2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class comes with slight changes and many of the optional features have been made standard while the E 300 trim has been replaced by a new E 350 trim. Not exactly ‘affordable’, but also not too far-fetched, the E-Class seems to be in a pretty sweet spot with the E350 and E450, offering value and opulence. The E-Class starts at $54,050 and it competes against the likes of Audi A6, Volvo S90, and BMW 5-series.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan is offered in two trims. The new E350 and the E450. The E350 can be had either as RWD or 4Matic AWD while the E450 can only be had as a 4Matic AWD model. The E350 RWD comes in at $54,050 while the E350 4Matic costs $56,550. and the E450 4Matic is priced at $61,550. The E350 comes with a 2.0L inline-4 engine and the E450 comes with a twin-turbo 3.0L V6. The E350 comes with a long list of standard features; and the E450 does not have anything special, except the upgrade to the powertrain. Other than that, the standard list of features remains the same among the two trims.

There are quite a few packages that you can choose from and they can drastically increase the total price of the car. The design Black/Titanium Grey Pearl leather package for $4,900 adds black Nappa leather, designo floor mats, designo black DINAMICA headliner, upper dashboard, and doors in Nappa leather. Similarly, you can also opt for the design Macchiato Beige/Saddle Brown leather package for the same price.

The Driver Assistance Package for $2,250 adds active emergency stop assist, active blind spot assist, active lane assist, DISTRONIC PLUS with PRESAFE, brake, steering assist, active lane change assist, PRESAFE impulse side, and a host of other modern driver assistance features. Finally, the other important package is the Premium Package for $1,150 which adds SiriusXM radio, 12.3” digital instrument cluster, heated front seats, Burmester sound system, and wireless charging w/ NFC pairing.

Which trim should you buy?

We would recommend experiencing the E-Class in its full glory. That’s why you should go with the E450 and experience the bi-turbo V6 engine. All the luxury features are there to accompany you. We would recommend getting the Driver Assistance Package and you could also consider the Premium Package, though it's not mandatory. The E450 with the Driver Assistance package should be a great combo.

The E350 is powered by a 2.0L inline-4 that is capable of producing 255 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The other engine available on the E450 is a 3.0L bi-turbo V6 which pumps out an impressive 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Both the engines are mated to a 9-speed automatic 9G-TRONIC transmission. The E350 gives you a choice of either RWD or 4Matic AWD, while the E450 only comes with 4Matic AWD. The base engine is quite decent, with it being able to deliver good performance while driving in the city. 

The V6, however, is the engine you would want if you desire better performance and swift maneuvers on the highway. The transmission is also impeccable with quick and seamless gear shifts. The inline-4 is capable of propelling the E350 from rest to 60 MPH in around 5.8 seconds and it reaches the quarter-mile in around 13.8 seconds. If that is not fast enough for you, the V6 is capable of pushing the E450 to 60 MPH in just 5 seconds and reaches the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds.

All the German sedans are pretty head-to-head when it comes to power output. The S90 is the only one that delivers more power than them. Despite that, it is not that impressive when it comes to acceleration, as it only manages to catch the Bimmer and the Merc. But it runs the fastest quarter-mile. Overall the BMW and the Mercedes are the better performers while the Audi and Volvo are not at all far behind. 

How well does the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan handle?

The handling of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan can be defined as good, but not the best. The E350 has a nice balanced ride. It offers a good steering response, and the engine can keep up with your demands. However, pushing it hard won’t excite you any longer. The E450 has more at its own disposal and its handling feels more athletic and sportier. Although, don’t expect this hefty sedan to perform like their AMG brethren.

The primary focus of the car is providing a comfortable ride quality. The sedan has almost ensured the comfort of its passengers on nearly all road surfaces. You can also opt for adaptive air suspension, which only increases the softness and ride quality of the car. The comfort is definitely enjoyable, but the handling is not the sportiest. 

2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Braking Performance

The E-Class comes with 4-wheel disc brakes. It comes with 12.7” front rotors and 11.8” rear rotors. The E450 adds sport brakes; specifically, carbon-ceramic brakes with the Mercedes logo at the center. The pedal is light and easy to modulate. The bite is also on point and the brakes are confidence-inspiring. The car weighs in at around 3,792 lbs, but the brakes only consume 110 feet of distance to make the E-Class come to a dead stop.

The brakes on all of the sedans are pretty impressive. However, the Volvo is a massively overweight vehicle in comparison to its German rivals. The Audi A6 however, has the most impressive brakes. All of these machines stop at an impressive distance and only the Audi stands out with a significant difference.

The inline-4 is obviously the thriftier among the two engines. It has EPA-estimated ratings of 23/32/26 MPG for city/highway/combined driving respectively. Going for the 4Matic will decrease the figures slightly to 23/30/25 MPG. The V6 on the E450 consumes even more fuel and offers a fuel economy of 20/28/23 MPG for city/highway/combined driving respectively. 

The fuel tank on the E350 is 17.4-gallons, which means that the range you get on the RWD is 400/556/462 for city/highway/combined driving respectively. The range on the E350 4Matic will amount to 400/522/435 miles for the same. The E450 is equipped with a larger 21.1-gallon fuel tank, which offers a range of 422/590/485 miles for city/highway/combined driving respectively. 

When it comes to fuel economy, the Merc is unimpressive while the Volvo is the most disappointing. The Volvo S90 has the lowest fuel economy, and also comes with the smallest tank as whereas the Merc is not very fuel-efficient but compensates with the largest fuel capacity. The Bimmer and the Audi are the most fuel-efficient and offer a range south of 500 miles. The Mercedes comes with good efficiency figures in the RWD base model while the higher-end trims offer much lower fuel efficiency. 

As expected, the interior of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan is fantastic. It is a gorgeous and luxurious haven for anyone who spends money on it. A beautifully crafted interior with the best materials makes the E-Class a perfect executive Class interior. The theme is classic, but there are modern touches and tech that amalgamates the vintage and future. As standard, MB-Tex leather upholstery is available. You can get genuine leather upholstery at $1,620. However, to get the Nappa leather, you would need to dish out $2,990. The most expensive is the designo Macchiato Beige/Saddle Nappa leather or Black/Titanium Grey Pearl Nappa leather. It would cost $4,900. There are tons of color schemes and options to choose from.

Both the driver and passenger seat are 10-way heated power-adjustable with 3-position memory and 4-way power lumbar support. The seats are very posh and comfortable. The leather-wrapped steering wheel further elevates the luxury. Spacing is also very good. No adults will face any problems being seated either in the front row or the rear row. Getting in and out is also a breeze.

The German sedan offers 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space, which is decent, but far from being cavernous or being able to compete with the other sedans. For your regular grocery shopping, camping trip, skiing, or golf trips, that should be more than enough. However, you can’t fit larger items. Want more space? Simply fold down the rear seats and the space expands. In-cabin storage solutions are also adequate enough.

The rear row of the S90 is the most spacious, but the Bimmer offers the best cargo capacity. The Audi, Volvo, and Merc offer similarly lower cargo storage compared to the BMW. The Mercedes has the best-looking most premium interior while the BMW 5 Series doesn’t have an interior that matches up to the mark of the other competitors. The Volvo and Audi both come with an elegant and top-quality interior. Some key interior features include:

• 10-way power-adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped and power tilt steering column
• MB-Tex leather upholstery 
• Upgradable to Nappa leather
• Head restrain, steering wheel, and door mirror memory setting
• Dual-zone automatic climate control

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Mercedes-Benz comes equipped with a large 12.3” COMAND infotainment screen at the center of the dashboard. It can be controlled by a rotary dial, touchpad, or steering wheel-mounted controls. The system is fluid and intuitive enough, but it still falls behind Merc’s MBUX system, which is in a class of its own. We definitely would have appreciated it, but this is what you get. The standard features include voice-activated COMAND navigation, USB ports, Bluetooth, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. You also get a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-speaker sound system is standard, but you can upgrade to a 23-speaker Burmester premium sound system for the best experience. Highlights of the infotainment system:

• COMAND navigation
• 12.3” COMAND infotainment system
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
• HD Radio
• SiriusXM Radio
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 23-speaker Burmester sound system

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan shares a page from the book of its elder brother, the S-Class. It looks like an executive car, something a CEO would take to the office. It is not outlandish and does not try to overdo it with style. It still looks fresh and very much ready for work. Some people might like it, or some people might prefer a more stylistic approach. The front fascia sees two LED headlights in the classic Mercedes fashion, with a slanted look. 

The twin-blade front grille is not too long, but it houses the big Mercedes-Benz logo. No foglights are available in the front of the sedan. From the side, it serves its purpose of being an executive car pretty well. It has a gently sloping roofline that enhances the modernity of the car and makes sure that it is updated and futuristic. The rear-end also features LED taillights, which look pretty classy, and do not try to be overly stylistic. Dual exhausts end the design at the back. The German sedan rides on 18” five-spoke wheels, while 19” wheels can be found as standard.

The Merc and the Audi A6 are pretty low-slung. The Volvo has the biggest body among these four, but when it comes to looks, each sedan has its own classy exterior styling. It’s all a matter of taste. The Volvo however is the heaviest one here while the BMW and the Mercedes are the lightest ones weighing similarly. The Volvo offers the most ground clearance while the Merc is the least practical one here with the lowest clearance. Some key exterior features include:

• 18” twin 5-spoke wheels
• Quasi-dual stainless-steel exhaust
• Multi-link front suspension
• Multi-link rear suspension
• LED DRLs
• LED taillights
• Power heated side mirrors

We all know Mercedes-Benz makes some of the safest cars in the world. The E-Class is no exception to this. IIHS gave it a “Good” rating in all of the categories that it tested. They were so impressed that they decided to give it a “Top Safety Pick+ for 2019”, which really explains how safe the car is. The sedan also received an impeccable rating from NHTSA. It received 5-star in every single category. That should easily erase any doubt from anyone’s mind about the safety of this vehicle. There are also tons of safety and driver-assistance features, both standard and optional. Some of them include:

• Crosswind Assist
• Mercedes me connect Emergency SOS
• Blindspot assist
• Active Brake Assist with autonomous emergency braking
• Front collision mitigation
• Active lane-keeping assist (optional)
• Distronic plus with PRESAFE Brake (optional)
• PRESAFE impulse side (optional)
• Active emergency stop assist (optional)

2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan vs 2020 Audi A6

The Audi A6 has comparable performance to the Merc, although it is still slower. The A6 is also an executive sedan, but it has a little more flair and style to offer over the E-Class. It certainly offers a much better fuel economy and is slightly more practical than the E-Class. But the E-Class has more tech and more luxury. In the end, both are great German cars.

2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan vs 2020 Volvo S90

The Volvo S90 is an interesting piece of Swedish engineering. Luxurious and highly practical, it also slightly edges out the Merc when it comes to performance. It also has an impressive roster of features, but the Merc still slightly edges it out. The S90 looks pretty serious and looks like an executive saloon too, but the Merc pulls off this look better.

2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan vs 2020 BMW 5-Series Sedan

A worthy German battle. If you want slightly better performance and a highly fuel-efficient engine with huge practicality, then go for the BMW 5 Series. If you want a car with more tech and safety features, then the E-Class is the choice. Both are very luxurious. However, the 5-series looks like a proper modern car with style. Some people might really prefer the look of this Bimmer.

If you want to experience a bit of the S-Class without spending S-Class-like money, then the E-Class is perfect for you. It has a huge array of standard features and there are tons of options to choose from too. Its price is also not too astronomical and out of reach for buyers. The luxurious interior and comfortable ride are always welcome. The V6 is a powerhouse and offers adequate performance for the executive sedan. Sure, if you have the money to spend, then the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan is a great choice.