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Mercedes E-Class (2016-2023) - Practicality, comfort and boot space

With a big boot and a roomy cabin, the E-Class offers plenty of practicality

Just so you know, this is an older review of the 2016-2023 Mercedes E-Class. If you are interested in information about how practical the new Mercedes E-Class is, or news about the latest Mercedes models, please follow the links provided.

The E-Class is a full five-seater, and although the transmission tunnel restricts room in the middle slightly, the E-Class still offers enough space for five fully grown adults on shorter journeys. That’s thanks to the comfortable seats and, for the driver and front passenger, plenty of adjustment.

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A softer chassis setup compared to rivals means the E-Class focuses on comfort more than sportiness, floating nicely over rippled roads. However, the big body and chunky C-pillars mean rear visibility over the shoulder isn’t the best – but with features like blind spot assist available, there’s enough safety tech to help out here.

That enlarged body means there’s lots of room inside, so the E-Class offers good storage. A deep central cubby between the front seats gives lots of space to stow items, while a large trinket tray in front of the multimedia controller gives a place to put mobile phones – in fact, this is where the wireless charging option is located if specified.

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Decent sized door bins that run the length of the doors and a large glovebox give some extra storage, too.

Size

As mentioned, the E-Class has grown compared to its predecessor, so this new model is now 43mm longer than before at 4.9m.

Despite the space inside this fifth-generation E-Class is actually now narrower and shorter too, showing how Mercedes has cleverly optimised the layout inside to maximise passenger room and comfort.

It’s a similar length to all of its main rivals, with the Jaguar XF, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 also all hovering around the 4.9m mark, but with a reversing camera as standard and an optional 360-degree monitor available, the E-Class should be easy to manoeuvre.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The E-Class’ wheelbase has grown by 65mm, meaning more room between the axles for passengers – and you can feel this inside.

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Legroom is good, and the practical roofline means even taller adults won’t suffer when it comes to headroom in the rear. Three big adults in the rear might feel a little tight, but it’s fine for shorter journeys.

Boot

A 540-litre boot puts the E-Class on a par with the Jaguar XF, making it the joint class leader. This is also 10 litres more than an A6 and 5 Series, while the square shape means you can make the most of the E-Class’ load bay.

Saloons aren’t normally the most practical models when it comes to swallowing luggage, as large hatchbacks generally offer a bigger opening.

However, the E-Class’ boot lid rises high out of the way and reveals a big aperture, so although there is a small loading lip to contend with, the Mercedes still offers enough flexibility.

It’s worth noting that the battery pack in the E 300 e and E 300 de does eat into boot space compared to the conventionally-powered models. Around 150-litres is lost overall, which is a sizeable chunk.

The rear seats split-fold in a 40:20:40 configuration for extra practicality when carrying longer loads, while this also increases overall luggage volume.

Towing

All E-Class models have a 2,100kg maximum braked towing capacity, with the exception of the E 200 petrol version which has a 1,900kg restriction.

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Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    E200 AMG Line 4dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £55,710

Most Economical

  • Name
    E300e Urban Edition 4dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £65,200

Fastest

  • Name
    E450d 4M AMG Line Premium 4dr 9G-Tronic [Pan Roof]
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £79,870
Executive editor

Paul was employed across automotive agency and manufacturer-side sectors before joining Auto Express in 2020 as our online reviews editor. After a brief sojourn at a national UK newspaper, Paul returned as executive editor where he now works closely with our commercial partners.

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