Though the fifth-generation E-Class has been on sale since 2017, Mercedes-Benz has done an admirable job making its midsize luxury car feel new at every turn. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class takes these constant updates even further, with a refreshed exterior and a slightly restyled cabin.
The headlights and taillights closely resemble those on the smaller A-Class, while the grille is similar to the one on the GLE SUV. Inside, the E-Class gets Mercedes' latest MBUX infotainment system. It's a huge improvement over the older interface. The E-Class also gets a new steering wheel with capacitive touch controls, though the layout is functionally the same as the old one. Also new for the E 450 is a turbocharged inline-six engine paired to a mild hybrid system. It uses an electric motor that provides a bit of extra power when leaving from a stop and is slightly more fuel-efficient than the previous V6.
The E-Class is available as a sedan, a coupe, convertible and a wagon, which Mercedes now calls the All-Terrain. That means you're going to have a wide range of competitors to cross-shop. The E-Class' primary competitor has long been the BMW 5 Series. The current 5 Series keeps the pressure on with a wealth of features and a plug-in hybrid variant for those looking for carpool access. The Audi A6 sedan and A6 Allroad wagon, meanwhile, were recently redesigned and count a high-tech cabin among their many strengths. And buyers looking for something sleek and stylish might want to check out the new Cadillac CT5 sedan or Mercedes' own CLS.
Our verdict | |
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets a refresh for 2021, helping it maintain its status as the class benchmark. The E-Class doesn't feel like a totally different car, but that's hardly a bad thing. The premium interior, smooth ride and excellent driver aids all come together in a handsome, well-crafted package. | |
How does the E-Class drive? | |
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class feels smooth and balanced on the road, with a seamless powertrain that goes about its business without much fuss. Acceleration is effortless. We tested the E 450 4Matic sedan. At the Edmunds test track, we recorded a 0-60 mph sprint of 4.9 seconds, which puts it near the top of the class. The all-wheel-drive system does a great job of putting power to the pavement and making the E-Class feel sporty when you select the Sport drive mode. The steering doesn't provide much in the way of feedback, but it's quick and light, making it easy to maneuver in parking lots or on tight city streets. In corners, the E-Class feels composed without being stiff. Our biggest complaint is braking performance. While the brakes are smooth, our testing showed that the E-Class posted some of the longest panic 60-0 mph braking figures we've seen on a luxury car in a while. We suspect a better set of tires would improve things immensely. | |
How comfortable is the E-Class? | |
The E-Class nails the most important aspect of a luxury car: quiet refinement. The seats offer lots of support and adjustment, though we found the padding to be on the firm side. Even so, they remained comfortable after a few hundred miles behind the wheel. The ride is smooth and isolating without feeling overly disconnected. Our tester had the optional air suspension and we think it's well worth getting. This E-Class is quiet too, with little road or wind noise intruding into the cabin. Dip into the throttle and you get a smooth growl from the six-cylinder engine. It's just quiet enough to avoid attracting attention. The mild hybrid system allows for seamless engine stop-start functionality at stoplights, with no vibrations coming through when the engine shuts off or fires on. The climate control is also quiet, even at full blast. It works simply and evenly, and rear passengers will appreciate the air vents. | |
How’s the interior? | |
The refreshed E-Class' interior is basically the same as what came out in 2017 with a few small updates. It uses Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system, so you get a touchpad on the center console to control the system. If you prefer a touchscreen, that's an option too. Most physical buttons are easy to see and understand. The biggest issue is the new steering wheel. It ditched hard buttons for capacitive touch ones and, unfortunately, it's not as intuitive as before. Dialing in a good driving position is easy thanks to the adjustability of the seat and steering wheel. All the controls and gauges are easy to see and reach. Forward visibility is fine, but the narrow rear window makes you appreciate the crisp backup camera. Getting in and out is fine up front. But the back seat isn't quite as spacious as the ones in some rivals, so taller occupants might find knee room lacking. | |
How’s the tech? | |
With the addition of Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system, the E-Class rises to the top of the class in terms of overall tech. The new infotainment is a marked improvement over the old system thanks to a robust list of features, easy-to-operate controls, and excellent device integration thanks to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a smartphone app, as well as some genuinely useful voice controls. The navigation system is easy to use, and the augmented overlay is great for turn-by-turn directions. We're also fans of the optional Burmester audio system. The E-Class also gets the latest and greatest driver aids Mercedes has to offer. The adaptive cruise control maintains a tight gap in traffic, and it changes speed smoothly and quickly. The car can even slow down when the speed limit changes or when you're coming up on gentle curves. We only wish the controls on the steering wheel were easier to use. | |
How’s the storage? | |
At 13.1 cubic feet, the E-Class' trunk is on the small side for the class, especially compared to the cavernous BMW 5 Series. That said, the space itself is wide and tall, so it's easy to actually fit items inside. The folding rear seats, which are split into 40/20/24 sections, help here too. Small-item storage up front is much better. Many luxury cars skimp on storage, but the E-Class does fairly well thanks to a decent-size center console, door pockets and glovebox. The wireless charging pad means there's always a place for your phone. Getting a car seat in the rear shouldn't be too much of an issue most of the time, though larger seats may be a bit tight. Car seat access points are placed behind easy-to-locate plastic covers. | |
How’s the fuel economy? | |
The E 450 sedan gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined. That makes its six-cylinder engine more fuel-efficient than both the turbocharged inline-four and turbocharged V6 found in last year's model. It's also better than an 2021 all-wheel-drive-equipped four-cylinder E 350, so you get both more power and better fuel economy. We managed 27.1 mpg on our mixed-driving evaluation route, which indicates the fuel economy estimates should be accurate. | |
Is the E-Class a good value? | |
You see exactly where the money has gone as soon as you walk up to the car. The paint and finish are excellent. Step inside and you'll find one of the most handsome and well-crafted cabins around. Everything you look at or touch has a premium feel. Mercedes even nails little things like the click of a button or the feel of the air vent knobs. Unfortunately, the ownership and warranty are a bit underwhelming. Mercedes includes a four-year/50,000-mile basic, powertrain and rust warranty. While the basic and powertrain are fine, the rust warranty is well off the class leaders. And unlike most other luxury automakers, Mercedes doesn't include any scheduled maintenance. | |
Wildcard | |
The E-Class is all about subtlety. The exterior design is handsome without being flashy, and the interior is rather stunning, even with relatively few changes. It all exudes luxury, and it feels like the class benchmark that it's been for the past few years. It's fun to drive too, but not completely in an athletic sport sedan sort of way. It's more of a Q-ship, thanks to a potent engine that delivers effortless power and a comfortable ride that makes it a joy to just cruise in. If you do want to tackle some back roads, the E-Class is willing to play. | |
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is one of the most multifaceted vehicles on the market. You can get the E-Class as a sedan, wagon, coupe or convertible, each available in multiple trims: E 350 (sedan only), E 450 (sedan, wagon, coupe, convertible), AMG E 53 (sedan, coupe, convertible) and AMG E 63 S (sedan and wagon) — each corresponding to a different powertrain.
2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
2020 Audi A6
The Audi A6 was fully redesigned just a few years ago, and it remains one of our favorite sedans on the market, sitting just below the E-Class in our ratings. It's sporty and athletic yet comfortable, and it features a handsome and refined interior filled with Audi's latest and greatest tech. We prefer Mercedes' tech and driver aids to the latest from Audi, but both cars are so good we highly recommend trying both if you're shopping for a luxury sedan.
For decades, the BMW 5 Series has been the E-Class' closest rival. Both cars offer a wide array of features, tech and customization and are available with a range of engines, including high-performance models that will make some sports cars blush. The 5 Series offers more cargo space, but we found the interior to fall short in terms of refinement when compared to the E-Class.
Think of the CLS as a slightly more stylized version of the E-Class. Both cars are very similar underneath the skin, and from the driver's seat the two don't feel all that different. The CLS' swoopy styling does compromise cargo and passenger space, and a base model is significantly more expensive than the CLS. Still, it looks and feels a little more special, which is especially important if you want to stand out in a crowd.
Though the fifth-generation E-Class has been on sale since 2017, Mercedes-Benz has done an admirable job making its midsize sedan feel new at every turn. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class takes these constant updates even further, with a refreshed exterior and a slightly restyled cabin. Overall, some additions will likely elevate the E-Class' standing even further, while one has us scratching our heads in confusion.
The refreshed E-Class has a few new tricks to differentiate it from other illustrious sedans. One neat feature automatically adjusts the seat to an optimal position after the driver's height is entered into MBUX. Other enhancements include traffic integration with the adaptive cruise system, so the car can begin slowing from highway speeds far in advance. When the car is stopped, the blind-spot monitor can now warn passengers if they are about to open the door into traffic coming from behind.
While this E-Class generation has consistently ranked highly since its introduction, newer competitors made it clear there was room for improvement. The addition of MBUX gives the E-Class a more modern, robust infotainment system, and one with excellent voice controls that can help reduce driver distraction. Also new for E 450 models is a turbocharged inline-six engine paired to a mild hybrid system. This mild hybrid system has an electric motor that provides a bit of extra power when leaving from a stop and allows for slightly more fuel-efficient operation compared to the previous V6.
The E-Class' primary competitor has long been the BMW 5 Series. This newest model (also released for the 2017 model year) keeps the pressure on with a wealth of features and a plug-in hybrid variant for those looking for carpool access. The Audi A6, meanwhile, was recently redesigned and counts a high-tech cabin among its many strengths. And buyers looking for something sleek and stylish might want to check out the new Cadillac CT5 sedan.
Edmunds saysThe Mercedes-Benz E-Class has long been our favorite midsize luxury sedan, and the new additions will only extend its lifespan. Now about that steering wheel ...
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class:
The least-expensive 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E 450 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 9A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $62,000.
Other versions include:
