I'm considering getting a a 2019 E450 wagon for my family where my children would use the 3rd row on a regular basis. The Mercedes wagon is one of the few options for a 7 seater that isn't elevated like an SUV but I worry that while the wagon has 7 seats in theory, in practice it won't be that practical to use.

For owners of the wagon that use the 3rd row regularly, how well does it work?

Here are some of my concerns:

Heat
Does it get too hot in the 3rd row? It does not seem like there are air vents in the 3rd row (correct me if I'm wrong) and I live in California where it's 90 degrees many days of the summer. Is tinting together with AC from the 2nd row sufficient to make it acceptable?

Safety
Being rear-ended is a concern given how little room there is but on the other hand, a frond-end collision seems like it might actually be safer as the kids would be facing backwards.

Daily Access
Compared to an SUV, it seems that the wagon would be easier to access the 3rd row on a regular basis as one doesn't have to get past the 2nd row to do so. Does that work out in practice?

Cargo Capacity
If someone is sitting in the 3rd row, it takes up all of the interior cargo capacity. Are roof boxes or hitches practical?

What else should I be thinking about?

For all those that suggest I should just get a van or SUV, I'm definitely considering it. I'm willing to live with some inconvenience as I prefer the driving dynamics of a sedan/wagon but not if it's just too impractical. What we've been doing the past few years is driving 2 cars whenever we need to sit more than 5 people but it's happening more frequently as our family has grown. We're a family of 5 but have in-laws stay with us for months at a time.

Thanks for any advice to a Dad who's coming to grips with leaving behind his sporty car days.

 

I think the biggest thing is going to be the age/height of the passengers that you're hoping to put back there. It doesn't accommodate adults and it doesn't accommodate car seats. So if you have kids out of booster seats that aren't yet reaching adult height, you might be able to pull it off.

 

 

Great! The concern for this issue came from reading Tesla Model S forums where kids have to be given portable fans to keep themselves cool, even with a tint. However, I think the Model S is worse because the rear window is much bigger and sloped.

I looked at the manual and my oldest is at the appropriate height/weight to use the jump seat. I read through that thread you linked to and understand the argument from a legal standpoint. However, I think the law doesn't properly consider seats that are designed for children and safe to use without a booster (a reasonable assumption as there are very few of them out there). With Mercedes' focus on safety, I'm trusting that they wouldn't put the seats in there are all if they were not safe enough to use within their guidelines for children that aren't out of boosters yet.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've considered it but the 3-car option is not realistic as I realized that 99% of the time, I'm shuttling kids for at least part of my drive so the non-van would never get driven. I don't have the inclination to go on drives just for driving sake. If it has to be a van, then so be it. I think vans are awesome - just not quite so much for driving.

Before anyone else suggests it, my wife's favorite car is a Mini and she doesn't want to drive a van either.

 

We occasionally put twelve year olds back there . I would recommend against relying on this for seven people.

 

 

Car seats for any child larger than an infant are BS. Just more nanny state regulations to get us to spend on what we don't need and that offer dubious safety improvement if at all.

 

My sister has an 2011 E-class with the jump seats (actually I think this is standard for North America - you don't have a choice). They work - even for good natured smaller adults for a short trip. But here are the problems: 1. If you're using the third row in the E-class, you have zero storage capacity, unless you pile stuff at people's feet. If you need the third row regularly - you'd be better off to get a dedicated 3 row SUV (imo). That's why the R-class was brilliant - you can actually carry 7 people (or 6 adults) in not-bad comfort and still carry a little stuff behind the third row. 2. A good percentage of young kids get car-sick when facing backwards. I say this from direct experience. So keep barf-bags in the door pockets if you regularly carpool. 3. the jump seats eliminate any underfloor storage. Personally, I would love an option to not get the jump seats and have underfloor bins to carry stuff.

Anyway - I'm still doing my slow search and as the year closes, prices are moving favourably. I test drove the BMW 640i GT and it was really nice - don't understand why it got such a bad rap from BMW fanboys. With the rear seats down - you could put a couch in there, and even with the rear seats up, it has decent storage (I'd say about 3/4 of the R-class). The rear seats are limo-like comfort, the car is slightly taller (which I like) and the ground clearance is within fractions of the R-class (5.6 inches but can raise slightly if it has the adaptive air suspension). The car I test drove had the 4 corner air suspension, 4 wheel steering, adaptive stabilizers, etc. It handled really well for a car of its size (fast too). It would be a great highway car. The issues I can see are that there is a lot of expensive stuff that could fail, so would definitely need to get an extended warranty. And while the car felt as solid as a rock, the interior seemed almost too delicate - like I'd be afraid to use it like I use my R-class. The biggest positive is that nobody seems to want these cars (especially now that BMW has cancelled it), and I've watched low mileage pre-owned cars sit there even after being discounted two or three times.

I have E-class wagons on my radar too. On the Canadian CPO market they come up but it's surprising how many are Obsidian Black exterior... talking about hearses!

For my R class, it almost seems like it knows I'm looking around - because it is running great - continuing it's longest run without unscheduled maintenance (oh, except for the ad-blue heater... that's almost routine maintence, LOL). My summer tires are wearing a little thin (Pirelli Scorpion Verde Plus - great tires) - so may slap on the winters early this year as I continue my slow search.

 

We have a 2008 R350 with almost 215,000 miles. This has been a great car and will haul 7 adults in moderate comfort. I do not understand why they did not sell well in the US. They just did not get the respect they deserved. We also have a 2014 GL450 which is another good 7 person vehicle. With either vehicle the 3rd row seats are easy to access. Both vehicles have good heating and cooling ventilation also.

 

I had a W210 until a few months ago. The rear seats were great, an adults could fit, though you wouldn’t want to spend all day back there. The W213 with a more raked roof and shallower footwell just doesn’t allow adults or older kids to fit at all. But 7 people with a couple of younger kids is fine, especially if you’re just doing shortish stints around town. I had a Yakima roofbox on the 210 and regularly used the rear seats.

But yeah, there is nothing better than a minivan for hailing people and cargo. But the third row is very easy to access.

 

I regularly use a roof box (thule specifically) with our w213 and it works fantastically. Since it's a wagon and not a taller SUV, it's very easy to access. I'm 6 ft tall for info. We don't use the 3rd row often, but used it on one occassion this summer when we had friends in town for a short (1.5 hour trip) out of town. We had it loaded up, 2 adults in front seats, 2 3-year olds in 2nd row and 2 shorter adults in 3rd row. They were kept cool enough in July Atlanta heat by the A/C in the car.

 

IMO, the 7-seat E4504S is not acceptable for daily use of its rear facing 3rd row seats. They are small, thin and cumbersome to get into and out of. The use of them also defeats the storage capacity of the wagon. Hence, if carrying more than 5-passengers on a frequent basis I would recommend an SUV would provide the utility needed.

An occasional use of the E450's 3rd row for small people (i.e. children) might be acceptable but certainly not overly comfortable.

 

I ordered a 2020 E450 Estate/Wagon, not because of the 3rd row seats, but I think they may come in handy. Like when we have relatives from out of town, and I want to also take my son and daughter-in-law with us; they, being younger, should be fine on short trips.

A question, though: I believe the seat portion of the 3rd row is completely removable from the vehicle; is the back portion removable as well? And if they are removed, does the "floor" of the wagon get removed as well, and does that provide any significant additional storage?

 

[QUOTE= A question, though: I believe the seat portion of the 3rd row is completely removable from the vehicle; is the back portion removable as well? And if they are removed, does the "floor" of the wagon get removed as well, and does that provide any significant additional storage?[/QUOTE]

The seat bottom can be removed if you want to access the storage space below but then you also have the seat bottom to store somewhere. See page 100/101 of the My19_E-Class_Wagon_Operator.pdf of which you'll find in the link below; It is unclear whether or not the 3rd row seat back can also be removed.

https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manuals

 

I would guess you don't believe in seat belts.

 

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