It’s funny to think that early car makers were actually leaning toward all-electric vehicles—yes, way back in the late 1890s. Legend has it the oil companies helped kill the idea, but that could be a myth.
What we know for sure is that it took a century for the concept to crawl back into the car-buying consciousness, starting with hybrids. Today, all-electric can be found in every segment, from sedans to trucks to SUVs.
In that latter category, we get the Mercedes EQE. You can probably figure out the first E, since this is an electric car. The second E denotes the fact that this is a mid-size Benz, a la the E-class of sedans. Got it?
Some people aren’t nuts about the exterior look. But let’s face it, a good number of electric vehicles don’t exactly elicit drool—perhaps one of the clunkier sentences I’ve ever included in a car review. I’m not changing it.
However, these same people might be swayed once they climb inside and take a spin. This SUV has the usual stunning Mercedes interior, a good number of tech niceties, and enough oomph to satisfy your need for speed.
The Basics
This is a five-passenger all-electric SUV; there is no third row option. That’s not a negative for most people, because who wants to contort themselves all the way back there anyway?
There are a few trim options. For a week, I tooled around in the 350+, which, for my money, is pretty much the sweet spot. You get just enough goodies without going over the top.
That includes a motor that delivers a respectable 288 horsepower. If you step up to the EQE500, you’ll get 402 horses. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it. This thing has plenty of power, and I never once felt like I needed an added boost.
One thing the EQE brings to the table is solid range on a full charge. In my week of driving, I stopped once to top it off—even though it still had 220 miles of range remaining. It took me about 20 minutes to punch that up to 345 miles. I read my book, and it was no big deal.
Of course, it depends on the charging system you use. I opted for a DC fast-charging station outside a Sam’s Club. I love the fact that you can punch a button on the touchscreen and it will not only show you all the charging stations nearby, but even give you directions. That’s cool.
The Inside
Ah, here’s where you realize you’re driving a Mercedes. It’s not only comfortable, it’s smooth and easy on the eyes. Sure, you can get real leather in some of the higher trims, but the synthetic leather in my 350+ — called MB-Tex — was more than good enough.
The dashboard is gorgeous, and the anthracite trim goes extremely well with the upholstery. The instrument panel in front of the driver is bright and laid out well, very easy to read. I wasn’t as crazy about the large center screen, which struck me as overly busy. It took me a little more time when looking for something.
The steering wheel is busy, too, loaded with a cascade of buttons and switches.
My only real knock on the interior, however, is the stubbornness of car makers to give us knobs. Mercedes is one of those mules, digging in their heels and refusing to do the easy thing. Instead, you must navigate all the damned touchscreen controls. Is it a deal-breaker? No. I just wish they’d throw us a bone.
There’s very good room in the front and the back, and good storage for you toys. And I personally loved the interior ambient lighting system, which comes standard. It’s a nice touch.
The Drive
Again, the German engineering shows. I found the drive to be even more velvety than I expected, given its electric power plant. The EQE accelerates quickly and smoothly.
The steering and handling are also top-notch. Braking power was good, and those brakes help to regenerate energy to the battery system.
I put the EQE through its paces with city driving, with some small, twisty roads in the foothills, and some all-out highway driving. In all three phases, it performed exceptionally well.
The Tech
First, you get that 12.3-inch digital instrument panel for the driver, and a heads-up display is available. I would always ask for that, if you’ve got a few extra bucks. It’s one of those things that, once you’ve had it, you never want to go back.
The center screen, which is a hefty 12.8-inch touchscreen, looks good, but, as mentioned earlier, could stand to be a little less cluttered.
The EQE is set up for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard features. Plus, all trim levels come with a wireless charging station, another convenience that will spoil you.
Mercedes equips their cars with the Burmester premium sound system, and yeah, it sounds great. Plus, take some time to get used to the voice recognition program. We are truly driving cars of the future.
Every model comes with your basic safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot assist, and a good lane-keeping assist. In order to get some of the more top-of-the-line tools, you’ll have to upgrade.
The Bottom Line
After just a couple of days driving the EQE, I actually contacted the agency that had arranged the test, simply to tell them how much I was enjoying the experience.
Electric vehicles aren’t new new, but I think when most of us climb behind the wheel of one, we’re still not entirely confident about what we’re getting into.
The Mercedes EQE was flat-out a pleasure to drive.
If you’re in the market for an electric SUV to haul your family around, and you’re not fussy about the 30 to 40 minutes it takes to charge, I would highly recommend a test drive. This might be the one for you.
The Details
2024 Mercedes EQE 350+ SUV
9.6 kW AC charging system
1700 kW DC fast charging system
Regenerative braking system with wheel paddles
Exterior sound generator for pedestrian safety
94 MPGe
MSRP: $77,900
As tested: $88,290
Reviewed by Dom Testa
Vehicle provided by manufacturer
