2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE

Pros

• Beautiful components and details
• Skilled rear-steering
• Great range and efficiency

Cons

• Annoyance caused by the way the brake pedal moves
• Expensively extra Hyperscreen
• Unusual proportions

When you step on the accelerator pedal of the EQE 350, it moves very quickly. Mercedes says that it will take 5.6 seconds to reach 60 mph. Since even a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is faster, this may not be exciting. Still, the EQE’s consistent power will make most users happy. When the fake engine noises are turned off, the midsize sedan is nice and quiet. There is no noise from the road or buzzing from the electricity. There is also not much noise from the wind.

The EQE slows down as quickly as it speeds up, and there are different levels of brake regeneration (using the motors to charge the batteries as you decelerate). Drivers won’t be able to tell the difference between brake regeneration and the brakes on the wheels when driving usually.

Regarding how it drives, the EQE starts to stand out from the EQS sedan. The smaller size, lighter weight, and shorter wheelbase give the driver more control and a more natural feel (the distance between the front and rear wheels). The regular EQE 350 won’t be considered sporty, but sporty drivers will choose it over the EQS. The EQE makes you confident enough to test its performance limit even on wet mountain roads.

The AMG EQE could be your car if you want to go fast. Mercedes says the AMG version will reach 60 mph in 3.2 seconds if it has the AMG Dynamic Plus package. After what we’ve seen and done with the AMG EQE, we have no reason to think otherwise. As you might expect from an electric car with more than 600 horsepower, the AMG EQE can reach speeds that will make you dizzy. Similar to the 350 models, acceleration can be moderate and almost silent. The only sign of your rear rate is the rising scream of your wide high-performance tires. When you choose one of the AMG Sound Experience settings, the AMG EQE makes different sounds inside and outside the car.

Even with the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, the AMG EQE has a strong stopping force that is easy and smooth. Even though driving with one pedal is easy, carbon-ceramic brakes are not a good choice because we rarely use their more powerful mechanical counterparts.

In high-performance trim, the EQE turns into a very serious sports sedan, which is to be expected of any Mercedes-Benz with an AMG option. The grip is excellent, and the all-wheel-drive system gives you a lot of holds. The ride is firmer than on the 350s, but the adaptive air suspension reduces body roll and makes the car more comfortable. After you get used to the AMG EQE’s high limits, you can drive it on an excellent road. The standard rear-axle steering on the AMG EQE gives it a clear advantage in tight parking lots and on curves.

Whether you choose the standard dashboard with a beautiful touchscreen or the Hyperscreen, a single piece of glass with built-in displays, the EQE gives off a very tech-forward first impression. Still, it has all the luxury features you’d expect from a larger Mercedes sedan.

The parts on the inside of the EQE are significant. The more rigid polymers have a good weight, but the parts that people touch most often are soft. The fact that you can’t hear any creaks and squeaks in the cockpit shows that it has the Germanic toughness that sets apart the best luxury cars.

There is a good view of what’s ahead. Even though the front roof pillar on the driver’s side is quite thick, it doesn’t make it hard to see when making quick left turns or crossing intersections. Taller drivers may find a little closer to the headliner than they desire due to the EQE’s sloping windscreen and slightly higher-than-expected sitting position. Only a small window, just tall enough to see cars behind, can be seen through the back window.

Seat coverings come in various materials, including traditional leather and a plausible synthetic leather replacement. You can add ventilation and massage to the more comfortable standard seats or switch them out for sports seats with more aggressive side bolstering to keep you in place when driving fast. AMG cars have a lot of fake suede and strange stitching that stands out. The back seats are a good size for adults of average height. Taller people will be more comfortable in the front, but plenty of legroom is in the back.

The space behind the back seats is 15 cubic feet, about two cubic feet more than the gas-powered E-Class. The low and wide opening of the EQE’s trunk makes it easier to load large items than the trunk of a typical midsize sedan. Four carry-on suitcases should fit without any trouble. The EQE’s failure to embrace the more practical and stylish (in our opinion) design of the EQS hatchback is the one major disappointment.

If you want a futuristic look and feel, think about Hyperscreen. It is made of cutting-edge glass and has all the features and functions of a standard dash. The person sitting in the front seat can have a customized screen to control many entertainment features without bothering the driver. If the driver tries to look at the net for the passenger, eye-tracking cameras will get in the way and make it hard to see.

But you should stay away from the Hyperscreen if you get confused by a lot of information or don’t like figuring out how to organize a lot of screens. You can see a lot of information on the large, colorful head-up display, the high-quality digital instrument panel, and the giant touchscreen in the middle. We won’t say anything wrong about you if you use old-fashioned digital collections.

Aside from that, the EQE has a good mix of technical features and features that help the driver. Basic high-tech safety features are available, like frontal collision prevention, blind spot monitoring, and help to stay in your lane. During our first trip, they worked quietly and didn’t set off false alarms or strange reactions.

The EQE will come in three trim levels, starting with the EQE 350, which has a single motor that drives the back wheels and a 90.6-kWh battery. 288 hp and 391 lb-ft. The European WLTP regulation says that a full charge should give you a range of 400 kilometers. Remember that WLTP range predictions are often more optimistic than EPA range predictions. But in Edmunds’ real-world test, the EQS car we used got 422 miles, more than the EPA’s 350-mile estimate. When we can test one in the US, we’ll see if the EQE does better than what it predicted. With a second motor for the front axle, the EQE 500 4Matic now has 402 horsepower and all-wheel drive.

The model that costs the most is the AMG EQE. It features two electric motors, just like the EQE 500 4Matic. But they are more powerful, with 617 horsepower and 701 lb-ft of torque. Do you still want more? When the AMG Dynamic Plus package is chosen, the power goes up to 677 horsepower and 738 lb-ft, and the top speed goes up from 137 to 149 mph.

With its 90.6 kWh battery pack, the EQE should be able to travel more than 300 miles. Mercedes says that it takes 9.5 hours for a 240-volt Level 2 charger to charge the battery from 10% to 100% fully. Mercedes says that when the EQE’s battery is connected to a DC fast charger, it can be fully charged from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.

The EQE’s interior has an intelligent design and is made of high-quality materials. It also has a lot of room for passengers and storage cubbies. When the optional Hyperscreen is added, which turns the dashboard into a big glass panel with many digital displays, the area looks even more like it’s from the future. A floating center console separates one of the front seats from the other. The standard cushions on the front chairs are heated and cooled. These thrones can also have massage features added to them. Every EQE has a panoramic sunroof, and adjustable ambient lighting inside that goes along the dashboard and doors and gives the car a unique look when it’s on.

Even though we like how nice the interior looks, we wish the sedan had better visibility from the outside. It comes with options like a head-up display, four-zone climate control, and automatic opening and closing of the front doors. The EQE’s electric platform, which resembles a skateboard, is helpful for packing since it provides luxurious passenger amenities and competitive freight capacity.

The EQE’s entertainment system is built around the optional 56-inch-long Hyperscreen, which hides three screens under a single, sweeping piece of glass. It has a 17.7-inch touchscreen in the middle, a 12.3-inch screen for the person sitting in front, and a 12.3-inch screen on the digital gauge cluster panel. The unique interface, which uses Mercedes’s latest MBUX software, lets users access options without using voice commands or going through menus.

Without the Hyperscreen, the EQE’s standard entertainment system is the 12.3-inch touchscreen. It has a fingerprint scanner that lets people get to their profiles. The standard equipment includes a Burmester sound system and a wireless charger. During our first drive, we noticed some strange things about the navigation system’s augmented reality video feed and how the route is shown on three screens, which is optional.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE and the EQS sedan, which are more extensive and more expensive, are very similar. They both have enough power and range, and as they drive down the road, they make no noise. The EQE is easier to move around and more fun because it is smaller. This is the most noticeable change. The EQE and AMG EQE have much to offer, whether you want to enjoy your EQE in traditional luxury or compete with practically every other luxury EV on the market.