Mercedes-Benz E-Class review

Pros: Comfort, refinement, luxurious interior.

Cons: Expensive, reliance on touch controls for infotainment/climate control seems a backwards step

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Design

With its gentle evolution of styling, the new generation E-Class is so discrete you might not even register it’s a brand-new model. It carries itself like royalty with elegant proportions and the choice of two different ‘faces’. The Avantgarde and AMG Line use the more modern Mercedes’ black grille with central mounted star and chrome studs. The Exclusive line - like the car on test - is a bit grander overall with the classic louvred grille and upright badge on the bonnet. There’s also a new set of LED headlights and muscular power domes in the bonnet.

The Exclusive line has a little extra chrome trim around the windows and in the side sill, while flush door handles pop out on approach – beautifully illuminated at night. Around the back, the rear lights have a new illumination in the shape of the Mercedes’ star. It’s a little bit more bling than what we’re used to from the brand, but certainly distinct. Wheel sizes vary from 17- to 19-inch. The AMG Line is the sportiest of the trio and comes with AMG style bumpers front and rear.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior

The new E-Class feels very luxurious inside with standard leather upholstery and lots of fine cabin materials. Different dashboard trims are available but the one in our test car featured gorgeous open pore black ash wood backlit with the Mercedes-Benz logo. There’s also a multifunction steering wheel finished in soft Nappa leather. Luxury features include heated front seats with power adjustment, memory function and lumbar support.

There’s a bit more focus on digital tech this time round – for better or for worse. The upright digital driver display looks and functions well with a number of different views possible. There’s also a much larger 14.4-inch touchscreen integrated into the dashboard and the option to spec the ‘Superscreen’ – essentially your front passenger gets their own screen as well. There’s a myriad of apps and games that can be downloaded and played through the infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless smartphone integration, wireless smartphone charging and a 360 camera. Yet the simple switches to control the ventilation from the previous E-Class have now been replaced by touch control in the screen. It feels like a backwards step and overall the operation of the screen feels a little clumsier than before.

Rear seat passengers can relax in comfort and luxury with generously sized footwells, an armrest with pop out cupholders, separate air vents and a few USB-C ports - though a large transmission tunnel remains an obstacle should you wish to carry a middle seat passenger.

There’s 540 litres of boot space in the petrol and diesel models, which is very competitive for a saloon like this. Opt for a plug-in hybrid and that goes down to 370 litres. There’s also the E-Class Estate on sale.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Performance & Drive

The new E-Class sticks with fuel and hybrid engines in this new generation. The E220d on test is a well-proven 2.0-litre diesel with 197hp and 440Nm of torque. It is speedy and responsive to drive, while also admirably quiet in how it goes about its business. Fuel consumption is rated at 4.8-5.2 litres and that’s definitely possible on the motorway. It’s rear wheel drive as standard, though more powerful variants come with 4Matic four wheel drive. A nine-speed automatic features across the range and is well-matched to the diesel E-Class. Built on a revised platform of the previous version - just like the latest C-Class, GLC and S-Class - the E-Class covers the road with exceptional grace. It stands out among rivals for the level of comfort and refinement it offers. It glides over the tarmac and is well-suited to Irish roads. While it’s not one you will relish throwing around corners, it does offer rear wheel drive agility and doesn’t feel too heavy on the road for such a big car. You can alter the driving experience somewhat by switching between the Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual settings. Sport mode tightens up the steering and makes it a bit more responsive for more spirited driving but really this is a car for relaxing in.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Pricing

The E-Class range starts from about €79,895 for the E300e petrol plug-in hybrid. The E220d diesel starts from €80,525 in Avantgarde trim, from €84,495 in Exclusive trim and from about €89,867 for the AMG Line.

Carzone Verdict

A good executive car never goes out of fashion and the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class definitely proves that. If you’re looking for an upmarket saloon that offers the best in comfort, refinement, interior quality and timeless design, this is the car for you.