Mercedes E-Class: 75% S-Class

dhruvtalksstech
Nov 30, 2022
5 min read

Updated: Dec 3, 2022

Unless you have more money than you can stash away, you should buy the E-Class over the S. It is 75% of the S for 43% of the price. The E-Class is one of my favorites of all time. I still remember when the current generation being sold in India came out in 2017 and I saw it for the first time on the road. I immediately fell in love with it and still feel the same about the car. It looked like a limousine and was extremely elegant and long. The flowing lines in the headlight, the crystal effect of the taillights, standing Mercedes logo on the bonnet immediately drew me in and I knew it was love at first sight. The car looked like it was wearing a navy blue suit and was ready for a stylish and luxurious red carpet entry. The side profile of these cars matters because that's how you are going to pull up and I am happy to report that the length is well-designed. It does not look slab-like.

I prefer the design of the pre-facelift version of the facelift as the newer one seems to have lost that old-world charm that the pre-facelift had for modernity. the car also does not seem as long as before because of sharper lights and bumpers and tighter curves. It is becoming harder to differentiate Mercedes sedan models and there is no distinct hierarchy design that used to exist earlier. I like the AMG wheels on the E350d version but they are a bit like wearing sports shoes with a tuxedo. The lights have become slimmer, angular, and more detailed. The grill has gotten bigger and the bumper is a lot more sporty now. I prefer the rear to the front and there seems to be a disconnect between the two. The door chrome handles are solid and expensive to touch and the car soft-close doors on the 350d variant and the exclusive trims of the 200 and 220d. The exclusive trims also get a Samsung tablet in the armrest of the rear seats to control the car's functions but it is not worth the 3.5L premium.

The boot has 540L of space but the opening is not the widest and the boot is not electrically operated. You cannot fold down the rear seats on the Indian version of the E-Class. The car is over 5m long and has a 3m wheelbase. The 350d variant gets 20' AMG wheels whereas the 220d and 200 get 18' wheels. The car comes with 3 engine options - 2L Petrol, 2L Diesel and 3L Diesel. The 2L Petrol gets 194HP and 320NM of torque. The 2L Diesel gets 192HP and 400NM of torque. The 3L Diesel has 6 cylinders and has 282HP and 600NM of torque. If you want a diesel, get the 220d as the 350d costs 13L more and the upgrade is not worth it. Most people who buy such cars are not going to be pushing it around the corners and the 220d does the job best. The 350d has air suspension which the other variants do not get and it is supremely comfortable but the spring suspension is comfortable enough and easier to maintain. It is also better for low-speed driving. If you want a petrol luxury car, the 200 is the only variant you can go for.

The 350d gets an exclusive blue-colored dashboard and memory function for the driver and co-driver seat. It also gets the beautiful looking Burmester to surround sound system but you can also get that on the Exclusive variants for the 220d and 200. The car is very silent and the E350d can get from 0-100 in about 6.8 seconds while the 220d would take 7.5 seconds. The acceleration is linear and relaxed. It won't push you back in the seats because the 9-speed gearbox is tuned for comfort and relaxed driving. The car does not love being pushed around the corners as it is very long. The kick-down/rolling acceleration on the 2L trims is a bit slow and you may want to slot the car into Sports mode for highway driving. There is Sports, Sports+, Individual, Comfort, and Eco mode on offer. The steering is very light and the innovative seat kinematics will keep you relaxed and ward off body aches and pain stemming from stillness.

I love the interior of the car as it is swoopy and feels genuinely upper-class. The 64-colour ambient lighting is the best in any car on the planet and covers all surfaces. I especially like the deep purple and blue at night. There is a 2-piece panoramic sunroof. There are twin 12.3-inch screens. You can control the infotainment by touch, voice, steering-mounted swipe controls, and the swipe pad in the center. The practicality of the car is great. There is a large compartment in the middle and the glove box is big enough. The door bins can swallow a 1L bottle as well. The stick gear is easy to use and convenient especially when you have to reverse out of a tight parking space. The lights are powerful but not BMW laser-level good. There are some physical buttons under the infotainment which come in really handy while driving. The open-pore wood on the dash is exquisite and the seats are wide and very comfortable. They are adjustable in 12 ways and also have lumbar support.

The MBUX system is very intelligent and has a host of functions and features. The driver's display is insanely customizable and shows a ton of information. There are also a lot of safety features such as 7 airbags, pre-safe, automatic parking, PDC intervention, drowsiness alert, and some level of autonomous driving tech. Everything is pretty to look at and nice to touch save for a few cheap plasticky bits here and there. There are 2 cupholders and a wireless charging pad in the front along with a USB-C port. Let's jump right into the back because that is what the E-class is all about and that is where the owner is going to spend the majority of their time.

Both rear passengers can control the sunroof blind, rear sun blind, and both sun blinds with the touch of a metallic button. There are illuminated vanity mirrors that pop out from the roof for that look before you step out of the car to attend the evening gala. There is a pillow for your head that is probably the most comfortable one ever in a car. The seat back reclines by an incredible 37 degrees making it very comfortable and it can easily rival a business class cabin of an international airliner. On the rear left seat, you also get a button to push the co-driver's seat ahead to make more leg space but you would never need it. It has a little bit more headroom and knee room than the BMW 6GT but is more comfortable in the back thanks to the seats which are contoured for two and you should not try to fit a third passenger in the back as that would only ruin your wonderful experience.