MERCEDES E CLASS ESTATE REVIEW

List price from £36,060 Lease price from £282 The verdict 8

The Mercedes E-class estate combines space and practicality with a luxurious interior

Practical and luxurious – two criteria in a new car that rarely go together. But the Mercedes E-class estate would beg to differ.

Mercedes estates have long had a reputation for spaciousness and dependability – and with leather-lined interiors and high-tech equipment as standard, the latest E-class doesn’t sacrifice luxury in the pursuit of those two traits.

What’s more, with a range of fuel-sipping engines and the option of seven seats, the E-class estate has all the makings of a truly desirable package.

Space

Enormous boot can be fitted with two extra seats

There’s loads of space for four adults in the E-class estate, but it isn’t as comfortable for a fifth because the person sitting in the central rear seat has to straddle a large lump in the floor.

That said, the E-class isn’t alone in this flaw, as many of its rivals suffer from the same issue.

It’s worth noting that Bluetec and Bluetec Hybrid versions have a slightly smaller boot, the former because they have an additional tank for a fluid which helps reduce emissions, and the latter because space is taken up by the electric drivetrain.

But even these have more boot space than any rival, while the non-Bluetec variants have an even more vast load bay to offer.

You can also choose to specify your E-class estate with two seats which pop out of the boot floor. Don’t think of this as an alternative to an MPV, as the seats are very small and offer limited leg room – but they might be useful if you have to carry lots of people on the odd occasion.

Versions of the E-class with an automatic gearbox have their gear selector on the steering column instead of between the front seats, freeing up space for oddment storage.

Comfort

SE versions ride bumps well, but the smaller diesel engines are noisy

SE models comes with very soft suspension that’s brilliant at soaking up bumps, but AMG Sports feel rather firm – more so than sportier variants of rival estates, in fact.

For a combination of both, the E-class is offered with optional air suspension that lets you switch between Comfort and Sport settings. It’s an expensive add-on though; most people will find that the SE suspension is all they need.

Sadly, whichever set-up you choose, the E-class lets in more road noise than a BMW 5-series. And while the E350 diesel engine is quiet, the E220 and E250 diesels produce far too much noise.

Manual cars also have pedals that are offset to the right of the steering wheel, undermining the comfort you get from the E-class’s supportive seats.

Dashboard layout

Good rather than great

You operate most of the E-class estate’s functions by scrolling through menus on a colour screen. But while this system is similar to the ones in the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5-series Touring, it takes longer to get to grips with because there are more sub-menus and the shortcut buttons are nowhere near the dial that you use to scroll.

There are also too many buttons cluttering up the E-class’s centre console, which can make selecting the right one the work of more than just a quick glance.

What’s more, thanks to the addition of a large central information screen, the dials aren’t as clear or easy to read as those you’ll find in the E-class’s rivals.

The E-class doesn’t feel as classy inside as the A6, although it features better materials and has a weightier, more solid feel than the BMW 5-series.

Easy to drive

Most versions come with an automatic gearbox

Every Mercedes E-class bar the cheapest, E220 diesel model comes with a smooth and quick-shifting automatic gearbox. It makes life much easier than the manual that’s fitted to the E220, because this has a vague shift action.

For ultimate ease you’ll want the E350 diesel, which is strong enough to make acceleration effortless, although the E250 diesel is also pretty strong.

Mercedes offers lots of options that make driving the car simpler, including parking cameras that give you a 360-degree view, and a system that reads speed limit signs and displays a reminder amongst the instruments.

Fun to drive

Precise steering, but not as fun as BMW and Jaguar rivals

The BMW 5-series Touring and Jaguar XFSportbrake are more enjoyable to drive, but the E-class estate is still able to entertain its driver.

The steering feels accurate and its weighting good, while the E250 and E350 diesel models accelerate fast enough to let you make the most of this.

The flagship E63 AMG model, with its faintly ridiculous 5.5-litre petrol engine, can terrify and delight in equal measure.

Reliability

E-class owners rate their cars highly

The Mercedes E-class came 22nd out of 109 cars in the 2014 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, beating the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series, although the Jaguar XF did even better, finishing 10th.

Mercedes also matches its rivals in offering a three-year warranty, plus it throws in four years of roadside assistance.

Fuel economy

The hybrid is very economical

The very best economy comes from the E300 Bluetec hybrid model, which combines a 2.1-litre diesel engine with an electric motor. No other big, prestige estate can match its fuel consumption figures.

However, the regular diesel engines are less impressive. The lowest-powered version is bested for fuel economy by the Audi A6 Avant Ultra, while more powerful models can't quite match the figures of the BMW 5-series Touring.

At least the petrol-engined E250 manages to use less fuel than the equivalent 5-series.

Affordability

Premium badge, but surprisingly affordable running costs

Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are directly linked, so the E300 hybrid is very clean for a big saloon. And this in turn means it attracts very low company car tax bills.

Leasing rates are less competitive due to the E300’s high list price, so there’s a good chance your company won’t want to stump up the money for it. However, they’re much more likely to let you have the E220 or E250 diesels, both of which are also pretty cheap to run.

Mercedes also offers private buyers fixed-price servicing plans and competitive finance rates, while those who buy outright will benefit from strong resale values.

However, if you do want to buy outright, you’ll have to stump up a fair old chunk more cash than if you were buying an Audi A6 Avant, because the Mercedes is quite a bit more expensive.

Safety

Huge focus on safety

Euro NCAP, the organisation which carries out the benchmark crash tests in Europe, hasn’t tested a Mercedes E-class estate, but it has done so with the saloon version, which earned the maximum five-star rating. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that saloon versions of the Audi A6 and BMW 5-series both scored even better for adult and child occupant protection.

Like its rivals, the E-class has front, side and window airbags, and a stability control system that helps counteract skids. However, it also comes with a host of additional safety features, including a driver’s knee airbag and a driver drowsiness alerting system.

Standard spec

A lot better than it used to be

There might be a huge choice of options available, but it’s no longer needed to fill glaring holes in the specification.

Even the cheaper, SE models come with partial LED headlights, climate control, a digital radio, heated, electrically adjustable front seats and leather upholstery. To this, AMG Sport models add more aggressive styling inside and out.