IfS-class is the car that defines Mercedes-Benz as a purveyor of very smart, safe, and refined luxury cars, the E-Class is the lucky little brother that comes along shortly after and gets most—if not all—of the S-Class's gimmicks and toys. in a smaller and cheaper package.
It's bigger than the C-Class, more straight-forward and businesslike than the open-necked CLS, and nothing is more hip than its off-road cousin, the GLE. The E-Class is here to take on the BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF and Volvo S90 in Europe, as well as Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti and Genesis in sunnier parts of the world. So this is a very important machine. Global sales of the current model just topped 1.2 million when everyone from politicians to grime artists signed up for E.
The current E-Class has been on sale since 2017 and went through a fairly thorough facelift in early 2020. Merc innocuously revised its styling, rebooted the engine lineup with several plug-in hybrid options, improved active safety systems, and introduced a steering wheel touch-button philosophy that matches the new MBUX touchpad screen controller. What a relief.
Not because it's good, you see. We are just happy that there is something controversial to get our teeth. Otherwise, the E-Class is built to fly out of sight, whether it's a carefully hidden company car, an airport taxi, a suspicious-smelling UberLux, or an assassin's ride. You've probably seen two or three of them today. But did you notice them? Exactly.
We tested very reasonableE220d andE53 AMG. to get an idea of the coasters for this range. If you're looking for a bloody super sedan and want to know all about the rampant and insane AMG E63 S, then check out our custom 600hp shredder review by clicking here. If not, then rest assured, the E-Class doesn't necessarily need drift mode to impress the likes of us...
On road
E class offers a family of two conventional diesels, two petrols, two plug-in hybrids and two AMG models. The most worthy of them is the E220d, yours from £40,000 (P2.67 million).
Telling you about a new diesel sedan in 2021 is like being at the 1939 New York World's Fair and proudly displaying flint stones to start man-made fires. What was once a must-have novelty is now largely yesterday's news.
And yet… the humble E220d four-cylinder turbodiesel is an engineering marvel. Truly the best four-cylinder turbodiesel in the world right now. And very likely the best one ever. Vertex. Zenith. The one who rules them all.
No, you're still not thrilled with the 2.0 liter derv engine withstunning 194 hp and400 Nm ? Fine. Then you probably won't care about hitting 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. But you might be impressed by the average mixed usage rate −27.6 km/l . Our numbers, not Merc's - they claim only 22.5 km/ l. . Who did the test? Mr. L. Hamilton from Monaco?
This everyday powertrain is superbly efficient as well as extraordinarily smooth and commendably quiet, and is the perfect companion to the sometimes hesitant nine-speed automatic transmission. He just eats distance and loves flip flops on the highway. The range of our test car after refueling was a staggering 1220 km - enough to get from London to Amsterdam on one tank. Through Paris. And still enough juice to be in Germany before tea.
If you're still doing big miles privately or during your company business hours, then the E220d should be at the top of your shopping list. Secretly, one of them - not a V12-powered Aston Martin or a wasteful Bentley - is the world's best long-distance GT car.
Mercedes-Benz now offers the E330e and E300de petrol and diesel plug-in hybrids respectively, both offering around 200bhp. fossil fuel power and the same 122 hp electric booster. But the most exciting hybrid from this batch is the AMG E53, which you can't plug in. So, only the electric car works - it's a mild hybrid with 48-volt "EQ Boost".
Available only with 4Matic all-wheel drive, itincludes in myselfinline six-cylinder engine with 435 hp and temporary electrical acceleration of 22 hp, which allows you to accelerate to 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds. It replaces the old E43 which had the added benefit of being a true Q car. The E53 announces its intentions with polished quad tailpipes, a snarling grille and a plethora of superiority badges. Oh, and one more note about the exhaust to blush the Jaguar F-Type.
However, despite the nine-speed transmission, hybrid element, engine-off coasting, and so on, it's not exactly an economical performance sedan: Mercedes' claims are simply12.8km/L and we saw10.2km/l average. It's an interesting transmission: extremely loud and throaty, moderate in throttle response, but refreshingly comfortable to use without feeling constantly held back. Think of it like an AMG with the fuse left.
But like all E-classes, it's not really a foaming car with a 5am alarm. Even the models in the AMG line, with their wider tires and firmer suspension, aren't as nimble and poised as the 5 Series or XF. You don't get the same feeling of being connected through the steering or the chassis ready to have fun, even with rear-wheel drive power. The E-Class can glide through the air without bothering you with wind noise. He has a soft ease in control. This suggests that the diabolical E63 S undergoes a personality transplant when equipped with a powerful V8.
It seems that Merc secretly knows - although he will never admit it - it's pointless to try to fight a war on two fronts, and admitted that the 5-Series is a more pleasant car to drive. Instead, the E's smoother character aims to calm the miles in the distance rather than spice them up, and while that makes it a more aloof car - one that's hard to adore - it's definitely an easy device to respect.
From within
At first, you will be forgiven for not noticing that there is a lot of new stuff here. But in fact, there has been a comprehensive technological evolution. You're still sitting face-to-face with two 12.3-inch screens resting on the dash, but the crisply rendered center display is now touch-sensitive and features a more modern MBUX interface. In our experience, it works without failures and fluctuations. Meanwhile, you are bathed in 64 different colors of ambient light. But not all at the same time.
If you're looking to avoid more fingerprints than the store's iPad, Merc lets you control the maze of navigation/media/menus via the new touchpad on the center console, or with the new touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel at a higher level. end models. Thankfully, the tactile physical buttons remain in Sport-spec vehicles and are much easier to use while driving.
Climate control is still handled by a series of metal switches that look a little awkward but are easy to use once you've spent a few minutes in the car. The seat controls, if you have electric adjustment, are oddly enough on the door inserts. The transmission, as is customary for a German marque these days, is controlled by a shift paddle behind the steering wheel.No, Tesla didn't think of this brainwave - she borrowed the idea from Mercedes-Benz.
This random arrangement of controls sounds odd, confusing, and dangerous in French, but it works. And because there's no bulky gear shifter on the center console, the E-Class has plenty of storage space, alongside plenty of charging ports for your devices and a cordless phone charging stand that can be securely covered while driving to avoid distractions. chaos.
The essentials, i.e. the non-digital material, are sorted as well as you'd expect. Comfortable seats. Dear points of contact. Lots of hiding places for your toilet and important business items. It may be a mobile office, but inside the E-Class there is a sense of well-being that is lacking in the 5 Series or the Audi A6. Only the Volvo S90's cab on wheels surpasses it in terms of atmosphere.
Rear space is generous, as you'd expect from a car that's now as big as the S-Class two generations ago. And while you don't get an electronic trunk lid as standard on all variants, the spring-loaded mechanism is so lively that it'll deliver a fiendish uppercut to innocent bystanders if you press the key from a distance. The 540-litre trunk offers plenty of room for ice packs and smelling salts.
There is only one thing that can annoy you: see, the E-Class gets all hands on the S-Class. But this E-Class was a continuation of the S-Class, which has now been replaced. And now Merc has ditched the dual-landscape screen concept in favor of a huge Tesla-like center display that's raised vertically to the dash. We're not sure if it's any better - no physical climate control and so much "minimalism" has baffled VW and Audi lately.
But if you're buying a Mercedes-Benz because you want to be noticed that it's done well and bought the latest, greatest thing from Germany, well, you won't find it here. Maybe take a look at the new C-Class instead - every inch of the diminutive S-Class.
Final Thoughts
E class – an extremely well-executed piece of kit. He radiates a mature attitude. He feels mature and worthy. The engine range is excellent and it's an extremely comfortable and easy way to travel long distances.
His main problem is that the BMW 5 Series in particular is quite roomy and well-mannered these days, but it enjoys an extra oomph and sense of poise in its chassis that leaves Merc a bit unmoved.
If that's not an issue, or you just prefer a slightly more refined Benz presence, you can't go wrong here. After decades of experience, the automaker has turned everything it knows about executive sedans into a carefully curated vehicle.
