Should You Buy BMW, Mercedes Benz or Porsche? (3 Flagship Models)

This article will compare BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche and answer the following questions: which is better?   where are the factories of BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche located? Which are the flagship models sold by BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche? 

Which is the best BMW, Mercedes Benz or the Porsche?

Mercedes Benz is the best compared to BMW and Porsche. The following table list all the key information regarding the three companies.

Mercedes Benz produces 2,164,187 units globally and there are more than 25 models currently on sale in international markets. BMW is the closest competitor of Mercedes Benz with similar production output but Porsche is only focused on sports cars and cannot compete against BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Where is the headquarters of Mercedes Benz AG?

The headquarters of Mercedes Benz AG is located in Germany and the company also owns sister companies like Mercedes AMG, and Mercedes Maybach the latest addition is Mercedes Benz EQ.

Mercedes Benz along with a few other automotive car manufacturers have shown their commitment to sustainable cars and according to the spokesperson of Mercedes Benz AG, the company will shift to fully electric drivetrains by 2040. The latest fully electric car include EQS, EQA, EQE and EQC. 

Where is the headquarters of BMW?

BMW is a multinational automotive company located in Germany that manufactures premium passager cars and motorcycles. The headquarters of BMW is in Munich and it is the second choice for premium cars after Mercedes Benz.

 BMW also has subbrands like M power, Motorrad, MINI and Rolls Royce, the Mpower division is focused on creating high-performance models of road-going cars. 

Motorrad manufactures adventure tourers and sports motorcycles and BMW sells products like the Mini Cooper and Phantom under the MINI and Rolls Royce badging. 

Where is the headquarters of Porsche?

Porsche headquarters is also located in Stuttgart and the Company is famous for manufacturing high-performance sports cars. Porsche also makes SUVs and sedans, currently, Porsche is owned by the Volkswagen group that is popular for making the iconic VW Beetle and today VW makes small cars like VW polo and Scirocco.

The following table shows the number of models and approximate production figures of BMW. Mercedes Benz and Porsche.

Where are Mercedes Benz Factories Located?

Mercedes Benz has factories in Germany as well as the rest of the world but the main factory is located in Stuttgart. Stuttgart manufacturing plant will also become a global hub for the production and distribution of high voltage batteries and components. The Stuttgart factory also ships completely knockdown kits to factories located in the rest of the world where they are assembled with few locally sourced parts. Mercedes Benz has assembly plants in 17 countries across 4 continents.

Following are a few of the Mercedes Benz factories.

• Bremen, Germany
• East London, South Africa
• Hambach, France
• Iracemápolis, Brazil
• Kecskemet, Hungary
• Rastatt, Germany
• Sindelfingen, Germany
• Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Pekan, Indonesia
• Pune, India
• Affalterbach, Germany
• Arnstadt, Germany
• Berlin, Germany
• Cugir, Romania
• Hamburg, Germany
• Kolla, Germany

Where are BMW factories located?

BMW has factories in Germany and in the rest of the world too. The majority of production takes place in Munich, Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig, Germany and cars are then shipped to international markets. BMW Germany factory also makes completely knock-down kits that can be shipped to other assembling plants located in international markets.

Some models like the 3 series are also assembled in south-east Asia countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Following are some of the international markets with BMW factories:

• Austria: Graz
• United States: Spartanburg
• Mexico: San Luis Potosí
• South Africa: Rosslyn
• India: Chennai
• China: Shenyang
• Brazil: Araquari

Where are the Porsche factories located? 

Porsche factories are located in Germany and although the production of a few models like Boxster and Cayman was moved to Finland, after the expansion of the  Zuffenhausen plant all the production now takes place in Germany. 

Models like the Cayenne and Panamera are manufactured in Leipzig, Germany, and a few components apart from the engines for the SUV are also assembled in the Volkswagen Touareg factory in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2021 Porsche declared plans to set up another production factory in Malaysia.

Which are the flagship models sold by BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche?

The flagship models of BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche are BMW 7 series, S Class and the 911 respectively. Following are some of the details:

• Mercedes Benz S Class

The Mercedes Benz S class is focused on giving maximum comfort and luxury. There are inline 6, V8 and V12 petrol engine models with more  than 600 horsepower under the hood. The S class is currently in the seventh generation and features the most advanced driver assistance systems on board. 

The driver assistance systems are capable of driving the s class without any inputs from the driver. S class also sets a benchmark in safety by featuring a first-in-class rear passenger airbag located on the backside of the front seats. 

There is  AIRMATIC suspension with sports and comfort modes on front and rear axles, the suspension has active body control systems and can vary the damping rates based on the mode selected. This gives more versatility to the handling characteristics of the S class.

• BMW 7 series

The BMW 7 Series is the range-topping model from BMW, it comes  in sedan and extended wheelbase body types. The extended wheelbase version is popular in markets like China, Malaysia and India. Similar to the Mercedes Benz S Class, the 7 series BMW always features the latest technologies and the series 5 and 3 series models are also updated.

The sixth generation of the 7 series was launched in 2015 with a facelift model introduced in 2019. Even though the main focus of BMW cars is on handling and performance, the 7 series has great comfort levels. 

It is powered by a 4.4 V 8 engine which produced 530 horsepower and 750 Nm of torque, there is an M-powered version of the 7 series with a V 12 engine producing almost 600 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque. It is regarded as the final V12 engine produced by BMW in production cars.

• 911

The Porsche 911 is the most iconic sports car and Porsche has kept the overall design language unchanged since its introduction in 1964. The 911 is also named the most reliable car by the Technical inspection association of Germany.

The latest Porsche 911 internal naming 992 comes with three engine options which are 3.0 and 3.7 litres twin-turbocharged flat-six engines and the more sporty 911 GT3 gets the 4.0-litre flat-six engines. The power output ranges from 380 horsepower to 500 horsepower.

The Porsche 911 is a 2-door sports car and although there are 4-door options it is not popular among car enthusiasts. The comfort levels are also not as good as the BMW 7 series or the S Class as the suspension setup includes a standard coil-over springs setup. However as the engine is flat 6 and mounted low down to the ground on the rear axle, it is a very good handling car.

Other articles about  BMW you may be interested in

Which is Better: BMW X6 or Mercedes Benz GLE coupe?

BMW 3 Series or Mercedes Benz C Class?

What is the cost of ownership for BMW and Mercedes Benz?

Conclusion

Mercedes Benz comes out on Top as the sheer number of models and presence in the global market far exceed that of BMW and Porsche. When it comes to reliability and ease of ownership too Mercedes Benz is far ahead of the competition followed by BMW and Porsche.