I drove Mercedes' $100,000 Tesla rival and loved almost everything about it except its controversial looks. Check out the EQE SUV.
By Andrew DixonSeptember 20, 20236 mins read97 Views
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is packed full of tech and luxury features.
Tim Levin/Insider
I tested the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, a new Tesla rival from the iconic German brand.
The EQE 500 4MATIC SUV Mercedes lent me cost around $100,000, but the model starts at $77,900.
It makes you feel fancy and offers an amazing highway-driving feature.
There's never been a better time to take the plunge and buy an electric vehicle.
While truly affordable EVs are still few and far between, the market is chock-full of luxury options. That spells bad news for Tesla, which has dominated the growing industry, and great news for EV-curious buyers who haven't been able to find what they're looking for yet.
One of the newest entrants is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, a midsize family-hauler that aims right at the heart of US car buying. Check out the SUV's highlights and what I thought of it below:
Mercedes lent me an EQE SUV for a week, and I came away impressed with its swanky interior, punchy performance, and flashy technology. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
I think it's a wonderful mix of old-school luxury and modern tech. But I was never fully sold on its bloated-looking styling. The Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Let me show you around the EQE SUV and all its most notable features. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Let's start with what matters most to many buyers: price. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: I compared Tesla rivals from Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis — and found the decision boils down to if you prefer style, luxury, or performance
The EQE SUV starts at $77,900 for an entry-level EQE 350+ model. It's the same price for rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Opting for the more powerful EQE 500 SUV pushes the starting cost up to $89,500. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The EQE 500 4MATIC SUV I tested cost $99,860 and included a bunch of optional features. (4MATIC is Mercedes speak for all-wheel drive.) The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: Wall Street analysts tore down a Chinese Tesla rival and say it's exactly why Elon Musk should be worried about China
The EQE SUV receives the same round, blob-like treatment as the rest of the brand's EQ lineup of EVs. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The smooth contours help the EQE SUV slip through the air with less drag, thereby increasing driving range. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
But I still prefer the sharper, more rugged look of Mercedes's gas vehicles, like the GLE, an SUV similar in size to the EQE SUV. (Plus, the GLE costs about $15,000 less than its battery-powered cousin.) Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Mercedes-Benz
Some high points include its zig-zaggy tail lights and grille dotted with three-pointed stars. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The interior is dripping in luxury. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: I drove Lamborghini's wild, spaceship-inspired concept car and got a glimpse of the brand's electric future
The brown-leather seats in my test vehicle were heated, ventilated, and nicely contrasted the white cabin. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
There was leather, elegant stitching, shiny trim, and colorful ambient lighting everywhere. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: I've reviewed 27 electric vehicles, including a $2 million supercar and a $20,000 3-wheeler. Here's the full list — and which may be best for you.
Some reviewers don't like the seat controls, which don't actually move when you operate them. But I didn't mind. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
My eye was constantly drawn to the gorgeous wood plank on the dash. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Like the grille up front, it was sprinkled with Mercedes-Benz logos. But you can choose a bunch of different designs. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
A large glass roof and sunshade could be operated using a touch-sensitive button by the dome lights. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
You swipe backward to open it and forward to close it. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
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The nice thing about a luxury car like this is that most of everything you touch feels high-end and well-thought-out. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Little things like the cover concealing the charging pad, the turn signals, and the air vents all operate smoothly. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Thanks to the glass roof and some clever design decisions, the EQE feels spacious inside. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Between the front seats there's a cargo shelf perfect for a small bag. The beauty of electric powertrains is carmakers have more room to play around with. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The back seats offered more than enough legroom and headroom for a large adult like myself. But the lack of rear climate controls or seat warmers was puzzling for a $100,000 vehicle. (That's optional.) The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The EQE SUV isn't lacking snazzy technology either. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Its 12.8-inch touchscreen is ultra-responsive to taps, fun to play with, and easy to use. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: I drove the most luxurious electric car you can buy and saw why it costs as much as a house. See inside the $420,000 Rolls-Royce Spectre.
Through it, you can view all sorts of settings and information, from the driver-assistance features to interior air quality to the SUV's fake acceleration sounds. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Here's a nice touch: Basics settings like the climate controls stay permanently on the lower portion of the screen for easy access. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The fantastic navigation system uses a clever augmented-reality overlay and the SUV's forward-facing camera to show you exactly where to turn. This is the same feature on the Mercedes EQS sedan.
Tim Levin/Insider
The digital gauge cluster is equally crisp and graphically impressive, and it's also highly customizable. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
You can decide between configurations like a full-sized map and a screen that shows off-roading info. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Almost nobody is taking this thing off-road, but it's still cool to look at. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
You can also choose a minimalist mode for both screens that removes all but the most basic information. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The EQE SUV's advanced cruise-control system was a standout feature. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The SUV was able to automatically follow lane lines, modulate speed, and even change lanes with eerily human-like smoothness. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: Check out BMW's radical new look for its next generation of cars
The EPA estimates range at 279 miles for the entry-level model, or 269 miles for the one I drove. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
That's not bad, but also falls short of Teslas and many other modern EVs. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
Fortunately, the EQE SUV can charge at a competitive rate of 170 kilowatts. But still, those range and charging figures may not satisfy people looking for the most cutting-edge EV tech. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
All EVs feel quiet and smooth on the road. But the EQE SUV takes things to another level of silence and comfort. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
It also provided the effortless, instantaneous acceleration EVs are known for. It's a fun party trick and also comes in handy for tight highway merges. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
My tester came equipped with rear-wheel steering, which kicks in at low speeds for tight parking lot maneuvers. The result is an SUV that swerves into parking spots like a car half its size. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
The verdict: If you have some extra money to spend and are looking for a high-end, high-tech EV, the EQE SUV is worth a look. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC SUV.
Tim Levin/Insider
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By: [email protected] (Tim Levin) Title: I drove Mercedes' $100,000 Tesla rival and loved almost everything about it except its controversial looks. Check out the EQE SUV. Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/mercedes-benz-eqe-electric-suv-photos-review-tesla-rival-suv-2023-9 Published Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000
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