Written by CJ Hubbard Published: 13 December 2023 Updated: 13 December 2023

Overview

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is an all-new car, but with the continuing ambition to retain this model’s long-standing position as one of the best premium executive saloons you can buy.

In many respects, the E-Class is the very heart of the Mercedes brand, and among its most aspirational cars. Traditionally a comfortable, refined and cultured machine, the E-Class remains a mark of achievement to many people – drive one of these, and others are likely to think you’re a success.

However, the world moves on. And the impact of this has been two-fold for the E-Class.

Firstly, the rise of the SUV means the E-Class saloon might be considered old fashioned by some, but this latest version fights back with an immense package of often rather flashy technology. You can also see the influence of Mercedes’ all-electric EQ models in the design.

Secondly, judging by the fact that nearly every version of the E-Class now has AMG in its model name, UK buyers now prefer a sporty image to luxury and comfort.

AMG is Mercedes’ performance arm, and although none of the E-Classes covered here are true AMG variants with engine power to rival a supercar – those we’ll cover separately in time – almost every E-Class sold in the UK comes with lowered suspension. And frankly, this is bad news for ride quality, something we’ll get into more in the driving section below.

What’s it like inside?

As with all modern Mercedes, the interior of the E-Class is packed with screens. There’s a large central infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver and on some versions there’s even a display for the passenger. Everything is based around a new MB.OS operating system.

This latest technology package not only features impressive voice control capability, you can now add third party apps such as TikTok, Angry Birds and Zoom, that latter working – when you’re parked – with a ‘selfie’ camera available for the top of the dashboard. That’s Mercedes’ term, not ours. Meanwhile, the ambient lighting can pulse and change colour in time with your music.

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It’s a far cry from the conservative interior of Mercedes old – though for most people that is likely to be a good thing. If you’ve got the ambient lighting set to electric blue, for example, the way it sweeps round the top of the dashboard can make it feel like you’re piloting a bath tub. It’s a bit of fun and it’s certainly a long way from any definition of subtle.

Also, while there’s plenty of space, we’re not entirely convinced about the early build quality. The test cars we’ve seen so far have had misaligned trim panels and some creakiness.

Mercedes E-Class engines

In the UK there are four engines to choose from: two petrol, two diesel. The E300e petrol is a plug-in hybrid with a claimed electric-only driving range of up to 71 miles, while the rest are mild hybrids that get a 23hp boost from a small electric system that aims to improve efficiency rather than move the car on its own.

The E200 is the entry-point. It’s powered by a 204hp 2.0-litre turbo petrol, but it feels and sounds very rough in our encounters so far, and is rather overwhelmed by the saloon’s 1,823kg kerbweight. So while we haven’t yet tested the 197hp E220d 2.0-litre turbodiesel in the UK, we suspect the extra 100Nm of torque (pulling power) this version offers will make it well worth the extra cost to most drivers.

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While based around the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol, the E300e is much more pleasant than the E200 thanks to its 129hp electric motor. This gives the plug-in hybrid a combined system output of 313hp, delivering stronger and smoother acceleration. But there are other reasons we like this model best, as we’ll explain in the driving section.

The final option is the E450d 4Matic, a 367hp 3.0-litre turbodiesel with a very substantial 750Nm of torque. We haven’t been able to test this yet, either, but anticipate a smooth, powerful experience, supported by its standard-fit all-wheel drive system. The rest of the E-Class range is rear-wheel drive, as is traditional for this class of car.

All models come with a nine-speed automatic transmission called the 9G-Tronic Plus. This offers lots of gears for a theoretically improved blend of acceleration and fuel economy – but its far from the slickest automatic gearbox available and certainly doesn’t help speed up the E200.

Check out our Mercedes E-Class specs page for full performance and efficiency details

What’s it like to drive?

We’ve so far tried the E200 and the E300e in the UK. As a plug-in hybrid, the E300e is more powerful but also significantly heavier, weighing nearly 400kg more. But it’s also the only UK E-Class except the forthcoming E450d 4Matic that avoids the lowered suspension.

This together with the additional weight delivers significantly better ride comfort than the E200 can manage, without putting much of a dent in the E-Class’s dynamic agility. For UK buyers – who are not offered the more sophisticated air suspension available in Europe – on UK roads, this gives the E300e a much more pleasant driving experience.

That’s still not to say it’s an especially good one. Body control is still somewhat wallowy, no matter which mode you select for the variable damping system. Rather, it reflects just how poorly set-up the E200 feels for this country.

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Despite the 15mm reduction in ride height, which should lower the centre of gravity and reduce body roll in the corners, the E200 somehow exacerbates the waft of the E300e into loose, disconnected floatiness while also punctuating it with dreadfully abrupt responses to poor surfaces. It is the worst of both worlds as a result.

A far cry from the kind of refined sophistication we hanker after from a premium saloon, and worryingly, the E220d also gets the lowered chassis (but we won’t judge this until we’ve been able to try it).

It’s not as if any of this gets the E-Class close to rivals such as the BMW 5 Series in terms of driving enjoyment, either. Stick with the E300e or try another brand if comfort is important to you.

What models and trims are available?

Mercedes offers five trim levels in the UK. They are – wait for it – AMG Line, AMG Line Advanced, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and the Exclusive Edition. Clearly buyers here love a sporty Mercedes.

Pricing is not cheap, with the entry-level at launch starting at £55,290. However, you do get a lot of standard equipment. Notable reasons to upgrade from AMG Line to AMG Line Advanced include natty back-lit wood trim laser cut with a Mercedes-Benz star pattern, four-zone climate control, augmented reality satellite navigation and a 360-degree parking camera.

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AMG Line Premium adds the active ambient lighting, a powerful Burmester hi-fi system and the MBUX Superscreen – the additional display for the passenger, which also comes with the selfie and video camera. You also get 19-inch instead of 18-inch alloy wheels, plus acoustic glass for improved refinement.

AMG Line Premium Plus goes to 20-inch wheels (ouch), and includes the fanciest digital LED projector headlights, an illuminated front grille, panoramic sunroof, front seats with cooling as well as heating, and a head-up display. The Exclusive Edition adds 21-inch wheels and bespoke interior finishing including velour floor mats and ‘open-pore ship deck maple wood’ trim.

What else should I know?

Going beyond the usual app connectivity, the Digital Vehicle Key system means you can use an iPhone or Apple Watch as a key, allowing you to unlock and start the car. This is standard on all UK E-Class models.

The latest E-Class is available as an estate as well as a saloon. This increases basic boot capacity from 540 litres to 615 litres (though you lose 155 litres of this with the E300e because of the drive batteries) and also adds the ability to fold the rear ones down, creating up to 1,830 litres of space.

The charging time for the E300e’s battery pack is at least two hours.

As with air suspension, rear-wheel steering is a glaring omission from the UK options list.