Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate Review 2024

There’s no point in choosing the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate over the saloon version if you don’t need the extra space, apart from anything it’s more expensive on a model for model basis. As a luxurious tourer the E-Class is ideal, as it is impressively comfortable on longer journeys even for families and larger groups of adults. It can certainly perform regular family duties too, although it is quite a big car which you may not want to be shunting around city streets all the time.

If you need a big estate for hauling large loads up and down the motorway, the E-Class is certainty capable, but Volvo’s V90 is a little bit larger and less expensive to buy in the first place. Also, if you want your estate to be fun to drive as well as practical then the BMW 5 Series Touring is your best option.

Mercedes also offers a more rugged version, the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain - a rival for the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country.

Of the engine options, the diesel PHEV in the E300 de is hugely impressive, offering very strong performance, low CO2 emissions and impressive economy - the only downside is that it is very expensive to buy. For a more real-world solution it has to be either the E220 d diesel or the E200 petrol. The diesel hits a sweet spot of decent economy and useful performance, and although the E200 petrol can’t match either of those, it is the best choice if diesel is ruled out.

Of the available trim levels, the SE is the most popular choice, and with good reason. The standard specification is strong, but unlike the AMG models it does without the larger alloy wheels and sport suspension that upset the ride in some conditions. The Premium pack adds a number of useful features but can’t be added to the SE, so you need to look at an AMG Line model to include this, but if you include air suspension then you can mitigate the stiff ride. We would recommend comparing two versions on the road to see if they suit your needs.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, look no further than the usual German rivals. BMW offers the BMW 5 Series Touring which is big, comfortable, well-equipped and crucially is also good to drive - one of the best in the class in fact. 

Audi has its own big estate in the shape of the Audi A6 Avant, which ticks all the usual boxes of being comfortable, beautifully built and practical too. Non-German alternatives include the Volvo V90, which is stylishly understated but very spacious, and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake which is excellent to drive.

There’s little doubt that the interior of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate is visually impressive but the good news is that, unlike some other Mercedes-Benz products, the physical quality lives up the promise of how it looks. All versions come with leather on the seats and around the door and dashboard areas, which is of a good standard and feels pleasant to the touch. 

The basic SE model gets a mix of black leather and aluminium trim which is attractive in itself, but move up to AMG Line or above and this changes to black ash, which is even more appealing. Somewhat unusually AMG Line models also switch to Mercedes’ man-made leather Artico, which is somewhat inferior (although more ethically sound) so it pays to look closely at the options if you are buying new or used.

The overall quality of the cabin is of a high standard too, and it feels like it will last for plenty of miles. There are a couple of exceptions - some of the plastics lower down in the interior feel a little thin and insubstantial - but on the whole this feels like a well-constructed car that is built to last.

This generation of Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate is something of a halfway house in terms of infotainment provision, as on the one hand it has the twin 12.3-inch screen setup was one of the first Mercedes-Benz to offer the system. However, more recent offerings like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and CLA models have the same screen arrangement but with added functionality and an updated control system, using a bigger and more responsive touchpad.

All versions of the E-Class Estate come with DAB, Bluetooth for telephone and audio streaming, navigation via SD card and the touchpad controller, with USB input also. Upgrade to the Premium package and you get the Command Online system, which has integrated wifi to give the system the ability to use connected services as well as allow passengers to connect to data services.

The capabilities of the system are high and the graphics are slick, and there is a wide number of functions and settings so you can tailor the system to suit your needs and wants, you even have the option to choose from three different design themes. What that does mean is that a little familiarity is required, and it can be a little intimidating at first. It’s also worth noting that the control systems aren’t perfect - the touchpad and wheel on the centre console isn’t always as accurate as it could be, while the steering wheel controls can be overly-sensitive.

No estate car worthy of the name can hope to compete unless it offers plenty of space for passengers and luggage. On most counts the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate scores highly. To boost practicality it's a little bigger than the saloon at 4952mm long, 2065mm wide (including mirrors) and 1463mm tall. 

Front seat occupants of all heights should find it easy to get a comfortable seating position. With plenty of adjustment in the seats and the physical leg, head and elbow room, it will suit pretty much everyone.

In the rear seats there’s still a competitive amount of room, but it’s not as convincingly spacious as it is up front. You can fit two adults in the rear seats with ease, as headroom and elbow room are generous. Legroom is not quite as abundant, so a six-footer is probably the tallest person you can comfortably fit in the back unless the front occupant has their seat rolled far forward. There is a centre seat but as is frequently the case, it’s not a full size chair and the owner of the short straw will have to contend with the transmission tunnel under their feet too. Like most cars of this size, the rear is optimised for two rather than three.

Head for the boot and the E-Class plays its trump card. With the rear seats in place it offers a mighty 640 litres of load space - significantly more than even the Volvo V90 - with the rear seats folded this goes up to a huge 1820 litres, at least 100 litres more than the nearest rivals. What is more, the shape of the space is ideal, with little intrusion and a low loading lip.

There’s also a false floor with a good space underneath, or optionally you can swap this for an extra pair of child seats - although it is important to remember that they are only suitable for younger children and cannot accommodate adults. This space is also lost if you go for the E300 de PHEV version as it is taken up with the battery system. You can also lower the rear seats (which are split 40/20/40) via an electric release.

There are several engine options available for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate, although it is worth noting that there are fewer petrol engines for the Estate compared to the saloon version. The sole sensible petrol option is the E 200, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit providing 184PS. That provides quite brisk acceleration, but the cost is fuel consumption, and most buyers will want an option that is more frugal than this engine can provide.

The most popular engine choice for the E-Class Estate is the 2.0-litre diesel option, and while it is one of the cheaper options it has a lot of positive aspects and is well-suited to estate car duties. With 190PS and an even more substantial 400Nm of torque it is surprisingly quick - it’s capable of almost 150mph - which makes short work of pulling heavy loads or carrying a car-full of people and luggage.

There are three further pure diesel options - the E 300 d, E 350 d and E 400 d - with outputs ranging from a heady 245PS to a borderline unnecessary 340PS and 700Nm of torque in the E 400 d. The two bigger options use a 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit that is smooth and refined, and deliver a heady performance, but this comes at the expense of economy.

The ultimate blend of power and frugality comes from the plug-in hybrid E 300 de model, which comes the 2.0-litre diesel engine with an electric motor to give a total system power of 306PS and 700Nm of torque. It has performance that is close to the E 400 d, but economy far ahead of any of the non-hybrid versions. It’s the most expensive non-AMG model and compromises boot space as a result, but on sheer numbers it is highly impressive.

Mercedes-Benz has built its reputation on producing cars that offer a level of refinement above the class standard, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate continues this good work. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is arguably the least refined of all the options, but in the E-Class it rarely causes a stir in the cabin, with little vibration and noise even when extended. The more refined engines such as the PHEV and six-cylinder are even more impressive, and at cruising speeds the engine noise fades almost completely away.

The rest of the E-Class package also contributes to the overall levels of refinement, and the quality of the build and materials is reflected in how quiet the cabin is. Even on the occasions when you can hear the engine working hard, it sounds distant rather than up close, and that makes for a relaxing experience for the cabin occupants.

Road noise levels are quite well contained, although versions with bigger wheels tend to create a little more noise. Despite the frameless windows, wind noise is also well controlled, with just a little generated by the door mirrors at higher speed. Overall, the E-Class offers an impressive level of refinement - it’s one of the best in the class.

Euro NCAP tested the Mercedes E-Class in 2016, and although the test was conducted on a saloon, the organisation ruled that the score was relevant to all E-Class and CLS variants.

The Mercedes E-Class was awarded the maximum five stars, including an impressive 95 per cent score for adult protection and 90% for child protection. The pedestrian rating of 77% was also strong, although the safety assist rating of 62% compares less favourably with newer Mercedes-Benz models and some of the competitors - the age of the E-Class is a contributing factor here.

However, it is important to note that specifications change regularly and that the E-Class has more safety equipment as standard than when it was first tested in 2016. All E-Class models are fitted with front chest and side airbags, a knee airbag for the driver and curtain airbags, an active bonnet, blind spot assist, the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Safe system that prepares the car if it detects an accident is imminent, traffic sign assist, and ESC.

The Driving Assistance Plus package can be added, which includes active blind spot assist, active braking assist with cross traffic function, Pre-Safe Plus and active emergency stop assist amongst other features, but this can only be specified on the AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus and the All-Terrain Edition.

The E 300 de is a plug-in hybrid, so it is designed to have relatively limited range on pure electric for use in the city or low-speed cruising. Mercedes claims a range of 32.9 to 31.6 miles on a fully-charged battery, which is similar to other rival plug-in hybrids. While it offers relatively little pure electric range compared to a pure EV, it gives the E 300 de the flexibility to enter zero-emission zones and significantly improve fuel consumption, and for company car owners it also brings a significant saving in terms of taxation.

Mercedes-Benz generally performs well for reliability, ranking 13th out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index with an overall satisfaction score of 87.9%. The E-Class saloon scored an impressive average of 9.22 out of 10 for reliability. 

Insurance groupings for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate are inevitably high, with even the lowliest version in the range past the halfway point of group 25. The entry-level SE trim attracts the lowest grouping, ranging from 28 for the E 200 and E 220 d up to 43 for the E 300 de. AMG Line trim starts at group 30 for the basic petrol and diesels up group 44 for the E 350 d, E 400 d and E 300 de.

Given that the E-Class Estate is unlikely to be bought by younger people with short insurance history and little no-claims bonus, the high groupings are likely to be less of a problem, but it is worth considering what a different specification can have on your premium.

One immediate issue with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate is that even the most basic SE model costs over £40,000, which means it attracts the £325 levy for the first five years. Pre-April 2017 versions will cost less to tax, particularly if you go for diesel models. 

An E 220 d can cost as little as £20 a year to tax on account of its low CO2 figures, but the more powerful diesel versions are still £165 and upwards depending on the specification. Even the E 300 de doesn’t escape - it still gets hit with the £40,000 levy, just at a rate reduced by £10, so you’ll have to pay £465 for the first five years.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate SE comes with sat nav, LED headlights, Agility Control suspension, Easy-Pack automatic tailgate, Parking Pilot including Parktronic and reversing camera, chrome roof rails, 64-colour selectable LED interior lighting, Keyless-Go starting function, heated front seats, DAB radio and 17-inch alloys with a five-spoke design. E 350 d models also come with Air Body Control and Comand Online as standard. 

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate AMG Line adds AMG exterior styling with 19-inch alloy wheels in titanium grey, upper dashboard finished in Artico leather, black ash wood trim, brushed stainless steel AMG sports pedals with black rubber studs, and a three-spoke AMG steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather. 

Key options are the Premium and Premium Plus packages. The Premium pack (£2795) includes Keyless-Go Comfort package, Memory package and a panoramic glass sunroof. For an additional £1100, Premium Plus adds the Burmester surround sound system with 13 speakers and a Multibeam LED Intelligent Light System.