Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W214)

Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W214)

• E 200 Avantgarde

• Horsepower: 204 (from internal combustion engine) + 23 (from electric motor)

• Torque: 320 NM

• Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds

• Overall Length: 4,949 mm 

• Overall Width: 2,065 mm 

• Exterior Color: Metallic Graphite Grey

• Interior Color: Black

• Price: Starts from $62,450 for the E 350 (E 200 is not available in the US market)

The Mercedes Benz E-Class shines with its comfort and luxury in the long time competitive E Segment against strong rivals such as the BMW 5 Class, Audi A6, and Volvo S90. The E-Class offers a smooth ride for the driver and passengers, continuing the tradition of Mercedes-Benz. It is a good choice for customers who are looking for a polished cruising experience. 

The main strength of the E-Class is its comfort. Since the first generation, the E-Class has always been known for its ride quality and the new generation is no different. The ride is very comfortable due to the highly successful suspension system. They absorb all the pits and obstacles on the road and make the passengers feel very minimal disturbance. The new generation E-Class feels like a proper Mercedes-Benz with the smooth ride experience it offers.

The interior of the E-Class is very technologically advanced. It is very modern. The test car is not very loaded with many options, so it does not have the giant hyper screen in other E-Classes. Still, the interior cabin of the E-Class is a nice place to be even with the smaller screen. Personally, I am not a big fan of giant screens so I actually liked this one more. It has all the features of the bigger one, just the passenger display is missing, which is not a very big deal in my opinion. I really liked the ambient lighting in the car. During night drives, the interior of the cabin is very nifty. The test car has the basic cloth/leather seats, which I think do not catch up with the rest of the car, but the optional full leather seats would be perfect. Other than that, the materials and most parts of the car feels very solid and well built. 

The back seats of the E-Class are very roomy. They provide great leg space and head space, despite the two piece sunroof. The back seats can be equipped with features such as heated rear seats and 4-zone air conditioning control. With the spacious and comfortable rear seats, the E-Class offers a pleasant ride to the passengers in the back and can even be considered as a limo. 

The E-Class has driving assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keep and changing assistance as standard. These features function very well and make the trip easier. They are very helpful in highway cruises. The sound system of the test car was nothing special. The standard sound system is pretty moderate and does not keep up with the rest of the car. However, the optional Burmester sound system, which was unfortunately not optioned in the test car, delivers a very high quality sound. I think the Burmester sound system is an option that must be selected. 

The performance of the E-Class is satisfactory. The test car has the E 200 engine which is coded M254. This engine is a gasoline mild hybrid that produces 204 horsepower with an additional 23 horsepower from the electric engine that can be used in the car at the first acceleration. With this engine combination the car accelerates to 60 mph in under 7.5 seconds and has a top speed around 150 mph. It has no problem with keeping up the pace in the German Autobahns. This engine specification will be enough for most customers but the entry level engine option available in the US is the E 350 variation, which performs even better with 255 horsepower. The handling of the E-Class is not bad, but it can easily be told that the car was built more towards comfort than sporty driving. 

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is arguably the most important car in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. This segment in Mercedes-Benz has been ongoing since 1953, starting with the W120 generation. The E-Class was officially first named in 1984 with the legendary W124 generation. Since then, each generation has added up to the level of comfort and luxury, making the E-Class best selling model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup with more than 14 million units. The 6th generation of E-Class, the W214, does not fail to meet the expectations. With its soft, comfy ride and nice interior cabin, it feels like a proper Mercedes-Benz and proves authorities saying that true Mercedes Benz vehicles start from E-Class.