First Impression
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Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 477
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From: Maricopa, AZ
2012 S63, 2013 E350 Bluetec
First Impression
I dropped off my E350BT this morning at the dealership. They were going to put me in a C300 coupe as a loaner, but there was an EQE350+ sitting next to it and I asked if I can have that instead. They said sure. I live about 20 miles from the dealership and thought I'd share my first and admittedly brief experience driving home. I found the car very quiet, the ride quality was equivalent to my E class and the performance about the same. My diesel has lots of torque from a standstill. The only downside I could find was that the armrest on the door for my left arm was too low. I'm 6'2" and I usually rest my arm on the armrest and can still reach the steering wheel, but not on this car. The doorsill where the window meets the door was too high. Overall, pretty impressed.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,030
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From: Louisville, KY
2023 EQE350 4MATIC, 2023 EQE 350 4MATIC SUV, 2015 E250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, 1995 E300 Diesel
MB has done an excellent job to make this a pretty seamless transition from an E-class. I drove a W213 prior to the EQE, and it was pretty effortless to switch platforms. If you're at home in an E-class, the V295 will feel like the perfect transition vehicle to an EV platform.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 477
Likes: 30
From: Maricopa, AZ
2012 S63, 2013 E350 Bluetec
A couple more observations. The rear window is decided small, but I understand that's because of the shape of the car. The trunk size is pretty generous, but the back seat is really difficult to get into because of the low roof. I have to really concentrate not to hit my head getting into the driver's seat, again, because of the low roof. The biggest thing I've noticed is the lack of being able to see where the front of the car is. With no stand-up hood ornament and the sloping front of the car, it's very difficult to see where the front of the car is. It's not a problem when I pull into the garage, as the surround view comes on the center screen, but when stopping behind a car at a red light, I'm just guessing as to how far away I am to the car in front of me. I've been seriously considering a Mercedes EV, so it looks like I'll try one of the SUVs next to see if it addresses some of my concerns.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,030
Likes: 492
From: Louisville, KY
2023 EQE350 4MATIC, 2023 EQE 350 4MATIC SUV, 2015 E250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, 1995 E300 Diesel
These are all valid points. The rear window stopped bothering me on day 2. The ingress is a concern, as the EQE is more of a CLS successor than true E-class, at least in its coupé styling an body layout. As for traffic lights, I actually got used to this after a day or two. Generally, I like to keep my driving position very low to lower the center of mass, however, in the EQE, I've raised it up, and it seems to help considerably in those regards. My dad has an EQE SUV, it definitely sits higher, though you get a slight bit more body roll. I like the dynamics of the sedan better.
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Joined: Dec 2019
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A couple more observations. The rear window is decided small, but I understand that's because of the shape of the car. The trunk size is pretty generous, but the back seat is really difficult to get into because of the low roof. I have to really concentrate not to hit my head getting into the driver's seat, again, because of the low roof. The biggest thing I've noticed is the lack of being able to see where the front of the car is. With no stand-up hood ornament and the sloping front of the car, it's very difficult to see where the front of the car is. It's not a problem when I pull into the garage, as the surround view comes on the center screen, but when stopping behind a car at a red light, I'm just guessing as to how far away I am to the car in front of me. I've been seriously considering a Mercedes EV, so it looks like I'll try one of the SUVs next to see if it addresses some of my concerns.
