfaces. Its infotainment system is also intuitive, especially the latest Audi dual-screen configuration with the lower screen handling temperature controls for the cabin and seats. The upper screen provides access to music, navigation, and hands-free calls.
BMW’s 2024 7 Series sedan has an elegant interior with an expansive widescreen that integrates the digital gauge cluster with the infotainment touchscreen. The interior gets a futuristic design with minimal clutter, similar to most modern electric vehicles. All 2024 BMW 7 Series models get quality interior materials, with even the base 740i getting leather upholstery.
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class has plenty of screens on offer. As standard, the driver gets a 12.3-inch digital cluster and a larger 12.8 portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen at the center of the dash. The driver can control the digital gauge cluster from the touchpoints on the steering wheel. This screen offers multiple display formats, including one that shows the car and surrounding vehicles and another with a full map mode.
Infotainment and Technology
The 2024 Audi A8 has an all-screen infotainment system with a 10.1-inch upper screen and an 8.6-inch lower screen. The lower screen controls the MMI Touch Response system, but most functions are accessible through steering wheel controls. Audi retains the traditional volume knob in the console, breaking up the smooth, screen-filled interior.
All 2024 BMW 7 Series models get a large 14.9 infotainment touchscreen with BMW’s latest iDrive 8.5 system. While BMW’s infotainment display is quite impressive, the lack of buttons makes it harder to make some fairly simple adjustments like seat heating or ventilation. BMW also offers an optional Theatre Screen, which utilizes a 31.3-inch display mounted on the ceiling of the 7 Series. The screen uses the onboard 5G cellular data, allowing rear-seat passengers to browse the web and stream their favorite movies on Netflix. The rear seat passengers can easily interact with the display via the touchscreen displays on the door panels.
All 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class models get a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a larger 12.8-inch portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen. The driver’s display is bright and sharp and uses a powerful processor for a lag-free experience.
Safety Features
Audi fits the 2024 A8 sedan with most of the same driver assistance technologies as other high-end sedans. Among the features include adaptive cruise assist with lane guidance, top view camera system, intersection assist, Audi side assist with pre-sense rear, and remote parking assist plus.
All 2024 BMW 7 Series models come with plenty of standard safety features, including adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams, parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and BMW’s self-parking system. BMW also offers an optional Driving Assistance Professional Package with adaptive cruise control, advanced lane keeping, and a new hands-free driving feature on select highways.
Mercedes fits the 2023 S Class with plenty of active safety features, including lane keeping assist, front cross-traffic warning, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitor, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, passenger exit warning, and enhanced blind spot monitoring. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class also gets plenty of innovative features, including an active suspension that can lift the sedan up to reduce the severity of damage during a crash and rear seat airbags.
For more information about the safety of the 2024 A8, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.
Warranty Coverage
Audi designed the 2024 A8 to make owners feel special despite having average warranty coverage. The 2024 Audi A8 gets a 10-year or 100,000-mile long-term warranty, a four-year or 50,000-mile limited warranty, and a four-year or 50,000-mile powertrain warranty.
BMW offers the 2024 7 Series lineup with great warranty coverage, including a 4-year or 50,000-mile limited warranty, a 4-year or 50,000-mile powertrain warranty, and a 3-year or 36,000-mile complimentary maintenance cover. The additional complimentary maintenance sets the 7 Series apart from its German rivals, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
Unfortunately, Mercedes doesn’t offer the best warranty coverage compared to rivals like Audi or BMW. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S Class gets a 4-year or 50,000-mile limited warranty and a 4-year or 50,000-mile powertrain warranty. There’s no complimentary scheduled maintenance cover like that from BMW.