2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Road Test and Review

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Mercedes-Benz makes some of the finest automobiles in the world – including the S-Class full-size sedan. Beautiful to look at, sublime to relax inside of, and superlative to drive, the S-Class is simultaneously a master of comfort, performance, decadent luxury, and all-around desirability. It also costs $117,300 and up, and at 208 inches long – nearly the length of a Cadillac Escalade – it may be too long for some garages. It’s not a car for everyone. 

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a different matter. It’s still an exclusive luxury car, but this mid-size model’s starting price is barely half the S-Class’s. And it’s more than a foot shorter in length. 

Yet it keeps much of the S-Class’s magic, and with some unique advantages of its own. For instance, this year brings a new member of the E-Class family – the AMG E 53 wagon, which blends luxury, performance, fuel efficiency, and cargo space. We just spent a week testing this new wagon, and we’ve previously tested the less expensive but also glorious E 450. Keep reading as we discuss its pros and cons to see if it’s the right luxury car for you.  

Choice of Two Body Styles

Most E-Class buyers will choose the classic four-door sedan. Priced from $63,900, the sedan has a choice of models – the base four-cylinder E 350, the six-cylinder E 450 ($72,300), and the top AMG E 53 ($89,600). Prices exclude a mandatory $1,250 destination charge, but the main way to inflate an E-Class’s price tag is by adding lots of options. 

We’re partial to the other E-Class body style – the station wagon we tested. A wagon has been part of the Mercedes mid-size lineup since the 1970s, and it provides all the benefits of the E-Class sedan but with acres of cargo space. Our only problem? You can’t get it with the base E 350 engine, which pushes the least expensive E-Class wagon to $78,300. That’s no small amount even by Mercedes standards. The E 450 is sold only in the lightly off-road-themed “All Terrain” guise. This year adds the E 53 wagon, like our test vehicle, which starts at $93,350. With the destination charge and options – among them $3,100 wheels, $2,990 Nappa leather, a $1,750 paint job, and a $1,500 plus-size “Superscreen” on the dashboard – it came to $117,630. 

Mercedes used to sell two-door E-Class coupe and convertible models. If that’s what you’re searching for, check out the Mercedes CLE – a slightly smaller model that splits the difference between the compact C-Class and mid-size E-Class. 

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Choice of Three Powertrains

Most E-Class buyers choose the E 350, whose 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This combination is good for a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 run of 6.1 seconds, which is respectable for a base-model luxury sedan. The E 450 upgrades to a 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder with 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, which nips that number to an excellent 4.4 seconds. That’s the speed of a sports car, but the Benz delivers it with effortless ease and a muted but rich-sounding engine note. These quick, quiet, roomy vehicles are also surprisingly economical. The trick is mild-hybrid assist (a small electric motor) on the E 350 and E 450, which lets the engine switch off when you’re coasting in certain driving modes. 

Despite its power and luxury, the E-Class gets great gas mileage. In EPA testing, the 2026 E 350 returned 25 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined – more like a ho-hum family sedan than a speedy luxury sedan. (Upgrading from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive costs about 1 mpg.) Even the much faster E 450 is pretty thrifty: 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined. When we tested an E 450 All-Terrain a couple years ago, we averaged 28 mpg in a week of mixed driving. That’s better than some compact crossovers with less than 200 horsepower. 

Now let’s talk about the third E-Class powertrain: the AMG E 53.

2024 Mercedes-Benz E 450 All Terrain ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Plug-In Performance

The AMG E 53 is a plug-in hybrid, or PHEV. That means you can charge up its battery using electricity from the grid. Many PHEVs use this technology just to save fuel, since they can run gas-free using the battery’s charge. But the AMG E 53 uses it for speed. This battery fuels a potent electric motor, which pairs with the E 450’s six-cylinder engine to make 577 hp and 533 lb-ft of torque. 

Gun the throttle in the AMG E 53 and you’ll get the instant torque of an electric motor, which makes 161 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. Then it hands you off to the gas engine, which wakes up to get you the rest of the way up to speed. Mercedes says you can hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s a little bit off the BMW M5’s 3.4-second run; it’s a fellow PHEV that also offers both sedan and wagon body styles, though its gas engine is a V8 rather than a six-cylinder. 

You have two other alternatives: You can keep the gas engine running along with the electric motor, so they’re working together from the start. (If you don’t plug in your E 53, running the engine will give the battery a bit of charge.) Or, when you know you won’t get an opportunity to go fast, you can stick with fully electric driving and save your premium-grade fuel for other opportunities. The E 53 AMG isn’t blazingly quick in electric mode, but it doesn’t make you feather the throttle either. 

In EPA testing, the E 53 sedan can travel an estimated 44 miles using only electricity before averaging 24 mpg once its range is used up. The wagon dips to 41 miles on electricity and 22 mpg in hybrid mode. We beat both estimates during our test – averaging 27 mpg on gasoline and 50 miles of electric range. That’ll change when you make full use of the E 53’s performance. But when you just need to slog to work in rush-hour traffic, you’ll appreciate keeping more money in your pocket. 

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Sublime Ride and Handling

The standard E-Class’s beautifully engineered suspension is another highlight. The driving experience is simply sublime. It’s a relaxed, easy-to-drive isolation chamber when you’re just out for a cruise. Yet when you want to push things harder, the E-Class has poise, responsiveness, and natural steering feel that elude some harder-edged sports sedans. And if you’re shopping the E 450 All-Terrain against an SUV, this graceful agility is one of the wagon’s greatest advantages. Its low center of gravity means it drives with a fluid sense of grace that you won’t find in a taller Mercedes SUV. 

The AMG E 53 has higher handling limits without an overly stiff ride. You can adjust the suspension, driver aids, and powertrain to Sport+ mode for maximum ferocity. But in everyday use, even the standard E-Class is a delight. And you might have few chances to wring out the AMG’s advantages.  

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Smooth Shape, Decorative Details

The latest Audi and BMW luxury sedans have sharp edges and aggressive details. By contrast, the E-Class is rounded and smooth – elegantly graceful rather than hypermodern. Some folks will wish it were more obvious that their E-Class is the latest model, and we’re not in love with the gloss black trim that connects the headlights to the grille. But others will welcome a luxury sedan that doesn’t look angry. And the E-Class sedan has a clear family resemblance to the flagship S-Class – it just isn’t nearly as long. 

The E-Class’s details speak to its premium status. In addition to prominent Mercedes badges on the grille and trunk, it also has patterns of three-pointed stars (minus the logo’s outer circle) decorating the taillights and the standard model’s grille. Mercedes also streamlines the car’s body with retractable doorhandles that disappear flush into the bodywork when they’re not requested. 

The AMG E 53 has more aggressive details, including a grille with vertical slats instead of the other E-Class models’ horizontal lines. The AMG also has more black trim on the front bumper and less chrome. Around back, the standard E-Class’s dual exhaust tips become quads. And the AMG has sportier wheels. 

The wagon is another good-looking vehicle. Its flowing lines are the reason some modern wagons are called “shooting brake” – the effect is more Porsche than wood-paneled Mercury. The All-Terrain has some touches of gray plastic cladding on the lower bumpers and wheel wells; Mercedes evidently decided that many Americans demand at least a pretense of SUV design from their wagons. The AMG E 53 wagon, however, keeps the same performance flavor as the sedan. 

2024 Mercedes-Benz E 350 sedan ・ Photo by Mercedes-Benz

Digital Dashboard

Our test car has the optional Superscreen dashboard – a single panel that covers most of the dashboard. Within it are the 14.4-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch screen that exclusively serves the front passenger. The screens are a cool look for tech-lovers, and the curved area around the screens makes the dashboard look less sterile than more rectangular competitors. Mercedes uses richer colors on its screens than Audi, along with more decorative graphics than the business-focused BMW. 

On the other hand, the Superscreen leaves less room for Mercedes’s traditionally opulent trim. Unless you know your front passenger wants their own screen, or you love the look of extra digital real estate, you can save the $1,500 and get a richly finished dashboard. 

Whichever screen you get, most controls rely on the touchscreen or touch-sensitive buttons – which are harder to use and have less tactile feel than physical buttons and knobs. Also, the main 14.4-inch touchscreen isn’t as cleverly customizable as you’ll find in a BMW or Audi. And the gauges are also a 12.3-inch digital display, though they live on their own rectangular panel disconnected from the Superscreen. 

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Beautiful, Comfortable Seats

Whether or not you like its dashboard, we don’t see anyone objecting to the E-Class’s interior comfort. With our last E 450’s white leather, the inviting front seats look almost like seashells. It’s a pleasure to stretch out and relax in these well-shaped chairs. Our latest AMG E 53’s more heavily bolstered sports seats are comfortable and attractive, too. The E-Class’s backseat isn’t limo-like, so the S-Class will still be the sedan of choice for CEOs and prime ministers, but adults will fit without complaint. 

If you’re shopping the E-Class wagon against SUVs, do note that you’ll sit lower than in something like a Mercedes-Benz GLE crossover – even in the All Terrain. You’ll be more stretched out than perched up, and you won’t have the same commanding view of the road. Plenty of people prefer this seating position, but we want you to hop in with the right expectations. 

For cargo, the E-Class sedan has a modest 13 cubic feet of trunk space. The wagon expands to a much more useful 22 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat and 65 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. That’s only what you’d find in many subcompact crossover SUVs. But the long, low E-Class has tons of useful space to spread things out on the floor. You just can’t stack things as high as in an SUV, and some bulky items won’t fit. And besides, even a small SUV beats a sedan's utility. We also appreciate how the front seats automatically slide forward out of the way when you fold the rear seat.

2024 Mercedes-Benz E 450 All Terrain ・ Photo by Brady Holt

E-Class vs. the Competition

The mid-size luxury segment isn’t the industry stalwart it once was. Most buyers have drifted to SUVs. Still, the E-Class faces some strong competitors that haven’t given up. 

Its closest rivals are its fellow Germans, the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. These three cars have been close competitors for generations. Today, the Audi and BMW are colder and higher-tech than the warmer, more welcoming Mercedes. They have harder-edged styling inside and out. That’s a matter of taste. Here’s what's not a matter of opinion: The Mercedes tends to cost thousands of dollars more than either of them with similar equipment. It also burns more gasoline than the BMW (though not the Audi). The Mercedes is our favorite to drive among this trio, but you might pick your winner based on subjective style preferences.

If you’re interested in a wagon, the A6 Allroad and RS 6 Avant are still based on the previous-generation A6 rather than this year’s new model. That means a less screen-intensive experience, for better or for worse, though there’s still a lot of shiny black plastic where Mercedes provides richer trim. Also, the RS6 has a V8 engine without a plug-in hybrid, for authentic performance yet dismal gas mileage. Meanwhile, the 5 Series wagon is only available in V8 performance form – the $125,000 M5 Touring. It’s a quicker but costlier rival to the E 53. No other wagon is available in this segment, as the Volvo V90 is no longer on the market. 

Turning back to sedans, the Cadillac CT5 and Genesis G80 are two potentially appealing but widely overlooked options. The Cadillac has the sportiest driving feel and the simplest controls, and it starts at only around $50,000. But it’s less decadently opulent and effortless to drive than the Benz or even the Genesis. The G80, meanwhile, is sumptuously detailed inside and packs a potent visual punch – to our tastes, it exudes presence without being forced. But while comfortable, it’s less special to drive than the E-Class. 

2025 BMW M5 sedan ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has many of the same pros and cons it's had for years. Its driving manners are nearly perfect; its engines are powerful yet fuel-efficient; its cabin is comfortable and spacious; and the wagon body style adds cargo versatility. But it’s expensive for its size, it’s less visually exciting than some competitors, and its controls can be hard to use. The biggest difference from historical E-Classes is the AMG E 53 – it has both has the efficiency and complication of a PHEV powertrain, at an even higher price. 

Overall, especially considering its competitors’ own downsides, the E-Class is a great luxury sedan and an even better luxury wagon. You just have to be willing to pay for it. 

2026 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 wagon ・ Photo by Brady Holt