Sorry if this topic has come up a lot before (I searched but couldn’t find much): how happy are EQE owners with their cars? What do you like and dislike? And especially: what made you pick an EQE over another car?
My partner and I got our first EV last year (a Model 3 Highland) and we’re totally on board with EVs now. I’m considering an EQE or EQC since there are great deals on gently used ones and I’ve always liked Mercedes-Benz. I drove an EQE for half a day and enjoyed it, but haven’t tried an EQC. If you’ve experienced both: any thoughts on choosing one over the other (besides the better range that favors the EQE)? Thanks a lot!
I had an EQC for two years, then switched to an EQE… it’s been two years now.
The main reason for the switch… the range. The EQC wasn’t bad but we had to stop during our summer trips. Where I live, summer “commutes” just fill up the charge stations. So I prefer to go non-stop. The EQC didn’t give me that option.
Plus, regarding comfort, the EQC uses air suspension in the back and conventional in the front. It creates a bouncing movement, especially on highways. My kids complained a lot about it.
I moved to the EQE and went for the Airmatic suspension… no complaints now.
On the downside… the materials, especially on the lower part of the dash, are slightly better in the EQC… surprisingly. I also switched from an EQC with AMG line options to the base model EQE + Airmatic + Panoramic roof… so I do miss a few features. But overall, comfort was the main reason for my choice.
@Bao
Thank you so much, this is really helpful. Especially about the EQC’s suspension bouncing. I’ve read a lot about the car and its handling seems to get mixed reviews: some love it for being smooth while others aren’t impressed. That’s probably subjective…
How well does the navigation system integrate with charging? One thing I really like about the Tesla: it’s great at estimating range, preheats the battery, and reroutes to less busy Superchargers if one gets crowded. Is the Mercedes system similar?
And yes, pulling the door shut on the EQE the first time was a bit surprising. I didn’t expect that quality for such an expensive car. But then again, no car is perfect - I drive one without indicator stalks, so who am I to complain
@Shawn
The EQE has frameless doors, so it’s normal for the door to shut differently.
I also had a Model Y, and it’s really a different world regarding build quality.
About the integration… nothing beats Tesla. When you control the ecosystem (like Apple) you get a better overall experience.
Now if you mostly use home chargers and don’t travel a lot, the benefits might not be as clear. But if the charging network is good, the onboard system works fine too.
It’s worth mentioning that the range estimation for trips is much more reliable on a Mercedes than on a Tesla (at least based on my four years with Mercedes EQ and one year with Tesla).
@Shawn
“some love it for being smooth while others aren’t impressed. That’s probably subjective…”
Don’t get me wrong… in the driver’s seat, I didn’t notice any big issues. Yes, it bounces as expected for a 2.5-ton car. Backseat passengers felt it a bit differently… and some got sick. I came from a Volvo V90, which is very comfortable (even with regular suspension).
@Bao
Interesting point! We just got an EQS and our other car is a Volvo V60. On a recent trip, our backseat passengers said they thought the Volvo was smoother but liked the EQS’s comforts more. My wife says the EQS feels like it floats and follows every little change in the road.
@Caiden
EQS also has Airmatic like my EQE. Yes, it follows the road and absorbs the high frequency bumps and vibrations… but not the low frequency ones. Still, not enough to make anyone sick…
My take on the EQC is that the uneven suspension technology causes it to wobble differently (the back and front move differently). This was never an issue with a car that has full Airmatic suspension… it sways in sync.
Shawn said: @Bao
Another question: what range did you get with your EQC? Is 400km on long trips realistic from your experience?
EQC: I consistently got around 350km. I never reached 400km.
EQE: Easily gets 550km… driving carefully, I’ve even hit 600km (without using ultra range modes or anything, the most I got was 670km when driven in range mode).
Shawn said: @Bao
That’s really impressive. Good to know the range estimations are so accurate.
I was used to the Mercedes range estimation. The day I got the Tesla, I went for a drive… and got home with 5% left. Mercedes-math didn’t translate well to the Tesla…
I’m pretty happy with our EQE. This was my way to get my wife out of a huge vehicle into an EV. She was really against it, but the smooth ride on a terrible dirt road plus the huge torque changed her mind. And we got the low-end model.
We’ve had some odd software issues, weird errors, but they’ve fixed themselves without needing a dealer visit. No major issues.
Colder weather seems to really drop the range, but we’re still figuring that out. We’ll see what happens in deep winter. Thankfully I now have a home charger, so that shouldn’t be a problem for local driving.
Lastly, I’m already looking into tires because I wore them out pretty quickly. That’s on me, though.
EQC is 4MATIC but front biased. The 408hp was enough to wear out the front tires in 19,000km.
It was my first EV… so I had fun with the 5-second acceleration trick. The rear tires were almost new!
So when I switched to the EQE… I thought… less power (it’s the EQE350, so 286hp), less tire wear…
Well, not really. I had to replace all four tires after 16,000km (the rear ones were much worse, but I like to keep the wear even). I think the reason is having more power per axle than the EQC (286 vs 200), plus the rear axle is more biased (so the rear tires wear faster).
If you drive a lot, get tires that can handle the wear, for sure!
I’m curious about the EQE, too. Just got a Model Y but am eyeing the EQE due to my job. I’ll need a long-range vehicle soon… How’s it driving in winter? My old ICE was a disaster, to say the least.
Jaden said:
I’m curious about the EQE, too. Just got a Model Y but am eyeing the EQE due to my job. I’ll need a long-range vehicle soon… How’s it driving in winter? My old ICE was a disaster, to say the least.
I’m a bit worried too since this is our first EV for winter. We’ll see how it does! I can share an update in a few months if you’d like.
