Edmunds Inside Line - Mercedes E550 Sport vs. BMW 550i Sport vs. Jaguar XF Premium

[Merc1]

Searching for the Ideal European V8 Sedan

Building an ideal executive-style luxury sedan is not an easy task for a carmaker. If the car turns out too soft and isolated, you lose enthusiasts who aren't quite ready to retire in a Lexus. Too complex or high-strung and you risk alienating your technology-challenged, soft-in-the-middle buyers who expect a measure of mindless comfort. Get the balance just right, and your five-passenger $60,000 midsize sedan will both impress with remarkable dynamics and indulge with palpable comfort.

We've gathered three such vehicles for this comparison: the 2009 BMW 550i, 2010 Jaguar XF Premium and 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport.

The 2009 BMW 550i is widely regarded as the benchmark among sporting luxury sedans with its imposing modern design, 360-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 and legendary sporting dynamics. For a car that's been around for five years, its reputation remains consistently impressive.

All-new in '09, the Jaguar XF now is available in a midlevel model, and this Jaguar XF Premium includes not only a new 385-hp direct-injection 5.0-liter V8 but also more standard features. Riding a 1st-place finish from the last time we collected four similar cars in 2008, the Brit car should be taken seriously.

The new-generation 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport stands a very good chance of improving on its previous 3rd-place finish. Sure, the 382-hp 5.5-liter V8 is a carryover item from the outgoing E-Class, yet Mercedes-Benz has spent a considerable sum to refine this ninth-generation E-Class into a car meant to define this segment of sedans.

The Big Picture
These three V8 sedans epitomize what their first-rate companies do best. The 550i, E550 Sport and XF Premium are not almost-there, entry-level luxury cars. Nor are they flamboyant accessories with dark-tinted windows, meant for cruising Sunset Boulevard. They aren't hard-core performance sedans, either.

Instead these are meat-of-the-biscuit vehicles that BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz promote as symbols of everything they know. They're the right size, and when equipped with V8s, they've got the right amount of effortless performance. In relative terms, they provide a value commensurate with the asking price. Driving any one of these three announces that you know the price of quality and can justify paying for it. And clearly you're smart enough to resist overpaying for more than you require.

Sure, there's a place for one-dimensional super-sport Nürburgring sport sedans. 500 hp? Check. Wide, grippy tires? Yep. Neck-snapping upshifts? Bam! Then you might be more interested in a comparison between the BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V and Mercedes C63 AMG, and that's over here. Everyday drivability, ride comfort, freedom from gas-guzzler taxes, the latest infotainment features and optional equipment? Well, not so much.

We're glad the 2009 BMW 550i, 2010 Jaguar XF Premium and 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport exist. This ideal trio goes 90 percent of the way to the M5, E63 AMG and XFR super sedans, yet they're 100 percent easier to live with and rewarding in ways the thoroughbreds are not.


1. Mercedes-Benz E550 Sport
2. Jaguar XF Premium
3. BMW 550i Sport


Full Story and Video: Edmunds Inside Line - Mercedes E550 Sport vs. BMW 550i Sport vs. Jaguar XF Premium


M

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Loving the fact the E is being praised as an excellent all rounder, and it brings back that special benz feeling, just like the S and C did.

 

[Mr Robert]

Like I have said for some time now, the new E-class is a stunner in almost every respect!

 

[Tarek]

Loving the fact the E is being praised as an excellent all rounder, and it brings back that special benz feeling, just like the S and C did.

Like I have said for some time now, the new E-class is a stunner in almost every respect!

Totally agree with u two.

PS,that E is the Elegance trimmed one but with the AMG kit,LEDs are absent.

 

[coolraoul]

Totally agree with u two.

PS,that E is the Elegance trimmed one but with the AMG kit,LEDs are absent.

Yeah, it's a funnily specced car: Elegance, AMG-pack (is it standard in the US?), but no Xenon so no LEDs DRL...

BTW, I agree, besides the disputable DRLs (double fogs or even the LEDs), this car is absolutely stunning.

 

[LaArtist]

Looks so damn nice on those pics..

 

[CarGuy]

Wow a test in which a Bimmer came last and especially the mini M5, 550i. What is this world coming to?

I really have no idea which I would take because I would have such a hard time deciding between the 3 and even the 2 Germans at that.

 

[CarGuy]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[GTA45E]

Now that was a very good unbiased review!
The journalist said these cars are ment for everyday use. Thay should deliver comfort and power plus the added advantage of having the best fuel economy.. The E-Class delivers here without excuses. It`s the best everyday German car.

I like the sport-package with the double foggers. Thay add a nice touch imo.

 

[Kowalski]

The Jaguar is the best looking car of the group.

 

[martinbo]

The Jaguar is the best looking car of the group.

If only it didn't have "Surprise-eyes"...

 

[coolraoul]

I like those eyes, they're original.
I'm more bothered by the Lexus GS side...

 

[martinbo]

Not nearly as original as you my good man, not nearly as original...

 

[coolraoul]

Not nearly as original as you my good man, not nearly as original...

Thanks!
I'll take it as a compliment and quote Mr. Wilde:

"Whenever people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong"

 

[cawimmer430]

Same thread on Carspin, different responses. Some folks mention the "Lexus GS" appearance to the Jaguar XF over there and one of the forum wise guys (this guy is really knowledgeable about cars) defends the design.

Link: E class vs BMW 5 vs Jag XF

 

[coolraoul]

^^ Don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying the Jag looks like a GS; it's only the side of both cars who bears a lot of similarities in the proportions, windowline, overall treatment. The Jag's however not as soft, and not as heavy as the Lexus.

On a whole, I love this Jag. The interior too is very appealing (never sat in it though).

It's the most emotional design of the three, easily. Closer from a CLS than from an E-Class. They nailed it this time. However, they could've put bit more effort into the side of the car.

 

[GTA45E]

The Jag looks good from the outside but the interior is extremely boring!!!

This looks like something from a 1970s office with the airvents hooked up to the outside windows, very bland!
I`m not a huge fan of the 5ers interior either but it`s better than this by a long shot.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I don't get the love affair everyone's got going for the new jags. They look so MUNDANE, and not to mention Ford like inside and out. Where's the 'heritage'?

 

[Shining Star]

I hear you. I personally find the XF very cartoony on the outside and cold on the inside.

 

[Merc1]

The XF IMO is a good looking car, but it really doesn't look like a Jaguar. That said I'd take the on in this test of the XFR in a minute. However my favorite Jaguars designwise are the XK and the XJ, the latter of which I hate to see go. Hopefully it doesn't wind up looking like an enlarged XF.


M