BMW vs Mercedes-Benz:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, BMW had more branded searches than Mercedes-Benz among luxury car brands worldwide. BMW had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Mercedes-Benz had 8.4 million. BMW made up 21.8% of all luxury car brand searches we track, and Mercedes-Benz accounted for 20%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about luxury car brands, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz appeared in all five answers. Mercedes-Benz was mentioned before BMW in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
BMW, about 9% more searches than Mercedes-Benz
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Mercedes-Benz, named ahead of BMW in 3 of 5 answers
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Top luxury car brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz showed up in all five answers. Mercedes-Benz was listed before BMW in three of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- BMW5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Mercedes-Benz5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Lexus5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Porsche4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Audi4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Rolls-Royce4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Genesis3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bentley3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Volvo2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Acura2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about luxury car brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which luxury car brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best luxury car brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best luxury car brand for comfortable driving?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“luxury car brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“premium car brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is BMW or Mercedes-Benz more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for BMW and Mercedes-Benz by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 luxury car brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for BMW, Mercedes-Benz. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BMW | Mercedes-Benz | Porsche | Audi | Jaguar | Lexus | Volvo | Genesis | Rolls-Royce | Land Rover | Bentley | Acura |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 21.6% | 19.9% | 11.9% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.6% | 21.9% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.4% | 21.6% | 13% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.8% | 20.1% | 12% | 9.8% | 8% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.6% | 19.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 22.9% | 21.1% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 4.6% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 20% | 22.3% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 7.3% | 6% | 4% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.8% |
| May 2026 | 19.7% | 22.1% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 4% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.5% | 20.6% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.6% | 20.6% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.8% | 20% | 12% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 8% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 21.8% | 20% | 11.9% | 9.8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.6% |
How has the BMW and Mercedes-Benz comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mercedes-Benz took it in November 2025, BMW took it in January 2026, Mercedes-Benz took it in April 2026, BMW took it in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BMW’s share of searches among luxury car brands worldwide moved from 21.6% to 21.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 11.1M to 9.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mercedes-Benz’s share of searches among luxury car brands worldwide moved from 19.9% to 20%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 10.2M to 8.3M.
How did search popularity change for luxury car brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Mercedes-Benz worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 10.2M to 8.3M in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for BMW worldwide fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 11.1M to 9.1M in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BMW’s and Mercedes-Benz’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
BMW
1 branded search term
- bmw
Mercedes-Benz
2 branded search terms
- mercedes
- mercedes benz
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