Name: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2023) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Rating: 72.0

Summary

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a large executive car, available in either saloon and estate body styles. This is the latest sixth-generation model which became available in the UK in the second half of 2023.

Likely to be the last combustion-powered Mercedes-Benz range to arrive here in the UK, the E-Class has been warmly received by the British motoring media, with wide praise for its plush and spacious interior, as well as the competitive electric range of plug-in hybrid versions.

“The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is roomier and more advanced than before”, says Top Gear’s Joe Holding, but if agile driving dynamics are a key priority, he recommends a test drive of the latest BMW 5 Series instead.

Carwow adds that, while the E-Class is loaded with “cool technology” as standard, reflections off the large infotainment screen are “distracting”, and notes that plug-in hybrid versions come with a reduced boot capacity.

As of July 2025, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 72%. It scores top marks for its outstanding safety rating and low CO₂ emissions, while its media review scores are also good. However, the running cost numbers are high, which is fairly unsurprising for a Mercedes.

E-Class highlights

Smooth and comfortable driving experience
Spacious and well-built interior
Excellent infotainment

E-Class lowlights

No air suspension or rear-wheel steering in UK
Plug-in hybrid comes with a smaller boot
Diesel engine not as refined as petrol options

Key specifications

Body style: Large saloon and estate
Engines: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £55,290 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2023
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The Mercedes E-Class is comfortable to drive and full of great technology, but some of its best features are cost options.”

Model reviewed: Saloon range

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Carwow

Darren Cassey

“The latest E-Class is a technical tour de force, and it continues to be a comfortable and upmarket cruiser that will leave you relaxed even after spending a whole day at the wheel. But it’s not without issues. It feels as if the car’s tech is taking over inside, and it’s not as spacious as you might expect, particularly in the rear.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Auto Express

Sam Naylor, Dean Gibson

More reviews

Auto Express

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel (mild hybrid) automatic E 220d saloon AMG Premium Plus
Score: 8 / 10
“The latest Mercedes E-Class is a technical tour de force, and it continues to be a comfortable and upmarket cruiser that will leave you relaxed even after spending a whole day at the wheel. The mild-hybrid E 220 d is efficient, but it’s also noisy when pushed, spoiling the cabin ambience.”
Author: Dean Gibson
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Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 7 / 10
“The Mercedes E-Class is a technological tour de force, but from behind the wheel it suffers from a distinct lack of character. The plug-in hybrid powertrain really delivers in terms of efficiency, but that comes at the cost of practicality, which is a shame given this car’s otherwise spacious estate body. We expect emerging rivals from BMW and Audi will add some competitive spice to this sector once again.”
Author: Berend Sanders
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid E 300 e
Score: 9 / 10
“For anyone considering a premium saloon as their next company car, there’s a serious amount of tech and comfort available here, and at a really appealing BiK tax rate. And better still, decent real-world electric range means that you could conceivably use your E 300 e as an electric car several days of the week – making it a proper bridge towards a full EV, and no mistake.”
Author: John McIlroy
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Saloon range
Score: 8 / 10
“The sixth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class shifts from an established premium saloon to a luxury saloon, and it’s brimming with technology too.”
Author: Dan Trent
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Car

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 8 / 10
“The E-Class Estate is up there as one of the best cars Mercedes currently makes. Wonderfully spacious, upmarket and loaded with tech (too much, you could argue), it’s an executive estate car that certainly makes an impression.”
Author: Ted Welford
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“An uninspiring engine combined with what seems to be rather thoughtlessly set-up steel-sprung suspension doesn’t have the makings of a decent short drive, let alone a long-standing relationship.”
Author: Jake Groves
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid E 300e
Score: 8 / 10
“The latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class turns up the tech and efficiency into a mostly positive result. Some of the E’s controls feel like they need a little more modulation so they’re less twitchy, but the E300e’s electric-only range and the cruising refinement offered fresh out of the box mean the latest E-Class is more than worth a look for the well-to-do corporate commuter.”
Author: Jake Groves
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.8 / 10
“The latest Mercedes E-Class offers exceptional levels of comfort, a beautiful interior and one of the most advanced infotainment systems ever.”
Author: Charlie Harvey, John McIlroy
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a fantastic large estate with a huge boot, great engine selection and outstanding comfort – shame it costs so much and some of the tech seems pointless.”
Author: Tom Wiltshire
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Evo

Model reviewed: E300e plug-in hybrid
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Mercedes E-class proves there’s still life in the traditional, well engineered exec saloon.”
Author: Stuart Gallagher
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Saloon range
Score: 8 / 10
“Appropriately enough for a model of such importance, the Mercedes E-Class is pretty much everything the company can do, condensed into one car. Thing is, it’s also quite a few things we wish they hadn’t done.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: E-Class saloon
Score: 7.2 / 10
“The latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a sleek-looking machine that majors on dazzling technology. The suite of screens, the fancy ambient lighting and the general appearance of the interior are sure to catch the eye of even the most jaded passengers.”
Author: Alan Taylor-Jones
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Model reviewed: E-Class estate
Score: 8.2 / 10
“Yes. If you’re looking for a large premium estate car, the new Mercedes E-Class is up there with the best. Mercedes has traded a marginal bit of space on this new model but in the process upped with the style with minimal compromise.”
Author: Ted Welford
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic E 220 d
Score: 8 / 10
“The desire and effort to move the Mercedes-Benz E-Class further upwards to a more luxurious standing than before has proven mostly successful. The only aspect where it falters is in its diesel engine, which sometimes lacks refinement if not performance. There’s a reason why true luxury cars don’t use four-cylinder diesels these days. Nevertheless, the latest E-Class delivers a polished and enjoyable driving experience.”
Author: Dave Humphreys
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Mercedes wanted to boast about the new electronics and driver aids in this new car but, to be honest, they weren’t the most impressive traits of the new E-class. What left us slack jawed was the creamy ride, the effortless mile eating and the sheer economy of these sophisticated cars.”
Author: Andrew English
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Estate range
Score: 7 / 10
“Had enough of the family SUV? The Mercedes-Benz E-Class proves there’s still plenty of life in the estate.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Saloon range
Score: 7 / 10
“A fine, relaxing executive saloon. Provided you’re able to ignore the distracting tech. And coarse four cylinder engine.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: July 2024
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 92%
Child protection: 90%
Vulnerable road users: 84%
Safety assist: 87%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of July 2025, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class has not been assessed by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of July 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as we have sufficient data on the E-Class, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Petrol models	42 mpg	C
Diesel models	51 mpg	B
Plug-in hybrid models	535 mpg	A

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Petrol models	154 g/km	B
Diesel models	147 g/km	B
Plug-in hybrid models	13 g/km	A

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Plug-in hybrid models	67 miles	C

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	43	D

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£363	C
Year 2	£848	C
Year 3	£1,382	C
Year 4	£1,675	C
Year 5	£2,192	C
Overall	£6,460	C

Running costs for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range are a mixed bag, according to data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our commercial partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Fuel economy is disappointing for petrol models but good for diesel-engined versions. The plug-in hybrid models look amazing on paper, but this is largely thanks to ridiculous EU/UK government lab tests that are completely inadequate for plug-in hybrids. There is no way you will ever travel for 535 miles on a single gallon (4.5 litres) of fuel and some electricity…

The battery range of the plug-in hybrid model is good compared to most rivals, even if you won’t hit 70 miles in real-world driving. It means that most households could do most of their weekly driving without using any petrol, as long as you can plug the E-Class in regularly.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Overall ratingB68%
Petrol or diesel modelsC41%
Hybrid or plug-in hybrid modelsA82%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileageUnlimited miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

Mercedes-Benz’s new car warranty is only average, and not as attractive as some other cars in a similar price bracket as the E-Class.

The duration is three years, with no limit on mileage – although, in reality, the mileage numbers are likely to be fairly irrelevant as most cars only cover about 10,000 miles each year.

In addition to the standard new car warranty, the E-Class plug-in hybrid models have an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components. The overall rating above is a mix of the different models.