Road Test Review – 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4Matic – Mercedes Draws The Line in The EV Sand

2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4Matic attempts to be the perfect balance between performance, range, and luxury but does it succeed in being a futuristic jack of all trades? Or does it come up short when compared to rivals?

The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan is offered in four trims with each offering a clear choice of power and price. They are also a peek into the future of what to expect from Mercedes EVs. Headlight.News drove the 2024 EQE 500 4Matic, with dual motors, one each front and rear, that produced 402 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque. 4Matic is Mercedes-Benz speak for all-wheel drive. The EPA rates the all-electric range at 298 miles, which is pretty much what we got in our combined freeway and city driving.

The EQE 500 4Matic is the third most powerful EQE. In Mercedes-Benz speak, anything going forward with an EQ on the badge means it is only powered by electricity. The significance is that at some point everything, which includes sedans, coupes, sports cars, SUVs, and possibly
even trucks, will run on electrons leaving oil and gasoline behind. Times are changing at Mercedes-Benz and they have no interest in ceding ground to Tesla, Audi, Porsche, Lucid or any other car companies striving for a piece at the upper end of the luxury EV market.

Mercedes-Benz electric sedan experience

Stepping on the accelerator results in an instant and strong launch, which is the beauty of EV torque. The performance was impressive, with the 5,681 pound EQE returning 0 – 60 mph runs at 4.7 seconds. The well-distributed weight gave the EQE a balanced and confident ride. The Pirelli PZero
summer tires, mounted on 21-inch AMG multi-spoke black aluminum wheels, provided ample grip, even when pushing corners to their limit. The 4Matic drive system automatically senses grip level and undetectably sends power front to rear, and side-to-side, while the electronically controlled air suspension automatically controls the damping force of the suspension to provide for a smooth ride. The automatic air suspension system ($1,900 option) also adjusts the ride height depending if the car is in Eco, Comfort or Sport driving modes.

The EQE comes standard with active steering assist, stability control, and 4.5-degree rear-axle steering. This last feature helps the EQE be much more agile and maneuverable than would be expected, and nearly eliminates three-point turns with a 34.5-foot turning radius. The steering is light for around town and then is speed-dependent, so there is never a loss of road feel or the ability to accurately carve through mountains or traffic. Ride comfort was what is expected from a Mercedes, with only the most severe road surfaces being noticeable in the cabin. The EQE is easy to drive, easy to steer, and comfortable in every sense. It handled very well for being more than 16 feet long.

Charging and regeneration

Using a DC fast charger, the 96 kWh lithium-ion battery will replenish 10% to 100% in 32 minutes using the onboard 9.6 kW charger and charging at 170 kw. A 240 volt/32 amp home charger will take 11.5 hours for a 10% to 100% charge. The first two years of owning an EQE come with complimentary charging sessions at Electrify America DC fast chargers. Powerful motor regeneration is controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddles. So when coasting or braking it converts kinetic energy into electric energy and returns it to the battery. The one-pedal driving, where the regeneration can be set for different levels of force, made it possible to do most driving without relying on the brakes.

Slippery design

A .26 coefficient of drag (Cd) comes from the EQE “one bow” design, with cab-forward proportions, that has a few traditional Mercedes-Benz owners raising an eyebrow. True it is a diversion from the stately 500S, but it has form and function, which makes it efficient and quiet to drive. The EQE 500, a mid-size sedan, has a smooth exterior drawing one long sweeping line from front to back. It begins with a rounded nose with the traditional grille area replaced by a polycarbonate face having a repeated three-point star pattern.

The LED digital headlight system has the ability to project symbols and animation onto the road, such as warning symbols of road work, no-entry, stop and yield, driving guidelines on narrow roads, and several others. The coupe-like design has smooth sides with flush door handles and a curious rectangular door on the driver-side front fender. Too small for a charge port, so what is it? Mercedes does not want you opening the hood (which goes as far as there not being a visible hood release lever under the dash) so this fender door is for refilling the windshield fluid. Clever, but curious.

Our EQE 500 4Matic had the Winter Package ($1,500) option with the heated windshield, heated spray nozzles, and fluid hoses. The sleek roofline peaks at the B pillar and continues on a gentle slope to an ever-so-small lip spoiler on the power trunk lid. EQE 500 and 4MATIC badging sit below the LED light bar that connects the distinctive helix design tail lights. The restrained use of chrome was found around the windows, along the lower doors, and just a taste on the front and rear lower fascias, giving the EQE 500 a classy look. The EQE 500 we drove was painted in Patagonia Red Metallic ($1,750), which is one of eleven exterior colors of Black, Obsidian Black Metallic, Selenite Gray Metallic, Graphite Gray Metallic, Alpine Gray, Graphite Gray Magno, Moonlight White Metallic, Polar White, Selenite Gray Metallic, and Twilight Blue Metallic.

Sumptuous Interior

All materials were top-notch quality, with our interior looking elegant in two-tone black and space grey, with a black microfiber headliner. The leather multi-contour front heated and ventilated power seats had memory, massage, and power adjustments. The cabin, with natural grain Anthracite Linden wood trim, has a four-zone climate control with energizing air control with a HEPA filter. Seating comfort front and rear was good, but the heads of taller passengers may touch the ceiling and the seating position was a bit upright with no recline feature.

Other interior features are a power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, heated and power side mirrors with turn signals, a power tilt and sliding panoramic roof, and wireless phone charging. The 64-color ambient lighting is soothing and fun to play with.

Screens in abundance

The dominant feature of the EQE cabin is the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) hyper screen. There is a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and an OLED 12.8-inch infotainment screen. The only negative about these screens is the reflected light under certain angles and it being a fingerprint magnet. An OLED display, or organic light-emitting diode, works without a backlight as it emits its own visible light. The benefits are it produces deep black levels and offers higher contrast than an LED system, and uses 30% lower energy. Make sure to visit the Mercedes-Benz dealership in the evening to get the full impact of the touchscreen. The center screen is home to an augmented reality navigation system and the 710-watt Burmester 3D surround audio system. The 15 separate amplifier channels and 15 speaker system has a combination of mid-range, bass, tweeter, and surround speakers for SiriusXM, FM radio, (no AM radio) wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Bluetooth voice commands for the radio and the telephone are part of the MBUX assistant system.

There are multiple USB power and connectivity ports throughout the cabin. The leather-wrapped heated multi-function flat-bottom steering wheel has capacitive touch controls for audio, telephone and the smart cruise control, and to change the gauge design on the driver information screen. The radio can be controlled by voice commands (“Hey Mercedes”), the touchscreen, and physical. The system has a learning curve that isn’t too difficult and is well
worth mastering to get the most from the excellent sound quality and vast array of comfort features available to those in the cabin. The 12.3-inch 3D digital color instrument cluster has multiple views that provide a wealth of information. It is too involved to go into here, so make sure your Mercedes-Benz dealer sales representative walks you through it completely. The glasses-less 3D is impressive and adds uniqueness for this highly customizable screen.

Safety

The EQE 500 comes with a standard and optional list of advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, and a semi-autonomous driving system of Drive Pilot that utilizes LiDar, radar, cameras, moisture sensors, ultra-sonic sensors, and an antenna. Upon setting the system the EQE will stop, accelerate from a stop, and adjust speed to the cars in front. It is not a completely autonomous hands-free system, as there are none on the market, regardless of what some car companies will tell you. On your test drive, experiment a bit by removing your hands for up to forty-five seconds while on the highway.

Under the right conditions, the EQE will follow the lanes and turn gentle corners, hands-free. It is a wonderful feeling getting a sense of where true autonomous driving will be sometime in the future. There is the option, when on the highway, for the car to automatically change lanes, or it can be set to change lanes when applying the turn signal. We tried both at 65 mph on Interstate 5 in San Diego County, on a bright sunshine day, and found them to work equally as well. It really is a sensation when the system is set to change lanes automatically.

The EQE pulls up behind a vehicle, scans the adjacent lanes, and when the computer and all those sensors determine when it is safe to do so, the EQE moves into the next lane and after passing the vehicle returns to the original lane. Mercedes-Benz is not the only car company to offer this technology so we were familiar with how it should work. Glad to report their system worked flawlessly.

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• Review: 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe
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Pricing

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4Matic comes in three trims. These base prices include the mandatory destination charge of $1,150.

• Premium $85,900
• Exclusive $89,100
• Pinnacle $91,750

All trims are nicely equipped so buying one at the base price will be a very nice car. However,
Mercedes-Benz offers packages and options that ramp-up the convenience and safety features, and also the price.

The EQE 500 4Matic Premium we drove started at the $85,900 price listed above, and had
$17,395 in packages and options and the mandatory $1,150 destination fee. The final MSRP was
$103,295.

Warranty

New Vehicle 4 years/50,000 miles
Battery 10 years/155,000 mile warranty
Factory Maintenance 2 years/20,000 miles

Observations: 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4Matic Sedan

When climbing behind the wheel of the EQE 500 4Matic an appreciation for a fine automobile is quickly recognized. The styling may not please everyone but it is one of the most aerodynamic cars we have driven. The impressive interior, where occupants are encased in high-quality materials and workmanship, ranks among the top in luxury EVs. The features list is long and deep, including a full safety suite. The price may seem high, but there is a whole lot going on in the rarefied world of this full-size luxury electric vehicle. Mercedes-Benz has packed so much technology into the 2024 EQE 580 4Matic sedan it would take multiple reviews to cover everything. This is a car you will be relying on the dealer sales representative to explain, in detail, the systems to get the most from your car.

The EQE is classy and quick but it is not exciting to drive. The supremely quiet cabin, which includes noise-reducing infrared-reflecting glass, and buttery ride will impress many people. Mercedes-Benz loyalists looking for something pulse-raising to drive will have to look elsewhere. Whether it is an entry-level or a luxury model, there is something very satisfying about driving an electric car. The lack of sound as it moves down the road is wonderful, and the instant torque from a stop or already at highway speeds is something to enjoy. Have you reached the stage in life to reward yourself with a smooth-driving, quiet, emission-free luxury sedan? If so, the 2024 EQE 500 4Matic may be what you are looking for.

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Story and photos by John Faulkner.

John Faulkner is Road Test Editor at Clean Fleet Report. He has more than 30 years’ experience branding, launching and marketing automobiles. He has worked with General Motors (all Divisions), Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, Eagle), Ford and Lincoln-Mercury, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota on consumer events and sales training programs. His interest in automobiles is broad and deep, beginning as a child riding in the back seat of his parent’s 1950 Studebaker. He is a journalist member of the Motor Press Guild.