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BMW 520d vs. Mercedes-Benz E 220d Is a Battle of 2-Liter Diesels

Not all 5 Series or E-Class buyers go for the smaller four-cylinder engines. But those who do still care a lot about performance. After all, they could have bought a front-wheel drive Volvo S90 instead. But which German company makes the best new 2-liter diesel limousine?
BMW 520d vs. Mercedes-Benz E 220d Is a Battle of 2-Liter Diesels 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
BMW 520d vs. Mercedes-Benz E 220d Is a Battle of 2-Liter DieselsBMW 520d vs. Mercedes-Benz E 220d Is a Battle of 2-Liter DieselsBMW 520d vs. Mercedes-Benz E 220d Is a Battle of 2-Liter Diesels
This video hopes to find out with a drag race between two very predictable choices, the 520d and E 220d. Both cars are almost brand new, with the Mercedes being about a year older. However, it's the E-Class that's suffered the biggest change because its engine is unlike anything in any other Merc right now.

Meanwhile, the 520d has some slightly older tech, a B-series engine that we've also seen in the 320d facelift. It's efficient, but can it match the mighty Merc? In short, no, it can't.

In a standing start, we could have talked about traction, launch control and all that. But here, all that is taken out of the occasion by the rolling start and rain. The E-Class starts to pull away very slowly and eventually wins.

On paper, both cars have the same top speed, and the BMW is supposed to be 0.2 of a second faster to 100 km/h. It's also meant to be a lighter, but that can change when you take the options into consideration. The best way to dispute the outcome is to use a dyno and also weigh them both.

Of course, a simple drag race isn't going to determine which 2-liter diesel limousine you want to buy. And with such loyal followers plus many decades of history behind them, anything we say about these two is going to upset somebody.

For example, in his in-depth review of the two, Mat says the 5 Series looks cheaper regarding design. But some people say Mercedes has made another airport taxi-shaped sedan. In which camp are you?

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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