When a Mercedes-Benz model receives a redesign, the updates are often subtle. Why change perfection? While it may not be immediately apparent that the E-Class - the rock foundation of the brand’s iconic sedans - was redesigned for the 2024 model year, Car and Driver noticed and offered up a review. Find out the highlights in this Mercedes-Benz of Plano post.
Honed to perfection over the decades, the E-Class proportions have changed little in the redesign. The wheelbase is just short of an inch longer, with a half-inch added to the overall length. Other external and internal dimensions have changed by less than an inch, and the silhouette remains the same. There were adjustments to the grille and headlight treatments, and the taillights now feature triangular elements that display the tri-star logo (sans circle) in negative space. For the most part, the E-Class exterior has changed little from before.
Two Engines, Standard AWD
Car and Driver looked at both the E 350 and E 450 models, which is the entire model line now that both come standard with the 4MATIC® all-wheel drive system. The E 350 is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 255 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm, paired to a 9-speed automatic. There is no shortage of turbo 2-liter engines out there, but none of them have to produce the level of smooth and quiet refinement sufficient for an E-Class. This one does as Car and Driver reported, “Only when you're outside the car does its idle sound diesel-like thanks to its high-pressure direct-injection fuel system.”
The magazine tested the 0-60 time on the E 350 at 5.8 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds, and a trap speed of 96 mph. EPA estimated city/highway/combined mpg is 24 / 33 / 27, though the publication’s own 75-mile highway driving test showed 35 mpg.
The E 450 has the brand’s trademark 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 connected to the same 9-speed automatic transmission. Power is rated at 375 hp at 5,800 rpm with peak torque at 369 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm. The E 450 reached 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and passed by the quarter mile in 13.0 seconds at 109 mph. EPA rates the fuel economy at 22 / 31 / 25. Car and Driver was already impressed that the E 350 overachieved on its highway efficiency at 35 mpg but was astonished that the E 450, with two more cylinders and 120 more horsepower, turned in the exact same 35 mpg on their 75-mile highway test.
Even when shod with the same tires, Car and Driver found that the E-Class out-cornered and out-braked the rival BMW 530i X Drive, further stating: “The E-class also steers and rides better, and it exhibits a surprisingly neutral cornering attitude for a large luxury sedan. Whether comparing E 350 to 530i or E 450 to 540i, the BMWs are slightly quicker and lighter, and yet the Benzes have the edge in chassis performance and driving dynamics.” The publication praised the optional $3,200 air spring suspension with active dampers, which improved ride and handling even further.
New Interior and New Technology
While the 2024 E-Class resembles its predecessor outside, the dash is a different story, with an all-new elegant minimalist appearance. Gone are the big round climate vents in the center and on either side. Those vents are hidden within a trim detail that defines the upper edge of the dash. The center touchscreen display is flush with the dash panel, which is an available screen for the front passenger. Without the screen, the passenger faces an elegant open-pore wood surface with vertical aluminum separators that match the treatment on the center console. A more upright display greets the driver through the tri-spoke steering wheel. The touchscreens are operated by the brand’s latest MBUX® system, which features a “much simplified menu structure.”
Behind car enthusiasts, Car and Driver was less impressed with some of the new cabin technology, such as a camera that enables the driver to participate in video conferences while driving or the TikTok compatibility, which uses a vertical format on the horizontal screen, but these are not the reason you purchase an E-Class. On the other hand, the available 21-speaker Burmester* audio system is described as sounding “as lovely as the E-class drives while looking great with the metal speaker grilles.” The system can also flash the interior lighting and provide a thump in the seats to a song’s beat, which they thought might be too rave for the E-Class demographic.
The bottom line is that Car and Driver found the new E-Class to continue to do the whole luxury sedan thing better than ever before and better than its rivals. Thus, precisely what an E-Class should be. Pay a visit to Mercedes-Benz of Plano with their unrivaled inventory and check out all that the new E-Class has to offer you.
*Burmester is a registered trademark of Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH, Berlin, Germany
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