Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. Features

The Mercedes-AMG EQE might be the best luxury EV right now

By

The EV world is seriously heating up. Great EVs are getting cheaper, and cheap EVs are getting better — and while we still have a long way before they’re truly affordable for everyone, that reality seems to be at least in sight. But not everyone wants a great car at a reasonable price. Some simply want a luxurious driving experience and are willing to pay for it.

If that’s you, I think I’ve found the car for you — the Mercedes-AMG EQE.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan exhibits the same bulbous looks as every Mercedes EV.
Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

To be very clear, the Mercedes-AMG EQE is not the car for everyone. It’s not even the car for most people. It’s the car for … a select few. But despite the AMG badging and the fact that it’s in Mercedes’ ultra-expensive “EQ” line, the car is cheaper than the EQS and still offers 90% of what makes the EQS a high-end car.

Recommended Videos

A premium interior

I’m going to skip right over the exterior of this car, because the reality is, it’s pretty much just fine. Like Mercedes’ other electric cars, it has a bulbous nose that doesn’t look great, but the rest of the exterior isn’t bad — especially when it comes to the 21-inch wheels on the review model I’ve been driving for the past week.

Mercedes-AMG EQE Interior.
Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

But I digress. The true luxury that this car has to offer has nothing to do with the exterior. It’s all about the inside.

Related

It starts with supremely comfortable seats. They’re built with soft-touch coverings, plenty of padding, and tons of adjustment options. They’ll also heat, cool, and massage you — and I loved the red seatbelts that give them a splash of color.

The rest of the interior is mostly premium too. I don’t love the matte silver plastic that seems to be used a lot in luxury cars these days, including the EQE. But for the most part, the materials felt strong and premium.

That extends to the tech, too. Unlike the EQS, you won’t get the expansive Hyperscreen, but you will get a huge center screen and digital instrument cluster — and as the driver, I didn’t miss the Hyperscreen once. Without having an EQS handy to test side-by-side, the display in the EQE seemed just as high-quality, bright, and colorful. And, like the EQS, you’ll get bright and colorful accent lighting that looks stunning at night.

Like driving a cloud

Driving this thing is pretty luxurious too. In classic Mercedes fashion, the car’s steering is not the most responsive, but it makes up for it in acceleration, which is responsive as you would expect from an EV with 617 hp.

The general feel of the car is definitely part of the appeal — it’s like driving a big cloud that goes really, really fast. The car goes from 0-60 in 3.2 or 3.4 seconds, depending on the model that you get. My wife likened it to a rollercoaster.

The rear bumper and fender of a Mercedes-AMG EQE.
Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

The superb performance is something you would expect from an AMG, of course. AMG is famous for its performance cars, and this is the EV version of that.

Luxury at a price

The Mercedes-AMG EQE isn’t cheap, but as mentioned, it doesn’t quite approach the extreme prices of the EQS. It also proves that you don’t need to spend that much money for a supremely luxurious car.

There are still some things that you’re giving up for the EQE over the EQS. Perhaps the most notable of those is driving range — considering the fact that the EQE has a 210-mile range, while the AMG EQS has a 277-mile range.

Of course, it’s also worth considering the non-AMG variants of these cars. While the AMG EQE starts at around $107,000, the standard Mercedes-Benz EQE starts at around $75,000. Compare that with the $105,000 Mercedes-Benz EQS and the $148,000 AMG EQS, and you’ll find that the EQE has a lot to offer.

And, it’s probably also worth noting the fact that there are other great luxury EVs out there. The BMW i7 is one of the best of those, with added features like a TV screen for the passengers. But my personal favorite is the Mercedes-AMG EQE, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with one.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept looks to the past for inspiration
Overhead view of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept.

Mercedes-Benz this week unveiled a new electric concept car that looks back as well as forward. It's called the Vision One-Eleven, and it's a reminder that car designers have a long history of predicting the future.

The Vision One-Eleven is inspired by the C111 series of experimental vehicles that first appeared in 1969. With their aerodynamic styling, roof-hinged gullwing doors, and distinctive orange paint, the C111 cars became fixtures of auto show stands and car-magazine features throughout the 1970s. They were more than show cars, though, testing then-trendy ideas like fiberglass body panels and rotary engines.

Read more
Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is old-school luxury — electrified
Front three quarter view of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is preparing for an electric future with its EQ models, a line of EVs with futuristic aerodynamic styling and all of the latest infotainment tech. With several EQ models already in production, Mercedes is shifting focus to more traditional luxury.
The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is the first all-electric vehicle from Maybach, the ultra-luxury subbrand of Mercedes. It takes the EQS SUV launched in 2022 and bathes it in opulence, adding more chrome on the outside and more creature comforts on the inside.
Scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. this fall, the Maybach is an unusual EV proposition, taking what is supposed be a forward-thinking design and wrapping it in old-school luxury. Ahead of its launch, Digital Trends got an up-close look at the Maybach EQS SUV to see how Mercedes is trying to balance those two aspects.

Germany's Rolls-Royce goes electric
The Maybach name has great historical significance for Mercedes. Wilhelm Maybach was one of the earliest automotive engineers. He designed the first Mercedes-branded car for the Daimler company (now Daimler-Benz), but struck out on his own after a falling out with company management. His eponymous company built Zeppelin engines, luxury cars, and, during World War II, engines for German military vehicles.
Daimler-Benz took control of Maybach in the 1960s, but left the passenger-car business dormant. Mercedes then revived the Maybach name in the early 2000s as a competitor to the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, both of which are owned by rival German automakers. Given Wilhelm Maybach's history with Mercedes, it essentially brought things full circle.
The 21st-century Maybach brand started out with standalone models in the form of the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 sedans (as well as the stunning Exelero prototype), but production ended in 2012 amid dwindling sales. Mercedes then switched to making Maybach-branded versions of existing models like the S-Class sedan and GLS-Class SUV, a pattern that continues with the Maybach EQS SUV.

Read more
Why are so many luxury EVs ugly on the outside and gorgeous inside?
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

EVs aren't just here, they're everywhere. And as they gain momentum, they’re offering carmakers a big opportunity to reimagine both themselves and their cars. Ford completely reinvented the Mustang through the Mach-E, while Kia seems to be undergoing a complete renaissance, with electric models like the EV6 leading the charge.

But on the higher end, some carmakers seem to be going through some growing pains. Some of the most storied brands are putting out some of the ugliest new EVs, and yet inside, they're luxurious in ways their gas counterparts never were. What's going on?
New room to screw up
The likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz have spent decades honing their brand images, and decades gaining loyal followers who would buy nothing else. Their cars also follow a similar design language. BMW is known for its kidney grille, which is why fans were up in arms when the company oversized that grille on its most recent cars.

Read more