Mercedes-Benz E-Class review (2016-2023)

If you have high expectations of owning a Mercedes, the E-Class certainly won’t disappoint when you step inside. The cabin is elegantly designed and beautifully put together.

Even when you’re stuck in London traffic going nowhere, this car always exudes a touch of class that makes you feel good.

Tech and features

Information is displayed in stunning clarity on dual 12.3-inch screens. To keep your hands where they should be, Mercedes has cleverly added control touchpads to the steering wheel.

Getting comfortable behind the steering wheel is effortless, and all models feature heated seats.

Step into the back, and the feeling of quality and sense of luxury remains strong. There's lots of space in the back, which is hardly a surprise as, at home in Germany, Mercedes builds a version of the E-Class for taxi drivers.

The 2016-onwards entry-level SE trim comes very well equipped indeed. Leather trim, super-bright LED headlights, keyless entry, digital radio and a reversing camera are all fitted as standard.

And get this, for its party piece, the E-Class can search for parking spaces it will fit into and then park itself.

AMG models add a sporty-looking body kit, along with vegan-friendly synthetic leather, that looks and feels every bit as good as the real thing.

If you've had a mega stressful day at work, come home, have your tea, wait until the traffic dies down and then take your Mercedes E Class out for a drive again.

It’s so relaxing, hushed and comfortable to be behind the wheel of, you might just want to keep going. It’s perfect for soaking up motorway miles.

Handling and ride comfort

Models equipped with the optional air suspension are even better and make you feel like you’re floating along on your own personal magic carpet.

On twisty roads and around town, the E-Class feels perfectly fine to drive, even if the handling isn't quite as sharp as a BMW 5 Series or a Jaguar XF.

Rear seats

The E-Class provides sufficient space in the back for passengers, with great leg room considering it's a long car (4.7 metres).

But on the other hand, the sloping roof means that headspace may be a little snug if your passengers in the back are over six feet tall.

There's no fifth seat in the back, meaning there's plenty of space for the two in the back with a storage tray and cup holder separating the two seats which makes the car feel more spacious.

Boot space

The boot is a decent size - it has to be, to enable all those taxis to carry people’s luggage at Munich airport.

The only slightly cheeky thing is that despite Mercedes being generous with equipment in most areas, the two little levers in the boot that flip the back seats down are an optional feature.

The boot can hold 450 litres but bare in mind it's fairly shallow. But the rear seats fold down well so you could easily slide a bike in or more luggage if required.

Storage solutions

If you insist on eating inside the E-Class, at least you’ll find plenty of cupholders and cubby holders to store food throughout the cabin.

Fuel economy

The most popular choice is a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which should be able to achieve around 60mpg on a long run.

Even with mixed driving, you could be looking at around 50mpg.

The petrols are generally less efficient, but you mightn't be far off the 40mpg mark.

Some 3.0-litre versions, plus performance-oriented AMG models, offer more performance, but this comes at the cost of fuel economy.

You could also expect a higher tax bill and other running costs with those models.