2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG EQE

　　

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Review

byJared GallCorrespondent

　　Jared Gall started his career in the auto industry in 2001 with an internship at Car and Driver. He has written and edited many thousands of car reviews, technological deep-dives, industry analyses, and personality profiles. He is a correspondent at zzdcar and still has the 1969 Chevrolet C20 he dragged out of his parents' barn and drove until Car and Driver started giving him cars to evaluate.

　　Mercedes-Benz has been quite busy lately expanding its lineup to include EVs, and one of the latest is the 2023 EQE. This all-new electric lozenge rides on a shortened version of the EQ platform that Mercedes-Benz debuted with the EQS. As the second E in the EQE name signifies, Mercedes sees this as an electric alternative to the midsize E-Class sedan, and it's sized accordingly. And since electric motors are compact, the EQE's wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than the E-Class sedan's, and that extra space is used for a cavernous rear seat.

　　

Mercedes-Benz EQE EV Insights

Trim:EQE AMG EQE

　　AMG EQE 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $106,900 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　251 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 213 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　10.8 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between Mercedes-Benz USA and Electrify America. Customers who purchase or lease a new Mercedes-EQ model will receive 2 years of complimentary 30-minute DC fast charging on the Electrify America network. Complimentary charging expires 2 years from the initial activation. To take advantage of this benefit, customers must be registered with Mercedes me Charge. Offer is non-transferable and only valid to first owners or lessees. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$98/mo

　　EQE

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　All EQEs share a 90.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Fully charged, it could be good enough to give the base EQE 350 a range of about 400 miles. The 350 is a bit underpowered for a luxury EV, however; its single electric motor on the rear axle makes 288 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. The EQE 350 4Matic adds a second motor to the front axle. Horsepower remains the same, but torque jumps to a much more substantial 564 lb-ft. The EQE 500 4Matic's two motors combine for 402 hp and 633 lb-ft. For EV buyers who are in a real hurry, the AMG EQE generates 617 hp from its two motors, which can be temporarily boosted to 677 hp and 738 lb-ft. Launch the AMG version from a stop and Mercedes says you'll get to 60 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds.

　　Not only does the EQE offer plenty of stretch-out space inside, but it's also trimmed as opulently as you'd expect from a brand synonymous with luxury. Rich synthetic or real leather wraps the seating surfaces and dash, and separate sharp-looking OLED panels are used for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. Mercedes offers just about everything from its feature and technology catalogs in the EQE as well. Overall, we think the EQE should be a smart pick for shoppers wanting a luxurious EV sedan, particularly if it's one that's less expensive than flagship models such as the EQS, BMW i7 and Porsche Taycan.

　　

Which EQE does zzdcar recommend?

The ability to execute an authoritative pass on a 55 mph two-lane seems like a necessary part of the Mercedes-Benz experience. While no EQE is slow, electric-motor punch tapers as speed builds, and the 350 models lack the stank necessary for such a dispatch. We, therefore, like the EQE 500 4Matic, and considering that it leaves buyers wanting for absolutely nothing. The Pinnacle trim's relatively minor upcharge is a no-brainer.

　　

Mercedes-Benz EQE models

The 2023 EQE's powertrain progression forms one pricing hierarchy, but motor output and drivetrain configuration are the only major differences separating the EQE 350, EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic. All three come with the same roster of standard equipment and the same 90.6-kWh battery pack. Equipment differences lie in the three trim levels — progressing from Premium to Exclusive to the Pinnacle — available with any powertrain. The AMG EQE has its own level of standard equipment. It is only offered in Exclusive and Pinnacle trims, but the equipment included in each varies slightly compared to the rest of the EQE lineup. Read on for our rundown of the EQE's major features and options.

　　EQE 350

　　This base model has one electric motor on the rear axle producing 288 hp and 391 lb-ft.

　　EQE 350 4Matic

　　This entry-level all-wheel-driver adds a motor to the front axle as well. Horsepower stays at 288, while torque increases to 564 lb-ft.

　　EQE 500 4Matic

　　The uplevel all-wheel-drive EQE also has an electric motor at either end, here combining for 402 hp and 633 lb-ft. The EQE 500 also gets rear-wheel steering to enhance maneuverability.

　　AMG EQE

　　The sportiest EQE, the all-wheel-drive AMG boasts a nominal 617 hp and 701 lb-ft, which can be briefly boosted to 677 hp and 738 lb-ft. It also includes rear-wheel steering.

　　All EQEs are well equipped from the start. The baseline Premium trim includes:

　　9.6-kW AC charging 170-kW DC fast charging 19-inch wheels Panoramic sunroof LED headlights with adaptive high beams Keyless entry and starting Power-operated trunklid Dual-zone climate control with pre-conditioning Power-adjustable, heated front seats 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system Integrated navigation system 15-speaker Burmester sound system Wireless phone charging Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration (both with wireless connectivity) 64-color ambient cabin lightingThe Premium also includes the following driver assist features as standard:

　　Forward collision warning with automatic braking (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Blind-spot warning (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Lane keeping assistance (steers the EQE back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker) Front and rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is about to cross your path and cause a collision) 360-degree parking camera (gives you a top-down view of the EQE and its surroundings in tight parking situations) Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)Notable options on the Premium trim include:

　　AMG Line Exterior package: replaces the front and rear fascias, as well as the sill panels, with more aggressive pieces AMG Line Interior package: sport seats in perforated leather, flat-bottom steering wheel, rubber-studded metal pedals Winter package: heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, heated windshield, heated windshield washers Ventilated front seats Leather upholstery Multicontour front seats with massage Four-zone climate control Airmatic adjustable suspensionExclusive

　　Has all of the Premium's standard equipment plus more technology features, including:

　　Augmented reality navigation that overlays route prompts onto a forward-facing camera feed Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the EQE and the car in front) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Blind-spot intervention (steers the car back into its lane if you try to change lanes while a car is in the vehicle's blind spot) Automated lane change assistance (guides the vehicle into the next lane when the turn signal is used) Evasive steering assistance (enhances the forward collision mitigation system with steering-based collision avoidance)The Exclusive also opens up the following options:

　　Head-up display Acoustic Comfort package: laminated glass for the windshield and front windows that cuts down on exterior noise and UV absorptionPinnacle

　　Tops off the EQE by way of:

　　Head-up display Four-zone climate control Cabin-air filtration and fragrance diffuser Six USB-C charging ports Digital light headlights (automatically adjust to further improve road and sign illumination)AMG EQE

　　The bundling of standard and optional equipment varies somewhat between the non-AMG cars and this more maniacal EQE. In addition to the non-AMG Exclusive trim, the base AMG EQE Exclusive comes with:

　　Adjustable air suspension Special tuning of the all-wheel-drive system for sportier handling Rear-axle steering Flat-bottom steering wheel Additional drive mode controls on the steering wheel Unique soundtracks inside and outside the car Heated steering wheel AMG Track Pace: logs performance data including speed, acceleration, lap, and sector times during track drivingAMG EQE Pinnacle

　　The Pinnacle-est of the Pinnacles, this trim includes:

　　Head-up display Four-zone climate control Six USB-C charging ports Cabin-air filtration and fragrance diffuserOptions for the AMG EQE are generally the same as those noted above. For the AMG EQE only, you can also get:

　　Carbon-ceramic brakes (provide better resistance to brake fade during high-performance driving) AMG Night package: black chrome side mirrors and window surrounds and black chrome detailing on the front and rear fascias

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