Review: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Rating:
Distinctive and sharp looks. Excellent CDI diesels. Good motorway cruiser. Very comfortable and refined. Feels very well built.
Steering could do with more feel. Interior not as inviting as other premium saloons. Numerous reports of automatic transmission problems and software glitches.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Recently Added To This Review
Report of transmission failure in 2013 Mercedes-Benz E300 Blue Tech Hybrid at 65,000 miles. Drive between the engine and gearbox failed. Diagnostic ar MB dealership indicated the gearbox valve... Read more
To achieve an improvement in the emissions via software updates. Fix: Update the diesel engine control unit software and add a supplementary booklet for the operator's manual. VINs: WDD2130332A038972... Read more
Report of A/C condenser, high pressure hose and cabin a/c heat exchanger matrix all failing in a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI. A/C specialist quoted approx 13 hours to fit new a/c heat exchanger. Read more
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016): At A Glance
- Insurance Groups are between 29–47
- On average it achieves 75% of the official MPG figure
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is now in its ninth generation and sees Mercedes-Benz return to its core qualities of cossetting comfort, safety and high luxury. But most importantly, Mercedes says it signals a return to engineering integrity. After the issues and reliability problems that dogged the previous Mercedes E-Class, especially in the early days, this is an important area for the firm if it wants to regain its reputation for strong build quality and reliability.
First impressions are very favourable and the E-Class certainly feels well built when you get behind the wheel. From the heavy 'thud' of the doors, to the solid feel of the dash and buttons, it's clear this is a far superior car to its predecessor. There's also a welcome return to the more angular interior styling of older Mercedes models, giving a functional and sturdy feel - although it's perhaps not as inviting as other premium cars such as the Jaguar XF.
The bold and sharp exterior styling is certainly a big departure from the previous model, but it retains that disctinctive Mercedes-Benz look. And there are big changes under the bonnet too with new petrol and diesel engines that offer significantly improved fue consumption and better performance too.
On the road the E-Class is everything you'd expect from a Mercedes saloon with a smooth ride, a cossetting cabin and superb refinement. It's not quite as good in corners as a BMW 5 Series, but is still reassuring and composed nonetheless. It's also available with some sophisticated and genuinely useful technology such as a blind spot warning system and adaptive highbeam which automatically dips the headlights if a car is coming in the opposite direction.
What does a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016) cost?
| List Price from | £38,150 |
|---|---|
| Buy new from | £28,352 |
| Contract hire from | £307.36 per month |
Buy a used Mercedes-Benz E-Class from £11,498
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016): What's It Like Inside?
- Boot space is 490–540 litres
- Euro NCAP rating of five stars
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4856–4892 mm |
| Width | 1822–2071 mm |
| Height | 1450–1483 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2854–2874 mm |
The interior of the E-Class has a very modern appearance, especially Sport models (as shown in the picture above) with their brushed aluminium trim and sports steering wheel, which is great to hold. The sports seats offer decent side support too, but while the cabin has some nice details, such as the metal switches for the climate control, it's a little soulless and lacks the warmth and individuality of alternatives like the Jaguar XF.
There are some neat touches such as the ambient lighting (on Avantgarde and Sport models). Thanks to optical fibres behind certain parts of the trim on the dashboard and doors, they create a band of soft light, which is particularly soothing at night. However, some of the plastics feel a little hard too and there are switches shared with the much cheaper Mercedes A-Class, which isn't what you'd expect on an executive saloon.
But there is no denying the build quality and this is an area Mercedes-Benz has clearly focussed on following criticism of some of its previous models from the mid 1990s. It feels very hard-wearing and the finish is top notch. It's surprising that the E-Class still uses a foot-operated parking brake though, when most other executive saloons use an electric version.
The driving position is good though and there's lots of reach adjustment in the steering, while all cars get heated front seats as standard which are a great luxury in the winter! This E-Class is longer and wider than the previous model which means extra leg and elbow room for all passengers. But it's most noticeable in the back, which feels noticeably more spacious (good news for all those taxi drivers), especially in terms of legroom.
The boot is large too and the wide opening along with a capacity of 540 litres - around the same as an Audi A6 - means you can fit in four sets of golf clubs or two large suitcases. There's a further 78 litres of stowage under the boot floor which is ideal for keeping useful things (like de-icer) hidden away. However, if you want folding rear seats, they're an optional extra while another useful option is the Easy-Pack Boot Box which is ideal for looking after bags of shopping to stop them sliding about the boot.
Equipment from launch (May 2009):
SE is the entry-level model (available only with four-cylinder models) comes well equipped as standard with seven airbags, 16-inch alloy wheels, Artico upholstery, heated front seats, Advanced Parking Guide, aluminium interior trim, leather steering wheel, electric windows and door mirrors plus climate control.
Avantgarde adds 17-inch alloy wheels, full leather upholstery, xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, ambient cabin lighting, black ash wood trim, 15mm lower suspension, an auto-dimming rearview mirrors and a bespoke lower front grille.
Sport is the top of the range trim and gets full AMG bodystyling, AMG floormats and pedals, a sports steering wheel, sports seats, brushed aluminium interior trim, variable ration Direct steering, paddle shifters for 7G-TRONIC automatic gearbox, sports suspension, uprated brakes, sports suspension and 18-inch AMG alloy wheels.
Child seats that fit a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)
Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.What's the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016) like to drive?
- Engines range from E200 CGI BlueEfficiency to E63 AMG S
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 19–58 mpg
Mercedes-Benz saloons have always been renowned for refinement and this generation of the E-Class is no different. While BMW may have the best-handling saloon with the BMW 5 Series, the E-Class leads the way in terms of long distance comfort - matched only by the Jaguar XF. It's supremely quiet and cossetting over long distances, with minimal intrusion from road or wind noise. As a result, long journeys are more often than not a relaxing experience.
This is down to the excellent ride quality which not only irons out potholes and rough roads, but also deals exceptionally well with bumpy roads. Of course, this is all dependant on what model you choose. The top of the range Sport has a noticeably firmer ride due to sports suspension and larger wheels, but it's still more comfort biased than sport models from other premium saloon makes. Avantgarde models are focussed more toward luxury, but still have lower suspension (by 15mm) than the entry SE version.
Where the E-Class doesn't shine as brightly is on demanding roads. The steering feels quite artificial, although it's fairly well weighted, but overall the Mercedes lacks the agility of a BMW 5-Series, although the Sport models come closer thanks to firmer sports suspension. It's still very composed and reassuring though, so for everyday driving, you won't be disappointed.
There's a wide choice of engines, offering everything from economy to outright performance. Most people choose one of the economical but punchy diesels starting with the E200 CDI with 136bhp. This is the best choice for economy as it is capable of averaging 54.3mpg (with the standard six-speed manual gearbox) but for more performance, there's the E220 CDI which is the same newly developed 2.2-litre diesel engine, but with power increased to 170bhp. It's only marginally less efficient (at 53.3mpg) but feels more punchy when pulling in-gear, helped by 400Nm of torque.
This model is ideal for long distance driving and ideal on the motorway where it's quiet and economical, yet still delivers plenty of performance when needed. The E250 CDI also uses this same engine, but with power boosted to 204bhp, however the real performance diesel is the exceptional E350 CDI.
This is the only six-cylinder diesel in the line-up and it has that muscular sound and feel you'd expect from a performance diesel. It delivers 231bhp but the figure of most importance is torque at 540Nm. It's a really effortless engine and gains speed easily and quickly - 0-62mph takes just 6.8 seconds, but it's the sheer grunt that really impresses on the move.
The petrol line-up starts with E200 CGI and like all the petrols, it's fitted with a turbocharger to boost performance but help wth efficiency. Despite the same, it's actually only 1.8-litre engine but produces 184bhp so 0-62mph comes up in a brisk 8.4 seconds. The same engine is used in the E250 CGI but with power increased to 204bhp.
It offers useful economy with an average figure of 37.2mpg but it lacks torque compared to the diesels and so needs to be worked quite hard to get meaningful performance, especially when you've got a full load of passengers and luggage. It comes with a five-speed automatic gearbox as standard, but this combination doesn't work especially well, particularly when you consider than other manufacturers offer more advanced automatics with six-speeds.
You often have to force it to kickdown in order to get decent acceleration which results in high revs and a rather unpleasant strained engine note. This obviously has an adverse affect on fuel economy too, so achieving the claimed figure can be a real challenge.
The high-performance petrols include the E350 CGI - a V6 with 292bhp while the top of the range version is the thunderous E500 which is powered by a 5.5-litre V8 with an immense 388bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 5.2 seconds.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| E200 7G-Tronic | 46–48 mpg | 7.9 s | 138–142 g/km |
| E200 CDI BlueEfficiency | 55 mpg | 10.2 s | 134–141 g/km |
| E200 CDI BlueEfficiency Automatic | 55 mpg | 9.5 s | 134–141 g/km |
| E200 CGI BlueEfficiency | 40 mpg | 8.5 s | 165–172 g/km |
| E200 CGI BlueEfficiency Automatic | 44 mpg | 7.9 s | 152–160 g/km |
| E200 Kompressor | 34 mpg | 9.1 s | 195–210 g/km |
| E220 BlueTec 7G-Tronic | 64 mpg | 8.3 s | 121 g/km |
| E220 CDI | 46–61 mpg | 8.4–8.7 s | 120–167 g/km |
| E220 CDI 7G-Tronic | 61 mpg | 8.4 s | 120–131 g/km |
| E220 CDI Automatic | 61–64 mpg | 8.2 s | 116–121 g/km |
| E220 CDI BlueEfficiency | 57 mpg | 8.7 s | 130–139 g/km |
| E220 CDI BlueEfficiency Automatic | 58 mpg | 8.4 s | 129–138 g/km |
| E250 7G-Tronic | 46–48 mpg | 7.4 s | 138–142 g/km |
| E250 CDI 7G-Tronic | 55–58 mpg | 7.5 s | 129–134 g/km |
| E250 CDI BlueEfficiency | 57 mpg | 7.7 s | 130–139 g/km |
| E250 CDI BlueEfficiency Automatic | 58 mpg | 7.5 s | 129–138 g/km |
| E250 CGI BlueEfficiency | 43 mpg | 7.7 s | 154–162 g/km |
| E300 BlueTec Hybrid | 69 mpg | 7.1–7.5 s | 107–110 g/km |
| E300 BlueTec Hybrid 7G-Tronic | 67–69 mpg | 7.1 s | 107–110 g/km |
| E300 Hybrid | 66 mpg | 7.5 s | 111 g/km |
| E350 BlueEfficiency | 41 mpg | 6.3 s | 161–164 g/km |
| E350 BlueTec | 40–48 mpg | 6.6–7.8 s | 154–188 g/km |
| E350 BlueTec 9-speed Auto | 53 mpg | 6.4 s | 136 g/km |
| E350 CDI Automatic | 54 mpg | 6.4 s | 136 g/km |
| E350 CDI BlueEfficiency | 47 mpg | 6.2 s | 156–159 g/km |
| E500 | 26 mpg | 5.2 s | 253–261 g/km |
| E63 AMG | 29 mpg | 4.2–4.3 s | 227–230 g/km |
| E63 AMG S | 28 mpg | 4.2 s | 230 g/km |
Real MPG average for a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
75%
Real MPG
19–58 mpg
MPGs submitted
991
Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.
What have we been asked about the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)?
Every day we're asked hundreds of questions from car buyers and owners through Ask Honest John. Our team of experts, including the nation's favourite motoring agony uncle - Honest John himself - answer queries and conudrums ranging from what car to buy to how to care for it as an owner. If you could do with a spot of friendly advice before buying you're next car, get in touch and we'll do what we can to help.
What sort of diesel regeneration does my car have?
What Cars Are Similar To The Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2009 – 2016)?
Key attributes of the this model are: Comfortable seats, Diesel engine, High quality interior, Motorway cruiser, Refined ride, Quiet cabin, Economical and Large premium.
Unclear on what your next car should be? Use our Car Chooser to pick something that suits your needs.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
What do owners think?
Our view gives your our opinion, based on driving hundreds of cars every year, but you can't beat the views of someone who lives with a car day-in, day out.
- 5 star 50%
- 4 star 33%
- 3 star 17%
- 2 star
- 1 star