So how do the Taycan and EQE compare now that you've experienced both long term?
My view comparing them:
1. EQE is significantly more useable (space wise, the taycan is cramped - the EQE is spacious);
2. Better real-world range with the EQE;
3. Taycan interior is more "plain" / porsche/audi-esq. EQE interior is a bit over the top with the hyperscreen, LED strips, etc.
4. Taycan suspension feels better/flatter at the limit (with a caveat on how the speed is modulated, see #5 below), EQE much better on the highway;
5. EQE feels faster, and is easier to drive faster in "strong-regen/one pedal" model. Taycan is harder to drive faster because there is no engine braking/regen (well, there is, but it's very minor) - so you find yourself constantly on the accelerator/off the accelerator/on the brake/ and so forth - it's a very unnatural way to drive fast (I have a 992 GT3 PDK as my weekend/track car - and nobody I know, including myself, is tracking a car in neutral down the straights (which is basically what the Taycan feels like)... you're almost always high in the rev band with engine breaking helping modulate your inputs). EQE in "normal" regen mode is the same as the Taycan's high re-gen mode in Sport + (e.g., not good for fast driving).
Overall two great cars. I prefer the EQE. My wife has taken over the Taycan.
I almost traded my EQE SUV for a low mileage Taycan 4 Cross Tourismo. Would have been an almost even swap and I greatly preferred the Porsche interior actually. But it's definitely the LEAST efficient of the German brands despite the low drag coefficient. Just wasn't compelling enough at that price point... maybe if it had been a Turbo S Cross Tourismo but those are $200K (ridiculous IMHO).
Tuffclac is right on with no. 5. If you drive fast, strong regen is the best mode. I just wish amg didn't make the accelerator pedal feel harder or having to put more pedal input in Strong vs. Normal or no regen mode. With dual foot work, the normal is still better than no regen.
Tuffclac is right on with no. 5. If you drive fast, strong regen is the best mode. I just wish amg didn't make the accelerator pedal feel harder or having to put more pedal input in Strong vs. Normal or no regen mode. With dual foot work, the normal is still better than no regen.
Yes I know what you mean, but it results in the ability to really fine tune your inputs. I think AMG does one-pedal the best. If they left the pedal input the same as "normal" model, it would remove a lot of fine control that really helps when driving fast.
Yes I know what you mean, but it results in the ability to really fine tune your inputs. I think AMG does one-pedal the best. If they left the pedal input the same as "normal" model, it would remove a lot of fine control that really helps when driving fast.
After 8K miles of trying to get accustom to the normal and no regen dual foot work at every opportunity I get, the amg smarties appears to have proved me wrong. I've tried over and over in normal/no regen mode, and it seems I almost always put down more power and have to brake more due to that. But under the strong regen, it was much easier and had more control as you mentioned.
The accelerator pedal puts down more power with a half inch pedal depression in normal/no regen mode than in strong regen. At times, I think that I have to press down more in strong regen to get the same power output as normal/no regen. Likewise, switching from strong to normal without lifting your foot a little bit will cause the car to produce more power output.
Additionally, I felt the strong regen modulates differently depending on the speed of travel too. If I'm going triple digit, lifting off the accelerator pedal produces very strong regen, sometimes seeing 100% charge, and the speed decelerate quite nicely. Other times when I travel about 50 mph and lifting off the accelerator pedal, the regen gets up to about 88%, and the rate of deceleration is slight less. The same effect follows at lower speed of travel.
In summary, leisure or open road driving in normal or no regen is easier on the feet. Moderate to heavy traffic or fast driving is better in strong regen and better for the hydraulic brakes..
Ironically, "no recuperation" is best on the service brakes. During "no recuperation" mode, it blends in the least of the service brakes, and only hits them during the last 70%+ of pedal application. In normal and strong modes, it blends 10%+ immediately. I drive almost exclusively in "no recuperation" mode, as it's also the most efficient mode. If you regenerate, you get to keep 50-60% of the energy regenerated, the rest is waste as heat. If you coast, you get to keep 100% of your kinetic energy minus a bit of friction. If I have consistent down-hills like in our trip to the smokies this past weekend, I'll switch it up, or if there's heavy traffic. Distronic is also less lurchy in normal mode, as the throttle mapping is very different in "no recuperation" mode.
How did you learn this? Any idea why MB does it this way?? Do other EV manufacturers do something similar?
If you go to the Vehicle Information screen (Info app, second tab), look at the "brake" section, as you coast and apply the brake pedal lightly in various drive modes. You'll see that the "brake" section only indicates the amount of service brake applied. As an example, if you apply 30% pedal in "no recuperation" mode, you'll see 0% or 1% "brake" application in the vehicle information screen. That will persist all the way until about 50-70% brake pedal application. If you're in Normal, and release the accelerator, you'll instantly see 10% "brake" application, which increases as you apply pedal for more blending. Other German manufacturers seem to do this as well. Makes "normal" mode seem more ICE-like, while "no recuperation" is the most efficient mode possible.
Significant underpinning differences exist between the AMG sedan and the AMG SUV beyond the body styling at least for the 2024 variants. I also wanted to have the cargo flexibility that I previously had in my E63S wagon in the SUV. They're both great machines!
Ironically, "no recuperation" is best on the service brakes. During "no recuperation" mode, it blends in the least of the service brakes, and only hits them during the last 70%+ of pedal application. In normal and strong modes, it blends 10%+ immediately. I drive almost exclusively in "no recuperation" mode, as it's also the most efficient mode. If you regenerate, you get to keep 50-60% of the energy regenerated, the rest is waste as heat. If you coast, you get to keep 100% of your kinetic energy minus a bit of friction. If I have consistent down-hills like in our trip to the smokies this past weekend, I'll switch it up, or if there's heavy traffic. Distronic is also less lurchy in normal mode, as the throttle mapping is very different in "no recuperation" mode.
Did you mean to write “less lurchy THAN in normal mode” as a way of saying no recuperation is the less lurchy of the two? Just trying to better understand, as I haven’t yet played around with the modes while using distronic.
Did you mean to write “less lurchy THAN in normal mode” as a way of saying no recuperation is the less lurchy of the two? Just trying to better understand, as I haven’t yet played around with the modes while using distronic.
No, "normal recuperation" is smoother. No recuperation definitely lurches more. That's because the accelerator mapping is spicier in "no recuperation" mode. You can try this. Depress the throttle a certain fixed amount while accelerating in "normal" and then change to "no recuperation" - you'll notice it pick up considerably. I think this is why Distronic lurches more in "no recuperation" mode, because it also gets a remapped accelerator curve. What ends up happening is that it starts accelerating a bit too hard at the car in front of you, waits to react on a timescale that would be different with a different accelerator mapping, and then slams on the brakes. I think it's an oversight in the design, it shouldn't react that way. Ironically, service brake application is just like "normal" mode when Distronic is on, but accelerator response is different. So, if I see a lot of stop-and-go traffic, I bump it down to "normal recuperation" mode and it's considerably smoother. I'd expect this to be fixed in software in upcoming vehicles - I doubt they'll do it on my model year car, but that's okay, it's an easy-enough workaround. Historically, Distronic is super smooth, and has honestly been one of the best adaptive cruise systems on the planet. Just wish they'd have included the "no recuperation" accelerator mapping a bit more into how it works.
If you go to the Vehicle Information screen (Info app, second tab), look at the "brake" section, as you coast and apply the brake pedal lightly in various drive modes. You'll see that the "brake" section only indicates the amount of service brake applied. As an example, if you apply 30% pedal in "no recuperation" mode, you'll see 0% or 1% "brake" application in the vehicle information screen. That will persist all the way until about 50-70% brake pedal application. If you're in Normal, and release the accelerator, you'll instantly see 10% "brake" application, which increases as you apply pedal for more blending. Other German manufacturers seem to do this as well. Makes "normal" mode seem more ICE-like, while "no recuperation" is the most efficient mode possible.
Can you take a picture of where the Info app is located? wonder if the AMG is located somewhere else? I am very much interested in this braking information.
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
