Mercedes-Benz EQE Review 2024

Mercedes has always sought to offer a car in every possible area of the market. So it’s no surprise that the electric Mercedes EQE has arrived, with the final ‘E’ indicating that this is effectively a Mercedes E-Class-sized electrified saloon, designed to compete with rivals such as the BMW i5 and thrilling Porsche Taycan. Read on for our full Mercedes EQE review.

Unlike some of the German brand’s other models, such as the Mercedes EQA and Mercedes EQB, the Mercedes EQE is built on a bespoke EV platform. That should mean it offers fewer compromises.

One of the most obvious signs that the Mercedes EQE was designed as an EV from the outset is the exterior shape. It’s a saloon, but not quite as you might imagine it, with a heavily curved roof and swooping flanks, as well as a short rear end and low nose.

This is all done in the name of aerodynamics in order to boost its range. It’s not an unattractive design, but whether it is better-looking than the Mercedes E-Class will be a matter of personal taste.

The upside of this approach is that the Mercedes EQE offers an impressive range. Both the Mercedes EQE 300 and Mercedes EQE 350 share an 89kWh battery pack that drives the rear wheels, with a range of up to 379 miles on a full charge.

Mercedes EQE 300 versions offer 245PS, while Mercedes EQE 350 models have 292PS – 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds for the former and 6.4 seconds for the latter, so both deliver useful performance.

There are also high-performance versions that use the same battery, but with twin motors for four-wheel drive. Range is reduced to around 280 miles as a result.

While the range is generally impressive, the Mercedes EQE offers a maximum charging speed of 170kW, which means topping up from 10% to 80% takes around 30 minutes. This is less than the 270kW offered by the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT which can perform the same charge in approximately 20 minutes.

The driving experience is clearly biased towards comfort. The performance available from the electric motor is good, with a range of drive modes to alter how it responds to demands for acceleration.

The ride quality is also very impressive, with soft suspension that smooths poor road surfaces and makes for easy progress over long distances.

What’s less impressive, though, is that the soft suspension means the Mercedes EQE can move around more than is ideal through corners and over undulations. This is not helped by the high seating position. The steering is also quite light, making it less fun to drive than a car with this kind of performance could be.

The Mercedes EQE does many things well, but its price, charging that trails the best in class and the one-dimensional driving experience mean there are alternatives that offer a more rounded package.

The dimensions of the Mercedes EQE should mean it offers plenty of room for passengers and luggage, but the shape of the body demands compromises in terms of interior space.

Those in the front get the best deal. Although the centre console is wide, hip room is still generous while headroom, legroom and shoulder room are also sufficient for taller adults. The high seating position adds to the feeling of space, too.

In the rear, legroom and elbow room are ideal for two adult passengers, but taller occupants may find that the sloping roof eats into the available headroom. The centre armrest in the rear can fold to make a third seat, but it is far less comfortable than the outer two.

The boot offers 430 litres of space, which is reasonable, but less than key rivals and there’s no frunk at the front of the car either. The swoopy design also means that the bootlid aperture is relatively narrow.

Mercedes has long had a reputation for quality, even if the reality was somewhat more mixed. But for the most part, the Mercedes EQE succeeds in delivering a cabin that feels welcoming and well built.

Step inside, and the swooping expanse of dashboard with its large screens gives the interior a modern feel, although you need to choose a higher specification version in order to get the attractive matt wood finish, instead of the slightly less appealing plastic.

Elsewhere, the majority of the materials used in the cabin are of decent quality, and the controls feel good to the touch, although there are a few areas where cheaper plastics have been fitted, which takes the edge off the luxury feel.

The standard infotainment set up on the Mercedes EQE is impressive, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen mounted in portrait fashion.

The main screen uses Mercedes’ latest MBUX software and has an OLED display, so the graphics are super-sharp.

The menus are logical and the response to screen inputs is good too, so it’s a straightforward system to become familiar with and can be used with relative ease when on the move.

Sensibly, it also keeps the heating and ventilation controls on screen at all times, and although physical buttons would be preferable, it does make it easy to make quick changes to the settings.

It also comes with intelligent voice control, which you can activate by saying “Hey Mercedes”.  This can respond to indirect commands, so if you say “I am cold”, it will adjust the temperature, and can even recognise which seat the request came from.

Navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all standard, while higher specification versions add augmented reality navigation too. The standard sound system offers respectable audio quality, but the more sophisticated Burmester surround sound set-up on the two top-spec versions is particularly impressive.

At the time of writing, the cheapest model is the Mercedes EQE 300, which is £69,000, rising to £77,000 for the most affordable Mercedes EQE 350 version.

Both the Mercedes EQE AMG Line Premium Plus and Mercedes EQE Exclusive Luxury models at the top of the range come in at £89,000 in 350 form.

This compares favourably with the BMW i5, which starts at £68,000 in Sport trim, and the most basic Porsche Taycan at £86,000. However, both of these rivals offer considerably faster charging as standard.

Used examples are quite plentiful, with prices starting at around £45,000 for 2022 models with under 15,000 miles.

This constitutes a sizeable saving compared with the new list price.

Thanks to its large battery and good aerodynamics, the Mercedes EQE offers one of the longest ranges currently on the market, which means fewer charging stops.

However, the 170kW charging rate means that charging at home will take over 14 hours on a 7.4kW wallbox, which may be off-putting for some.

On the upside, the Mercedes EQE still benefits from the zero rate of VED and competitive Benefit-in-Kind rates for company car users.

However, all Mercedes EQE models are in the highest insurance group rating of 50, which means premiums will be high.

The majority of Mercedes EQE models are equipped with conventional suspension, but this does a good job of providing a smooth ride.

The suspension is clearly calibrated on the soft side, and this means the majority of lumps and bumps are soothed away, making the car an ideal companion on pretty much any kind of journey.

The downside with this approach is that at higher speeds, such as on country roads, it can result in unwanted body movements and a feeling of ‘floating’.

Rivals offer a more controlled ride, but ultimately the Mercedes EQE provides the most comfortable experience.

Push the Mercedes EQE a little harder on a twisty road, and the soft suspension becomes more apparent. Body roll is not excessive, but the sheer weight it is carrying around means it is not ideally suited to this kind of driving.

There is plenty of grip and it never feels anything other than secure and controlled, but the lightness of the steering means feedback is limited, too.

Mercedes EQE AMG Premium Plus models and above are fitted with a more sophisticated adaptive damping system and air-suspension, which gives the driver the opportunity to change the settings to suit.

With this set-up, the Mercedes EQE feels more composed without sacrificing ride quality, although it does require a significant further investment from the driver.

Buyers’ expectations for electric cars have grown as they have improved, and particularly at the more expensive end of the market, brisk performance at the very least is the bare minimum demanded.

The Mercedes EQE 300 offers a useful 245PS with a substantial 550Nm of torque, which is sufficient to get it to 62mph from rest in 7.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.

For a car of this size and weight that is acceptable, if not exceptional. The BMW i5 is faster by more than a second, while the Porsche Taycan is considerably quicker still, albeit considerably more expensive.

The more expensive Mercedes EQE 350 offers a useful boost in performance with 292PS and 565Nm of torque, cutting the acceleration to 62mph to 6.4 seconds. The range is fractionally reduced as a result, but if genuine EV performance is required then the Mercedes EQE 350 is the better option.

Whichever version you choose, the car is easy to drive. The accelerator pedal has a long travel which makes it simple to dish out the required amount of acceleration, and despite being rear-wheel drive it gets the power down well.

The driver can alter the drive modes to change the acceleration response, as well as changing the regenerative braking, including operating in one pedal mode.

The Mercedes EQE was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2022 and achieved a full five-star rating.

Even more impressively, it recorded some very high scores – 95% for adult occupant protection, 91% for child occupant protection, 83% for pedestrian mitigation and 81% for safety assist.

The standard safety system provision is very good, with all models benefiting from a 360-degree camera, parking assist and automatic emergency braking.

Mercedes EQE AMG Line Premium models gain the Driving Assistance Package, which adds active lane keeping assist, blind spot assist and active cruise control, while Mercedes EQE AMG Line Premium Plus and Mercedes EQE Exclusive Luxury models adds a higher version of this package, including active blind spot assist, active brake assist and active evasive steering assist.

The towing capacity is relatively limited, with both the Mercedes EQE 300 and Mercedes EQE 350 models able to tow a maximum of 750kg braked or unbraked.

The Mercedes EQE 2024 Sport Edition features dynamic select drive programs, chrome exterior trim, LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, heated front seats and a Mercedes-Benz audio system.

The Mercedes EQE AMG Line adds AMG exterior styling, a panoramic roof, privacy glass, 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, AMG interior styling and matt trim.

The Mercedes EQE AMG Line Premium adds 20-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting plus, keyless go, memory package, four-zone climate control and a driving assistance package.

The Mercedes EQE AMG Line Premium Plus adds Airmatic suspension, rear-axle steering, an acoustic comfort package, digital LED headlights, 21-inch AMG alloy wheels, a driving assistance package plus, a parking package, head-up display, augmented reality navigation and a Burmester sound system.

The Mercedes EQE Exclusive Luxury adds 21-inch alloy wheels, black velour floor mats, climate front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, maple wood trim and Nappa leather.