The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has long been the go-to luxury car for those who are mildly wealthy, but perhaps not yet filthy rich. Your dentist or grandmother may have driven one. It fit the sweet spot between the compact C-Class and uber S-Class, evenly splitting the difference in performance and comfort. It’s in that spirit Mercedes takes us into the EV age with the 2025 EQE 500.

There’s no mistaking the EQE for anything other than a Mercedes, but its elegant coupelike styling is not without controversy. Clean surfaces bereft of chrome remind me of Bruno Sacco’s understated designs from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and the muscular fenders look suave over 20” wheels, but the front facia needs some work. A large star flanked by a constellation of smaller stars decorate the wide black panel, but the EQE should follow the EQS in putting chrome “grille” slats and a stand-up hood ornament back where they belong.

Unlike the minimalist interiors from that famous EV with a T, Mercedes takes lush tradition into the next decade with its Hyperscreen that spans pillar to pillar with flatscreen gauges, large infotainment screen center, and a co-pilot pad so passengers can adjust audio, navigation, and media. Connect devices wirelessly. It’s lush too with heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats. Black linden wood veneers, panorama glass roof, and Bermester 3D audio pile on more luxury.

Safety, a Mercedes-Benz hallmark, is enhanced with automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and lane keep assist. Rear cross path detection and parking sensors keep paint on its flanks and rump. Our EQE has lane-centering steering and adaptive cruise, but I’d like it more with a head-up display and hands-off highway driving. Then again, you will probably want to command it yourself.

It’s a joy to drive with 402 horsepower and 633 lb.-ft. of torque streaming to the all-wheel-drive system from all the motors and batteries. Mercedes claims 266 miles range, but I routinely saw 300+. Very conservative range ratings are typical of the German automaker. Expect to take 32 minutes to replenish 10-80% on a DC fast charger and about 10.5 hours for a full battery pack on a 240v home charger. Recharging on a household plug takes days, so don’t.

Maneuvering out of the driveway with four-wheel steering imbues the feeling of a much smaller car, and that continues to the road where this heavyweight run 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Better, it drives and rides like proper Mercedes on its AIRMATIC adaptive suspension providing a slightly floaty feel in Comfort mode, ideal for long highway drives, but tightens up in Sport mode. Enjoy it your way.

My grandmother bought a new 1979 Mercedes 280E, the top mid-size sedan with a 2.8-liter inline-six. It cost an inflation-adjusted $80,000 with an AM/FM radio, vinyl seats, no active safety systems, nor even a sunroof. Given that, the EQE is a bargain starting at $74,900 and coming to $95,600 for our more powerful EQE500. If you must shop elsewhere, consider the BMW i5, Genesis Electrified G80 and of course, the Tesla Model S.

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