The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate is a top choice for buyers looking for a mix of space, quality and refinement, as well as those with a penchant for the latest in-car tech. It’s not the most fun car in its class to drive, but the range of excellent engines and great ride quality are huge pluses.
The E-Class saloon takes its inspiration from Mercedes’ S-Class, so it gets plenty of the larger car’s svelte curves. However, look to the back of this estate version and it is the smaller C-Class Estate that serves as a template. That means the E-Class Estate gets the same sweeping roofline and steeply raked tailgate, plus similar distinctive LED tail-lights that are joined by an eye-catching chrome trim strip.
Overall it’s a classy design, but it’s difficult to ignore the fact that from many angles it resembles a scaled-up C-Class Estate. Still, AMG-Line models look more distinctive thanks to the addition of a sportier bodykit with bigger grilles, a deep rear bumper and chunkier side sills. It also gets eye-catching 19-inch alloy wheels that hide larger, drilled brake discs.
Inside, AMG-Line models have Mercedes’ Seat Comfort package, which provides an even wider range of adjustment and helps make the car as comfortable as a Volvo V90. Other equipment highlights include adaptive dampers, LED headlamps, a self-parking system, a reversing camera and parking sensors. Sat-nav, heated seats, keyless go and a sports steering wheel with Mercedes’ new twin touchpad controls are also on the kit list.
The cabin feels upmarket, with the slick centre console design, metal-finish air vents and 64-colour ambient light set-up helping to give the car the same luxurious ambience as the brand’s S-Class flagship. And while you’ll have to pay £1,595 extra for real leather (man-made Artico leather is standard), build quality is high.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The twin 12.3-inch displays are an optional extra. The central one costs £1,495 and includes the upgraded COMAND Online sat-nav, while the digital dial pack will set you back another £495 and can only be ordered with the former. These are expensive additions, but probably worth the extra outlay as the smaller, standard analogue dials look lost in the vast gloss black panel that runs the full width of the dashboard. The infotainment system itself is excellent, being easy to use and with no touchscreen it’s fine for on-the-move operation as well.
Like the latest Mercedes E-Class saloon, the Estate ditches the brand’s old 2.1-litre turbodiesel in favour of an all-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder that’s not only more efficient than its predecessor, but also more powerful.
With 191bhp on tap the Mercedes has plenty of power, plus it benefits from some closely stacked ratios in its nine-speed gearbox. The engine is refined, too: Rev the unit hard, and you still hear a diesel grumble from under the bonnet, but it’s less intrusive than rival units from Volvo and Audi.
Settle down to a cruise and on the motorway the nine-speed auto gearbox makes for low cruising revs of just 1,300rpm at 70mph, while the slippery shape also means there’s virtually no wind noise.
• Mercedes E-Class Estate vs Volvo V90
The Mercedes is available with air-suspension, but at £1,495 it’s quite pricey. The system keeps the car level when fully loaded and floats comfortably along on faster, smoother roads but the larger wheels mean the ride feels a little unsettled on jagged surfaces. Hit a corner quickly, and you’ll find body control soft in Comfort mode. Sport or Sport+ settings reduce roll, but also add an artificial weight to the steering. There’s grip and composure, but not a lot to get keen drivers excited. The E43 version is better, with loads of grip from its 4x4 system and a more engaging chassis, but a BMW 340i Touring is more fun to drive.
Engines
The 2.0-litre diesel units are smooth and refined enough, but the 3.0-litre V6 diesel is even better in that regard. It’s torquey and feels powerful, plus it’s much smoother than the four-cylinder units. It’s expensive to buy and drinks more diesel, but will be worth it for some.
The ballistic E43 has a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol that’s happy to be revved, and sounds good - though it’s very hushed on the inside, so it’s other road users that will enjoy the sound most. It’s very fast, too, thanks to a grippy 4x4 system and nearly 400bhp.
The E-Class adopts some of the safety tech from the S-Class, and gets autonomous braking as standard, plus seven airbags and the Attention Assist driver fatigue system. However, while adaptive cruise is included on the Volvo V90, it’s only available on the E-Class as part of the £1,695 Driving Assistance Plus Package.
Mercedes’ form in our Driver Power satisfaction survey isn’t as strong as you’d expect from a manufacturer that relies heavily on its premium status, with the brand finishing our 2016 poll in 12th place, just ahead of Volvo. More concerning for Mercedes will be the performance of its dealers, placed in a lowly 20th by owners, who were critical of the customer service and value for money.
Servicing
Mercedes’ £37-a-month maintenance plan adds up to £1,332 for three years’ worth of servicing, which is £376 more than Volvo’s similar scheme for its rival V90.
The E-Class Estate features a powered tailgate, remote release buttons for the 40:20:40 folding bench and luggage retaining net, plus the rear seatbacks can be tilted forward slightly for an extra 30 litres of space. The car also features a low load lip, while the retractable cover rises up as the tailgate opens, making it easier to access items in the boot. Storage is good, too, with a large central cubby and a big trinket tray.
The E-Class won our recent Tow Car of the Year award, and it’s not hard to see why. A 2,100kg limit is 300kg more than the Volvo V90 can manage, while an electrically deployable tow bar is a £695 option.
Boot
With 640 litres of luggage space, the latest E-Class is 80 litres ahead of the Volvo V90, but 55 litres behind its predecessor. It’s a similar story when the seats are folded, because the Mercedes’ total capacity has shrunk from 1,960 litres in the old car to 1,820 litres in the newcomer.
The Mercedes E-Class Estate is a bit pricey to buy, but the E 220d model’s 67.3mpg and 109g/km CO2 economy figures are impressive enough. The E 200d model has less power, but returns exactly the same figures.
The more powerful 350d car returns 48.7mpg and emits 151g/km of CO2, which means it’ll cost more to run than the four-cylinder versions - though that’ll be worth it for the smooth engine for some buyers. Company car buyers will definitely prefer the 220d.
The Mercedes-AMG E43 Estate returns 32.8mpg, which isn’t bad for a car that can do 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds, and emits 197g/km of CO2.
Insurance groups
The most expensive E-Class Estate to insure is the E43, which sits in group 42 on account of its blistering performance - although it’s nearly matched by the E 350d diesel, which sits in group 41.
The E 220d is in group 31, but the cheapest model to insure is the E 200d, which manages to dip into group 29.