mercedes-benz e-class Full Overview
Playing with the options list is all part of the fun when buying a new Mercedes. Like BMW, Mercedes offers tons of extra-cost add-ons that allow greater customization—and we’re not just talking about the extensive color and trim options. All that freedom can feel overwhelming, and you don’t want to pay for something you’ll never use. With the E-Class, that’s where we come in. During our months behind the wheel of an E450 midsize luxury sedan, some features have become must-haves, rising above the rest. Here are our five favorites on the 2021 and mostly unchanged 2022 Mercedes E-Class.
5. Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (and Braking)
This is one of those features you never want an occasion to use, but you’re glad it’s there. The Mercedes E450 version of this now-common tech can alert you if you’re slowly reversing into a moving car. Picture backing up from between a GLS and G-Wagen, and you’ll get the idea. If the driver doesn’t respond to the audible warnings, the car will apply the brakes if necessary.
What’s interesting is that this tech isn’t part of the $1,950 Driver Assistance package, which bundles many active safety tech features. Instead, it’s part of the $2,400 Premium package, which also adds the awesome 13-speaker, 590-watt Burmester sound system. Consider that Burmester system the honorable mention in this list of five great Mercedes features and options, as it increases sound quality as well as visual excitement in the cabin with those elaborate speaker grilles. Other Premium package features include a 360-degree camera system, a hands-free system with the standard power-operating trunk, an automatic parking system, and a six-month Platinum trial of SiriusXM satellite radio.
4. Heated Front Armrests
Here’s the truth: Our one-year 2021 Mercedes E450 test car doesn’t have this feature, but we’ve experienced it enough on other Mercedes and BMW cars to comment. Just like heated seats, no one needs a heated armrest, but you’ll want one after you try it on a cold day. Either that or your pampered front passenger will insist on it.
The feature, which is part of the $1,050 Warmth & Comfort package, heats the armrests on the center console as well as those on the doors. That group of features also bundles a heated steering wheel and a rapid heating function for the already-standard heated seats.
3. 64-Color Ambient Lighting
Mercedes has offered a 64-color ambient lighting system on its cars and SUVs for years. What you may not know is how gosh darn cool the settings are. With 64 colors, it’s easy to find a hue that fits your mood. More than that, though, we appreciate the color-changing mode that slowly adjusts the color as you drive down the road. It’s a little road theater you and your passengers can appreciate.
This feature is included on every E-Class.
2. The Acoustic Comfort Package
Luxury cars should be quiet, and that’s what the Acoustic Comfort package is all about. Mercedes makes a number of adjustments to the car, including the use of special glass for the front windshield and front side windows, thicker insulation, and higher-density carpeting for the rear. Our E450 rides on attractive 19-inch wheels and isn’t library-quiet. We’d describe it as moderately quiet with room for improvement. Given all that, we wonder what the base car is like, but we haven’t driven that version yet.
The best possible luxury-first configuration would probably ride on 18s and include this package, which costs $1,100.
1. The Air Suspension
The number one must-have E-Class feature is the air suspension, a.k.a. Air Body Control. When we first tried a 2021 E450 with this suspension, we were instantly impressed by the way it isolated occupants from the road yet could still handle a bit of sporty driving when the mood struck. The latter part is still true on our one-year E450 test car, but not so much on the former. The ride on our E450 is … fine, but it lacks the magic-carpet quality we liked about previous E450s we’ve driven. We wonder if the larger wheel/tire package is partially responsible for this change and, separately, we’re curious whether a change in tires might restore the cushiness.
So the ride quality is merely all right, not great. MotorTrend hasn’t driven a standard-suspension E-Class in years and can’t make a direct comparison, but we can share that the standard GLE350 SUV lacked the composure of other GLEs with air suspensions. One more cool trick on the $1,900 Air Body Control system is the button that raises the car at low speeds. It’s the perfect solution for avoiding scrapes at my local car wash, which has a steep exit.
As for the E450’s plentiful color options, wheel variations, and interior color combos? You’re on your own, but I’d consider Nautical Blue Metallic with a Nut Brown interior.
Looks good! More details?
Keyword: These Are the Five Best Mercedes E-Class Features and Options