2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Review: One Expensive Electric

Verdict

8.5 / 10

Design | Comfort | Tech | Performance | Safety | Fuel Economy | Pricing | FAQs

–Los Angeles, California

The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan is a polarizing figure in the modern EV marketplace. From the cab-forward stance to the tech-laden cabin, the EQE does nothing to hide its electrified credentials, looking more like a space pod than the E-Class to which it is nominally related.

But there’s more to the mid-size Mercedes EV than meets the eye. With a dual-motor powertrain pumping out 402 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque, the 2023 EQE500 is as overpowered as it is overstyled. And yet, I can’t help but be charmed by its insistent futurism, with Speed Racer four-wheel steering and synthwave interior illumination keeping things interesting when the off-the-line thrust starts to feel passé.

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Design

8/10

• Exterior Color: Starling Blue
• Interior Color: AMG Black / Space Grey
• Wheel Size: 20 Inches

Like its EQS big sibling, the EQE sedan makes proud use of Mercedes’ “one-bow” styling language for EVs. The low front end and stubby tail are connected with one single brushstroke, the 59.5-inch roofline peaking just behind the driver to give the car a slightly rearward-leaning stance. Unlike the light-barred EQS, the EQE makes do with separate headlights, and bracket-shaped daytime running lights liven up the appearance a bit. Around back, a full-width taillight panel gets coiled lighting elements, just like a light bulb.

Beyond those details, deciding whether or not you like the EQE is a matter of opinion – I enjoy the mid-90s concept car look a lot, personally. What’s not up for debate is how awesome the AMG Line aero wheels are. Embossed with a zillion little Mercedes stars, these wheels measure 20 inches and give the EQE500 some stellar rolling stock.

Get To Know The EQEs:

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Comfort

8/10

• Seating Capacity: 5
• Seating Configuration: 2 / 3
• Cargo Capacity: 15.1 Cubic Feet

Bombastic acceleration aside, the EQE500 is a very genteel car in which to motor around town. Adaptive dampers are standard, and they do great work in their softest setting to even out the bumps on bad pavement. A low 0.22 drag coefficient and door-mounted mirrors reduce wind roar, and despite the EQE’s frameless windows, there isn’t much road noise to speak of.

Technology & Connectivity

9/10

• Center Display: 12.8-Inch Touchscreen
• Instrument Cluster Display: 12.3 Inches
• Wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto: Yes/Yes

Performance & Handling

7/10

• Motor: Dual Permanently Excited Synchronous
• Output: 402 Horsepower / 633 Pound-Feet
• Battery: 90.6-Kilowatt-Hour Lithium-Ion

Pushing a combined 402 hp and 633 lb-ft from a pair of electric motors (without any subscriptions), the Mercedes-Benz EQE500 is a surprising thrill in a straight line. Its 60-mile-per-hour sprint of 4.5 seconds doesn’t sound all that impressive in a world of 3.3-second Kias, but the Mercedes doles out its thrust gently from a stop to maintain control. Once on the fly, the dual motors provide blistering passing power, and onramp acceleration is far more ferocious than any Mercedes not wearing an AMG badge has a right to be.

Safety

6/10

• Driver Assistance Level: SAE Level 2 (Hands-On)
• NHTSA Rating: Not Rated
• IIHS Rating: Not Rated

Fuel Economy

8/10

• Efficiency: 83 City / 82 Highway / 82 Combined MPG
• EV Range: 260 Miles

Pricing

1/10

• Base Price: $74,900 + $1,150 Destination
• Trim Base Price: $87,050
• As-Tested Price: $98,350

The single-motor, 288-hp Mercedes-Benz EQE350+ starts at $76,050 with destination, but getting into the EQE500 is a minimum $87,050 investment. My tester carried an additional $11,300 in options, the biggest tickets being a $2,100 AMG Line interior and $2,200 AMG Line exterior, as well as $1,600 for a black microfiber headliner. Ditch those bits and you’re left with substantively the same vehicle for just over 92 large.

But even if you exercise some restraint with the options, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is still a darned expensive vehicle when you could get the faster, quicker-charging BMW i4 M50 with every single option checked for $84,370. A loaded Tesla Model 3 Performance is cheaper still, at $71,240 including the pipe-dream Full Self Driving option. Or, for about the same price of the EQE I drove, I could also purchase the more spacious Tesla Model S, which gets at least 375 miles of range and hits 60 in a fleet 3.1 seconds.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE500 sedan does a few things very well. It’ll wow onlookers who spot its rear wheels cranking around the parking lot, and the nicely finished cabin turns into a Miami nightclub when the sun goes down thanks to the ambient lighting. It’s quiet and refined, too, and the look-at-me styling broadcasts its EV pretensions to the world. For me, this mid-size EV is at least $10,000 too expensive to be a smart buy, so thank goodness it has some intangibles to help compensate.

EQE Competitor Reviews:

FAQs:

Is The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE A Hatchback?

No. Unlike the larger EQS sedan, which has a five-door liftback body style, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is a four-door sedan with a traditional trunk. The rear seats fold if you need to haul longer cargo.

Is The Mercedes EQE500 An AMG Model?

No. Mercedes-AMG markets its own version of the EQE, giving it 677 horsepower and 701 pound-feet. The 0-60 time drops from 4.5 seconds in the EQE500 to 3.2 seconds in the AMG.

How Quickly Does The Mercedes-Benz EQE500 Recharge On A DC Fast Charger?

With a peak charge rate of 170 kilowatts, the EQE will go from 10 to 80 percent in 32 minutes.