LoginThe Sales Battle Between Mercedes And BMW Just Got Embarrassing
- BMW and Mercedes have released sales data for July-September.
- Mercedes sold 441,500 cars, but deliveries were down 12 percent.
- BMW sales rose 9 percent to 514,620, and by 25 percent in the US.
Rivals for decades, BMW and Mercedes largely fish in the same pool. But while one of the big German brands saw its catch rate tumble, the other is soon going to need a bigger boat, judging by sales figures released this week.
Mercedes shifted 441,500 cars in Q3 (plus 83,800 vans), a drop of 12 percent on the same quarter in 2024, while BMW moved 514,620 BMW-branded vehicles, representing a rise of 5.7 percent. Factor in the BMW Group’s other brands, including Rolls Royce, BMW M and Mini, and total sales hit 588,300, or 8.8 percent more than in Jul-Sep last year.
Related: BMW Somehow Sold Fewer Electrified Cars Than Last Year
What’s really interesting is how differently the two brands performed in certain key markets. In the US for instance, which has been impacted by tariffs this year, it’s probably not a surprise to see that Mercedes sales dropped 17 percent to 70,800 units.
But turning that logic on its head, BMW actually grew its US sales by a whopping 24.9 percent in the same period to 297,247.
And even in China, where both brands – like many Western automakers – are having a tough time, Mercedes fared much worse. Benz sales sank by a shocking 27 percent but BMW escaped with an 11 percent drop. Still terrible, but much less so.
BMW vs Mercedes Sales Q3
| Q3 25 | Diff. | YTD 25 | Diff. | |
| Mercedes cars | 441,500 | -12% | 1.34 million | -9% |
| Mercedes Group | 525,300 | -12% | 1.6 million | -8% |
| BMW brand | 514,620 | 5.7% | 1.59 million | 0.1% |
| BMW Group | 588,300 | 8.8% | 1.8 million | 2.4% |
The electric (and electrified) numbers deepen the divide. For Mercedes, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) deliveries flatlined. The company delivered 42,600 BEVs in Q3, essentially holding steady year-on-year as it battles cost pressures, tariff headwinds, and intensifying EV competition in China.
BMW’s story is more complicated. The BMW Group’s electrified portfolio (including BEV + PHEV) showed healthy growth overall, as it moved 151,282 electrified units in Q3, up 8 percent. But they were down 2.8 percent in the US. Full EV sales in that same period fell by 0.6 percent to 102,864 units globally, though they’re up 10 percent YTD.
Both automakers have some crucial new products coming through including the GLC with EQ Technology and iX3, so it’ll be fascinating to see how those cars impact next year’s numbers.
BMW vs Mercedes sales by region
| Mercedes Q3 | Diff Q3 | BMW Q3 | Diff Q3 | Mercedes YTD | Diff YTD | BMW YTD | Diff YTD | |
| Europe | 160,800 | 2% | 239,620 | 9.3% | 469,100 | -1% | 737,641 | 8.6% |
| Germany | 51,600 | 3% | 72,939 | 12.3% | 149,700 | 0% | 208,218 | 6.5% |
| Asia | 175,500 | -22% | 206,156 | 0% | 564,500 | -15% | 644,429 | -7.9% |
| China | 125,100 | -27% | 147,121 | 0.4% | 418,300 | -18% | 464,971 | -11.2% |
| US | 70,800 | -17% | 104,163 | 24.9% | 212,800 | -10% | 297,247 | 9.5% |
BMW sales split
| Q3 25 | Diff | YTD 25 | Diff | |
| BMW Group | 588,300 | +8.8% | 1,795,894 | +2.4% |
| BMW | 514,620 | +5.7% | 1,585,580 | +0.1% |
| – BMW M | 52,220 | +11.0% | 158,182 | +7.9% |
| MINI | 72,376 | +37.5% | 206,214 | +23.7% |
| BMW Group electrified | 151,282 | +8.0% | 470,313 | +15.0% |
| BMW Group BEV | 102,864 | -0.6% | 323,447 | +10.0% |
| Rolls-Royce | 1,304 | +13.3% | 4,100 | +3.3% |
| BMW Motorrad | 53,247 | +5.7% | 159,156 | -2.6% |
