I Drove The 2026 Mercedes-AMG E53 Wagon For A Week: These Features Drove Me NutsAutoblogChase BierenkovenThu, September 24, 2026 at 10:05 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAutoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The Mercedes-AMG E53 wagon is a bit of an everything bagel. I said as much in my review. The thing has just got it all going on, all at once. In my review, I cautioned that sometimes this can dilute the mission, but ultimately arrived at the conclusion that Mercedes had been able to pull off the do-it-all car. Still, the thing isn't perfect, and in places, it strays from the path. Here, you'll find all the things the E-Class AMG did to irk me over my week with Mercedes' high-performance hybrid wagon.I Want BUTTONSGive me buttons or give me a 20-year-old E-Class.Chase BierenkovenSurprising no one, auto journalist waxes on about buttons. Here, though, the situation is particularly dire. The capacitive buttons on this particular Mercedes wheel drive me nuts. Knuckle up on the wheel too much, and you could hit the back button on the upper stalk. Use the track pad in the middle to change track, and you're likely to swipe into some other menu, then swipe the car next to you because you were too busy looking at the screen.In a world full of screens, Mercedes-Benz boldly asks: "Why not more?"Chase BierenkovenThere's just entirely too much screen in here. The optional passenger screen, the massive TV-like main one, the freakin' 3D gauge cluster. I just want to adjust the lumbar support without needing to touch a screen, dude. There's always some notification, some item that needs your attention on the screen. A good performance car should be a distraction from the world, not a distraction itself.These Cameras Freak Me OutChase BierenkovenI do not like the optional camera plopped on the dash. There is something intrusive about this, and perhaps this says something about the kind of person I am. While this camera serves totally benign functions, like taking selfies, I just don't trust it. It's weird; I don't want to drive around with a camera pointed at my dome. Mercedes isn't doing anything nefarious with this thing that I'm aware of, but in a world of in-car ads and hyper-creepy data utilization, this looks to me like the crest of a slippery slope. Gives me the ick.I just am not ok with this from a privacy point of view.Chase BierenkovenAdvertisementAdvertisementThe E53's Dead Steering Should Be Dissected And StudiedChase BierenkovenThe E53 is a seriously good performance car, even in spite of its 5,000+ pound curb weight and hybrid system. It feels good to drive, which is not something you can always say about an AMG these days (looking at you, C-Class). But the steering in these cars is just totally lifeless. I have no clue what the front tires are doing, no idea what the surface of the road is like, and remain in total ignorance of the front axle thanks to this electronic power steering system. It's just bad, and it's got to go.I Want A Little More Of A ScareChase BierenkovenThat gripe aside, the E53 is hyper competent, almost to a fault. I know the eventual E63 will hopefully help to remedy that, but there should be some edge to this car that I don't feel. Get used to the blistering acceleration, and nothing scares you about the car anymore. An AMG should, in my opinion, always be capable of rocketing you off into the bushes, and I don't feel that here, for better or for worse.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.