Mercedes EQE saloon review

“The Mercedes EQE is a luxurious electric saloon car with plenty of driving range and lots of in-car tech”

Pros

• Fantastic interior
• Quick and comfortable
• Makes EQS saloon feel unnecessary

Cons

• Practicality not impressive
• Much more expensive than an E-Class
• Other EVs can charge faster

Verdict – Is the Mercedes EQE a good car?

The Mercedes EQE is a futuristic-looking car, and this all-electric saloon lives up to the promise of its styling with a massive amount of in-car tech and a long driving range. It’s fast and comfortable, although space in the rear seats is poor and it’s very expensive; you can buy more practical electric cars with almost as much tech for less.

Mercedes EQE models, specs and alternatives

The Mercedes EQE is an all-electric saloon car that’s about the same size as the Mercedes E-Class. It’s significantly more expensive than the petrol, diesel and hybrid-powered model, but otherwise fills the same slot in the maker’s line-up as a large family saloon with a focus on technology and comfort.

Aside from the name, you might not have guessed that the EQE is similar in scope to an E-Class. After all, the aerodynamic bodywork – designed to boost range as much as possible – is very futuristic and unusual in contrast to the E-Class’ very conventional styling. Love it or hate it, there’s very little else (aside from the larger EQS, which is closely related in many ways) that looks as bold as the EQE. The EQE’s key rival is the Tesla Model S, although you might also consider the impressive Genesis Electrified G80 as well.

There are also new models coming that will join the EQE in the large executive electric saloon car class: the Audi A6 e-tron and BMW i5. You might also consider the Polestar 2 and BMW i4, which are cheaper and smaller than the EQE, yet offer similar or better practicality. The Mercedes’ boot is significantly smaller than that of a petrol or diesel E-Class, and there isn’t enough rear head or legroom either – it’s rather cramped in the back seats. All models come with a panoramic sunroof, so that problem affects every EQE.

That said, even the entry-level EQE 300 has a range figure of between 336 and 376 miles on a single charge according to official figures. The EQE 350 model is more powerful but has pretty much the same range, while there’s also a top-spec AMG EQE 53 version with about 280 miles of range. This version is focused on performance, and has a crazy 616bhp for a 0-62mph time of just 3.5 seconds.

All versions of the EQE come with tinted windows, heated front seats, parking assist and two large screens upfront, plus 19-inch alloy wheels. The wheel size is the main differentiator between the three AMG Line trim levels, with Premium and Premium Plus versions getting 20 and 21-inch wheels respectively.

AMG Line Premium gets keyless start, four-zone climate control and extended ambient lighting, while Premium Plus also adds air suspension, upgraded headlights, a heated windscreen and a Burmester sound system. Buyers who don’t want the sporty body kit will be drawn to the Exclusive Luxury model, which gets comfort seats, wood trim and heated rear seats.

The high-performance AMG EQE 53 is available in two versions: Night Edition and Touring. The former gets gloss black styling accents and black wood panelling on the dashboard, whereas the Touring model is trimmed in chrome and gets a walnut dash.

Another benefit of the AMG models is the ability to specify Mercedes’ expansive Hyperscreen infotainment system. Measuring 56 inches in diameter, this is perhaps the most futuristic setup in the entire car industry and comes at a significant premium. Yet, that’s not to say that the standard offering is anything to scoff at; this comprises a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, alongside a 12.8-inch portrait touchscreen.

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Rated

 'Excellent' 

 Trustpilot

The interior is definitely one of the main selling points of the EQE. Comfortable seats, high-quality materials and a reassuring build quality leave nothing to be desired. The tech is quick to load and feels state-of-the-art; our only real bugbear is that the E-Class’ physical climate controls are easier to use than having to adjust it through the EQE’s screen.

There’s one other point of contention, and that’s the EQE’s steep price. It costs over £30,000 more than an E-Class. You won’t be choosing the EQE if you’re thinking about the total cost of ownership, because its lower running costs won’t offset the high initial price. However, look at the EQE compared to the larger Mercedes EQS and it seems a bit easier to swallow. While the EQE may be smaller and slightly less luxurious than the EQS, it looks very similar and shares most of the technology and materials, for £25,000 less.

Mercedes EQE alternatives

Large electric saloons

• Tesla Model S
• Genesis Electrified G80
• BMW i4
• Polestar 2

Hybrid executive saloons

• Mercedes E 300 e
• Audi A6 50 TFSI e
• Lexus ES

Large executive saloons

• BMW 5 Series
• Mercedes E-Class
• Audi A6

For years, the Mercedes E-Class has always had a traditional three-box saloon shape. Contrastingly, Mercedes has given the EQE much sleeker styling, with a fared-in grille, aerodynamic alloy wheels and a long, curved roofline. That’s all in pursuit of efficiency, and the result is an impressive electric range for the EQE.

Mercedes EQE range and charging

At the moment, there are only three models to pick from. The entry-level car is badged EQE 300 and is available in four trim levels, with each one having a slightly different maximum range figure, while there’s also a slightly more powerful but no less efficient EQE 350 as well. The cheapest model is the AMG Line, with its comparatively small 19-inch wheels – this officially achieves up to 376 miles on a full charge. AMG Line Premium and Exclusive Luxury models sit on 20-inch wheels and return 365 and 342 miles respectively, while the 21-inch wheels on AMG Line Premium Plus trim don’t help efficiency; this model achieves up to 336 miles on a charge.

Then there’s the range-topping AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+ model which sacrifices even more range in favour of speed. Both the Night Edition and Touring models will need to be plugged in after 280 miles of driving – significantly sooner than the entry-level EQE 300.

In contrast, the Tesla Model S manages around 400 miles on a charge, and has the extra benefit of the largely seamless Tesla Supercharger network for when you’re out and about. The Tesla has a slight edge on charging speed, too, being able to charge at 200kW compared to the Mercedes’ 170kW.

At a 110kW charger, the Mercedes’ battery can be topped up to 80% in 32 minutes; a 22kW charger will take a little over four hours to reach 80%. The EQE has a large 90kWh battery, so a 7kW home wallbox will take 14.5 hours to fully recharge it.

The EQE comes with the Mercedes me Charge system, which gives you access to a range of different chargepoint providers with one card and app. It includes discounted Ionity charging if you pay a monthly fee (there’s also a free option without discounted charging for drivers who aren’t planning to recharge in public regularly). As part of the Mercedes me Charge programme, the brand also pledges to provide enough renewable energy to offset your electricity usage.

Insurance groups

Even the cheapest Mercedes EQE sits in the highest insurance group in the UK, meaning you’ll face expensive premiums. Its high price, upmarket badge, performance and all its technology are to blame. The Tesla Model S is also in group 50, mind.

Warranty

Like every Mercedes, the EQE features a three-year warranty with no mileage cap. You can extend it for extra cost, and there’s the option of up to 30 years’ pan-European roadside assistance. Meanwhile, the battery is covered for up to 10 years or 155,000 miles, suggesting that Mercedes has confidence in the longevity of its electric powertrains.

Servicing

Your car will tell you when it’s time for a service, and Mercedes offers service plans to spread maintenance costs into monthly payments. Speak to your dealer for full pricing information, but the EQE should cost less to service than a petrol or diesel-powered Mercedes.

Mercedes tends to prioritise comfort over driver engagement and sportiness, and that’s true of the EQE. It’s the next-generation executive express, designed to be quiet and refined at motorway speeds. Tuning the motor for maximum performance is unnecessary in a car such as this, so it offers a quick acceleration time but not at the expense of range.

Top-spec cars get air suspension with adaptive dampers, which can remember locations where you’ve previously raised the ride height for future use. You can also dial up the stiffness of the suspension, which isn’t something we’d do considering how controlled the EQE feels even in its softest setting.

For the majority of the time, the EQE rides very smoothly and is comfortable over potholes, although bumpy roads can upset the ride a little. We’ll need to wait to see how well it deals with a poorly surfaced British road, and if our suspicions that an E-Class is more comfortable are confirmed.

Mercedes EQE electric motor

The EQE sits on the same platform as the larger Mercedes EQS, and entry-level models use a single electric motor to power the rear wheels. Badged EQE 300, the standard car produces 242bhp and can do 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. One step up the ladder is the 350, which has 288bhp and does the standing sprint in 6.4 seconds. Given it’s quite down on power compared to the equivalent Tesla or Porsche, it doesn’t offer the same kind of supercar-beating pace, but it has a lot of torque. Consequently, acceleration still feels very brisk at any speed.

The only other powertrain available to UK buyers is that fitted to the high-performance AMG EQE 53 model. This variant of Mercedes' electrified executive car uses two electric motors, with one on each axle to provide all-wheel-drive. In total, the AMG EQE 53 produces a muscular 616bhp and can catapult itself from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds.

Weighing over 2.3 tonnes, the car feels big and heavy; ultimately it feels unsuited to a back road. In town, things are slightly better, but the near-invisible sloping bonnet can make manoeuvring difficult. Luckily, there’s a whole suite of sensors and cameras to make things less stressful.

Four settings of regenerative braking range from none to a lot. The ‘high’ setting allows for one-pedal driving – lifting your foot off the accelerator will bring the car to a stop fairly sharply – while the ‘intelligent’ setting is for trusting the car to provide the right amount of braking for the situation. It works surprisingly well, even if there’s a small ‘step’ in the brake feel as the regenerative system works alongside the physical discs and pads.

The Mercedes EQE lives up to its high price when you get inside (as long as you forget how many parts are shared with the cheaper C-Class). Quality is excellent, both in terms of the materials used and how well they’re put together. It feels modern and luxurious, and exposes the Tesla Model S’s interior for being 10 years old. Given the choice, we’d much rather spend extended periods of time in the Mercedes than the Tesla.

Mercedes EQE dashboard

We mentioned on the last page that the EQE shares its underpinnings with the more expensive Mercedes EQS; the interior has plenty of similarities, too. A 12.3-inch digital dial cluster sits behind the steering wheel and provides all the required driving information, while media and navigation is taken care of by a 12.8-inch touchscreen that takes up most of the height of the centre console.

The touchscreen is fantastic to use when you’re stationary – it’s responsive, quick, easy to use and great to look at. It’s a shame there aren’t more physical buttons for things like the air conditioning, because prodding at the screen to adjust the temperature can be difficult to do on the move.

Even more hi-tech is the futuristic Hyperscreen setup that is available as an option on sporty AMG models. Consisting of three individual displays, this setup measures a whopping 56 inches in diameter and is one of the most impressive setups in the entire car industry.

Equipment

UK buyers love Mercedes’ sporty-looking AMG Line trim, so that makes up the bulk of the range. Your options are AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and an Exclusive Luxury model that doesn’t look so athletic. There’s also the AMG EQE 53 which comes in either Night Edition or Touring guise.

Standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof, privacy glass, two-zone climate control, heated front seats, a steering wheel trimmed in Nappa leather, a reversing camera and the Urban Guard vehicle protection system that uses the car’s cameras to catch any damage that happens to the car while you’re away.

AMG Line Premium adds four-zone air conditioning, memory front seats, keyless start, more advanced ambient lighting and Mercedes’ Driving Assistance package, which we’ll cover in the ‘safety’ section of the review.

Spec the AMG Line Premium Plus and you also get air suspension, adaptive headlights with a 650-metre high-beam range, a head-up display, a heated windscreen, augmented reality sat-nav (projecting directions onto a view of the road in front of you) and a Burmester sound system.

The EQE Exclusive Luxury version has a greater focus on the interior climate, with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. It also gets comfort seats and walnut wood trim.

Both the AMG EQE 53 Night Edition and Touring models get a more aggressive bodykit, with a more pronounced boot spoiler. The former gets a smattering of gloss black exterior trim and a set of matching aerodynamic alloy wheels, whereas the latter replaces this with chrome and a set of diamond-cut alloys.

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 'Excellent' 

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On the inside, AMG cars get digital displays on the steering, wheel which can adjust certain settings such as the traction control and throttle response. In typical performance car fashion, there is also plenty of Alcantara suede trim on the door panels and

dashboard.

Options

Nine paint colours are available, with most being black, grey or silver. While standard EQE models have very few optional extras, AMG cars can be specified with the expansive Hyperscreen infotainment setup for around an eye-watering £8,500. Exclusive to the Night Edition model, there is also the AMG Performance Package which costs around £9,500. This includes a set of lightweight carbon-ceramic brakes, adaptive suspension dampers, a track driving mode and a lap timing function.

Technology

At the heart of the EQE is Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment system. The voice recognition system wakes when you say ‘Hey Mercedes’, and can set the sat-nav destination, phone a contact and find a music playlist, among other things. We’re told it can understand different accents, and that it works out which occupant spoke to it; if the front passenger says they’re cold, the system will only raise their temperature, for example.

Cars such as this are often bought by people or companies who need plenty of rear-seat space, because adults will often be seated in the back. So it’s disappointing that the Mercedes EQE isn’t the strongest when it comes to practicality. The standard-fit panoramic sunroof makes the interior feel airy, but it also robs headroom for those in the back.

A Tesla Model S is much better in this respect, or you can wait for the upcoming Mercedes EQE SUV because that should offer much more headroom. It’s worth noting that rear visibility isn’t great either, but at least every model gets a reversing camera and park assist.

Mercedes EQE interior space

The EQE is a large car, and that translates into plenty of legroom for front- and rear-seat occupants. Even tall adults will be able to stretch their legs in the back, but those same people will find their heads squashed by the sloping roofline. An E-Class will be a better bet if you regularly carry adults in the back.

Storage space is generous up front, because the door bins are reasonably large and there are two cubbies below the screen on the centre console.

Boot space

Thousands of people buy saloon cars every year in the UK, so the fact that the tailgate opens below the rear window won’t bother every driver. But a hatchback such as the Tesla Model S will be much easier to load large items into, as its tailgate includes the rear window. It’ll be better for bikes, pushchairs and bulky sports gear than the EQE.

The EQE offers more boot space than the E-Class plug-in hybrid’s 400-litre boot, but its 430-litre loadbay isn’t impressive for a car of this size. A petrol or diesel E-Class offers 540 litres, and the Model S has around 200 litres more than that.

Towing

While towing figures for most of the EQE range are yet to be confirmed, we do know the EQE 350+ can tow a 750kg trailer, regardless of whether it’s braked or unbraked.

The standard three-year warranty Mercedes offers is pretty average, but it also offers a 10-year, 155,000-mile warranty for the battery pack. Many EVs get an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty, so Mercedes appears to be really confident that its electric cars will last a long time.

Mercedes EQE reliability

It’s too early to tell whether the Mercedes EQE will be reliable or not. After all, there’s a huge array of next-generation tech on it, and these functions could be expensive to fix if they do misbehave.

Mercedes finished a very disappointing 23rd out of 29 brands in our 2022 Driver Power survey, below both BMW and Audi. Of our respondents, 27.3% said they’d come across a fault in the first year of ownership.

Safety

The EQE’s safety hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP yet, but its protective features should give you confidence. Standard equipment includes traffic sign recognition and an emergency calling system, plus a fingerprint scanner to keep your personal and payment details secure.

AMG Line Premium models benefit from a Driving Assistance Package, featuring blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance and a system that will automatically brake at speeds of up to 80mph if it spots a hazard you’re not slowing down for.

The trim levels above that get the Plus package, with evasive steering and semi-autonomous driving capabilities – including slowing down for corners and roundabouts.

At speeds up to 19mph, the EQE emits a noise to warn pedestrians or cyclists of its presence.

Keyword: Mercedes EQE saloon review