Is This the Last True E-Class? Mercedes Pulls Out All the Stops

The E-Class is not just a car for Mercedes-Benz. It is an institution — the golden mean of German engineering, akin to a Bavarian beer hall or a Swiss watch: always ahead of its time, never a victim of fleeting trends. Since the legendary W120 launched in 1953, the E-Class has been the brand’s beating heart. Not the brain or the muscle, but the ever-pulsing rhythm that keeps the Mercedes name alive.

If anyone thinks the E-Class is just a filler between the C- and S-Class, that’s like saying Beethoven wrote a few random symphonies. This is where Mercedes shows what luxury means when it must also be practical. The E-Class is a five-star hotel where you can do your laundry or take your elderly grandmother along — designed for everyone, compromising nothing.

The E-Class era, named with the W124 in 1993, broke the mold. As other premium marques puzzled over how to serve up a business-class sedan, Mercedes simply delivered, and with such elegance that the Audi 100 and BMW 5 Series looked like underdressed guests at the opera. They sold 240,000 units in the first year alone.

But the E-Class has never been about flash. It doesn’t clamor for attention but sets the standard for class. It’s a smaller S-Class for those who see a violin as a compact cello — actually, it’s the S-Class’s younger, sharper, and more industrious sibling, the one who organizes the gala rather than attending it.

Now, it seems, we stand at the end of an era. The W214 generation is not just a new model, but a farewell to a chapter. Likely the last E-Class with a roaring combustion engine before the EQE and a sterile future come knocking. The final velvet-lined tank you can drive to visit your great aunt on Sundays, yet one whose nose is packed with more cameras and sensors than a typical satellite.

Fun fact: the E-Class was once king of taxis. Every other yellow-signed cab in Berlin or Vienna was a Mercedes. Those days are gone. Where once any tourist could hop into an E-Class at the airport, today you have to earn that privilege, buy it, or have the right connections.

For Mercedes-Benz, the E-Class has always been more than just a car. It’s a cultural emblem, a status symbol, and a tool — like a Swiss Army knife with a leather handle and a blade that cuts through prejudice.

The E-Class remains faithful to its three-box silhouette, standing apart from coupe-inspired sedans and towering crossovers like an old-school gentleman entering in a tux, watch in his pocket with a mechanism that would make digital clocks weep. A longer wheelbase (now 2.96 meters) and nearly five-meter body give it the poise of a manor lord who just gave his butler the day off.

The front end is classic but not conservative. The grille is crowned by a large emblem surrounded by a galaxy of star-shaped motifs. Thankfully, Mercedes exercised restraint — it’s not Dubai café gold but refined and meticulously crafted.

Powerdomes pressed into the hood are more than curves; they’re muscular eyebrows, hinting at potential beneath — enough thrust to pin you to your seat, but dignified enough not to do so immediately.

While the AMG Line’s aggressive front bumper and air intakes add sportiness, the side profile is pure artistry, as if designers drew a single line and stepped back, asking not to touch it further. Chrome or black window trim, depending on the trim, adds character for both elegant evenings and discreet business meetings.

The headlights are like eyes too smart to blink: slim, sharp, with eyebrow-shaped daytime running lights giving the car just the right amount of don’t-mess-with-me energy. At the rear, a light ballet plays out: LED taillights with a three-pointed star pattern create a mini fireworks display of Mercedes logos.

A fine chrome strip connects the taillights, visually widening the rear, giving the silhouette an optical illusion of width and substance. You might think it’s an S-Class, and if it isn’t, you wonder what more the S-Class could offer.

Mercedes has deliberately kept the E-Class’s look familiar — like a classic whiskey glass, not redesigned every year. It signals permanence and assurance, yet the new E-Class is modernized enough to compete with the latest BMW 5 Series and Audi’s cold precision.

Step inside the E-Class and even a seasoned auto journalist falls silent — not for lack of words, but because the interior speaks for itself. There’s no need to hunt for buttons or endure creaky plastic. Here, you simply appreciate the details.

Everything feels soft, but not sluggish — precisely soft, as if a handcrafted Chesterfield chair were folded into aerodynamic form and mounted on four wheels. The leather is silky, switches click like Swiss lab equipment, and even the dashboard glows as if it’s illuminated out of respect for the materials.

Panoramic screens dominate: a 12.3-inch digital panel for the driver and a 14.4-inch central touchscreen clear enough to show a new season’s trailer. Order the MBUX Superscreen and the passenger gets their own display. If the driver glances over too much, a camera blurs the screen, like a futuristic nanny.

Yet, real-world textures break up all the screens. There’s nothing artificial about the wood trim running across the dash or the metal-finished buttons clicking under your fingers. Even the air vents are designed like crown jewels that decided to direct airflow.

The front seats massage your every move, warm cold backs, and support your posture as if by intuition. In the back, there’s room for a two-meter-tall basketball player to stretch out. The trunk swallows both golf clubs and a weekend’s worth of supplies.

Of course, not everything is gold that bears the three-pointed star. Some details — sun visors, indicator stalks, glovebox lining — remind you that even Mercedes designers must check Excel spreadsheets. But hey, has any Michelin restaurant ever scored full marks for their toilet paper?

The MBUX system is now more intelligent than some university graduates. Screens are responsive and logical, menus are clear, essential functions always accessible. Even a grandparent, usually at odds with smartphones, can adjust the climate without frustration. Mercedes finally realized the temperature control need not be hidden behind seven menus like the Da Vinci Code.

Physical buttons are few, perhaps too few for some. The steering wheel’s touchpads still get as much criticism as pineapple on pizza — the tactile feedback remains divisive. This is not a car where you want to blindly hope you’re lowering the volume rather than navigating to Mexico. Thankfully, Mercedes left a backup: voice control that works like an intelligent assistant. Just speak, and if the car understands, it responds.

Then there’s everything else. The cabin learns your routines — news on Monday mornings, jazz on Fridays. The car can play music matching your pulse and trigger a relaxing massage if needed. It’s more spa-on-wheels than car, perfect for those who hate mornings.

Ambient lighting offers 64 shades, pulsing to the music like a Berlin lounge club. If your Apple Watch reports stress, the car notices and responds with a calming scent. Yes, Mercedes literally wafts fragrance at you if you feel off.

The new E-Class engine lineup still offers everything, but Mercedes knows the world is changing. You won’t find anything under the hood that isn’t electrified to some degree. Even the most conservative engines now have mild hybrid or plug-in systems, like a modern businessperson who wears a tie but uses a smartwatch and Google Workspace.

Starting with the E 220 d, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, as dependable as an old-school banker’s handshake. 197 hp and 440 Nm torque is a solid combo, but Mercedes adds a 48V starter generator for an extra 17 hp on demand — a secret personal trainer for a boost at launch. 0-100 km/h takes about 7.5 seconds, top speed is nearly 240 km/h, and fuel use is just 5 liters per 100 km. This economy beats some hybrids, all delivered smoothly and effortlessly.

Want more? The E 450 d 4Matic is the Bugatti of diesels: an inline-six with 367 hp, over 700 Nm of torque, all-wheel drive, 0-100 km/h in 5 seconds, and just 6 liters per 100 km.

Gasoline engines start with the E 200: 204 hp, turbo, and 48V hybrid assist. Quiet, calm, and surprisingly frugal in urban driving — more of a graceful cruiser than a hill-climber.

But the E 450 4Matic is another story: a 3.0-liter inline-six so refined even your bathroom tap could learn silence from it. 381 hp, 0-100 km/h in 5 seconds — this engine delivers power with such elegance you feel like you’re on an opera stage, not the highway.

The E 300 e and E 400 e 4Matic plug-ins both use a 2.0-liter petrol engine and a strong electric motor. The E 300 e offers 313 hp, the E 400 e hits 380. Both can drive about 100 km on electricity alone. No range anxiety here.

Fast charging up to 50 kW makes electric driving practical. The catch: all this tech adds about 300 kg in weight, and you feel it. The E 400 e hits 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, but the sensation is more a smooth surge than an explosion. If you like silence and seamless power, it’s for you. Adrenaline junkies should stick with the inline-six.

All versions get Mercedes’ 9-speed automatic, always present and discreet, like a restaurant’s best waiter. Sometimes it surprises with a quick shift just as you were about to relax, but that’s more a wake-up call than a problem.

The E 220 d 4Matic deserves special applause. All-wheel drive that adapts like a chameleon — icy, wet, muddy, or gravel, it always grips. A diesel engine that will take you 1,000 km on a single tank. And luxury that never compromises, even on the grayest Monday.

But this is the last E-Class to offer such a gallery of engines. The electric age is knocking. If you’re pondering which heart you want in your Mercedes, know that you’re choosing the last chapter of history.

Take any new car onto our streets and it quickly becomes clear whether it’s just a flashy impostor or a feat of true engineering. The new E-Class does something different. It doesn’t just drive, it flows. Even on streets that look bombed out, this sedan absorbs every imperfection like a dignified gentleman shrugging off an insult — seamlessly, without a grimace, though you’ll get the bill later.

Standard equipment includes updated adaptive dampers, reacting to road conditions without overly complex electronics or controls. Simple, clever, and effective, like a well-cut blazer fit for both the office and the opera. While 19-inch wheels may not be friends with sharp potholes, a smaller rim — say, 17-inch — makes the ride almost floaty.

For those wanting the ultimate, tick the Airmatic box. Air suspension brings a new dimension of ride quality. Add rear-wheel steering, and you’ll forget this car is nearly five meters long — even a tight parking lot U-turn feels like riding an e-scooter.

On the highway, the E-Class is in its element. The steering holds straight like a rail, unfazed by crosswinds. Wind and tire noise are nearly absent. At 130 km/h, cabin noise is just 64 dB — quiet enough to whisper. Perfect for business or collecting your thoughts.

Ergonomic seats with every imaginable adjustment and massage function mean you won’t need a chiropractor even after long drives. Add a head-up display projecting info right into your line of sight, and you never have to look away — everything is exactly where it should be.

The E-Class isn’t built to break Nürburgring lap records, but in Sport mode it tightens up, steering gets heavier and suspension firms. Despite its weight, it doesn’t feel cumbersome. The steering isn’t the sharpest scalpel but is precise, logical, and engaging. 4Matic all-wheel drive variants add security — the car grips, moves, and holds course like a train on its tracks.

Euro NCAP named the E-Class Europe’s safest car for 2024. A sedan that’s elegant, quiet, and so smart it knows when you cough, is also the embodiment of safety on the road.

Everything you need is here: up to nine airbags, a body of ultra-strong steel and aluminum, and the Pre-Safe system that tightens belts, closes windows, and sends “white noise” to your ears before a crash.

But the real magic is in prevention. Automatic emergency braking? Of course. Blind-spot monitoring? Standard. Cross-traffic alert and automatic braking for e-scooter surprises? All included.

Then come the top-shelf tech options. The Driver Assistance Package Plus can almost drive itself on the highway: maintaining distance, tracking curves, helping with overtakes, even deciding when not to pass because your exit is coming up. According to ADAC testers, it all worked smoothly: the car signals, maneuvered, and did the job while you simply watched and nodded. True, it’s only available in select countries for now.

Digital Light headlights project warning symbols on the road, alert pedestrians, and “cut” the beam to avoid blinding anyone. At night, it feels like piloting a spaceship programmed to think in every direction.

Cameras watch every angle during parking. The car can park itself, monitor for cyclists, and even receive hazard alerts from other vehicles (Car-to-X tech) if a slippery road is flagged elsewhere.

Most of this is optional equipment, adding another dimension to the car: if its smartness rivals a spaceship, so might its price.

Key things to look for in the E-Class:

Ride comfort: The E-Class glides like a luxury yacht on a still lake — suspension (especially with Airmatic) and seats banish fatigue.

Refined technology: The updated MBUX works as smoothly as a barista who knows your order before you speak. Voice control, touchscreen, and the “Just Talk” feature form a logical whole. Hold Zoom meetings in the car, or just drive.

Safety: Euro NCAP’s “Best in Class” award didn’t happen by accident. The car protects you with an army of sensors, cameras, and algorithms that react before you do.

Choice and personalization: Three design lines (Avantgarde, Exclusive, AMG Line) and dozens of packages let everyone create their ideal E-Class, whether your style is sporty, conservative, or minimalist.

Efficiency: The E 220 d and plug-in hybrids are superstars — the diesel does 1,000 km on a tank, the plug-ins cover 100 km electrically. It’s a car that considers your wallet, at least until you tick the “Burmester 4D audio” box.

Things to be aware of in the E-Class:

Touch controls on the wheel: The touchpads are Mercedes’s biggest stumble. They work, but swiping across the spokes often triggers things you didn’t intend. Please, bring back real buttons.

Inconsistent material quality: Most of the interior is premium, but some details — sun visors, glovebox, stalks — feel like they came from a stationery store. Not a disaster, but noticeable.

Eye-raising price: The base price is high, and fully equipped versions easily pass six figures. When an AMG Line E 200 costs as much as a Spanish holiday home, you wonder if you’re driving or moving in.

Is all this tech necessary? TikTok on the screen and bass in the seats may seem like a futuristic playground or a needless gimmick — Mercedes offers, but doesn’t force it.

Sportiness is moderate: This car can be fast, very fast, but the E-Class doesn’t want to be a sports car. It takes corners with dignity, not aggression.

In the end, the E-Class remains an experience drivers value, families trust, and competitors envy.