Item: 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Rating: 3.9
Author: Joel Patel

Overview

What's New

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class continues the brand’s mission to shore up power figures for the model. Last year saw a bump for the V6-powered E 400, which was renamed the E 450 after it gained 33 horsepower.

For 2020, the E 300 follows suit. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine now makes an extra 14 hp over the outgoing model, and it's rebadged as the E 350.

Elsewhere, changes are minor but helpful. The base model gets several new standard features, including blind-spot monitoring and a power operated trunk. Packages gain a few new features as well, and the interior can be outfitted in new trim.

Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The E-Class sedan is available in four trims: E 350, E 450, AMG E 53, and AMG E 63 S. Pricing starts at $55,045 including destination for the E 350 and climbs to $108,345 for the AMG E 63 S.

The E-Class is also available as a coupe, cabriolet, and a wagon. The wagon can be had in E 450 or AMG E 63 S guise, while the coupe and cabriolet are available in E 450 and AMG E 53 trims.

Engine Choices

The four Mercedes-Benz E-Class trims are divided according to engine size and power.

Engine Type	Trim Level	Horsepower	Torque	Fuel Economy (Combined)
2.0L Turbo 4-Cylinder	E 350	255 hp	273 lb-ft	26 mpg
3.0L Twin-Turbo V6	E 450	362 hp	369 lb-ft	23 mpg
3.0L Turbo 6-Cylinder	AMG E 53	429 hp	384 lb-ft	24 mpg
4.0L Twin-Turbo V8	AMG E 63 S	603 hp	627 lb-ft	19 mpg

All use a nine-speed automatic transmission, although some AMG trims get a beefed up version. E 350 and E 450 engines are available in either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive ("4MATIC") for $2,500 more.

The E-Class is frugal in general, although the base model still loses out to the BMW 530i’s 27 miles per gallon combined. The AMG E 53 uses a 48-volt mild hybrid system to complement its formidable engine, which helps the car to an impressive figure given its performance.

Passenger and Cargo Capacity

Space in the E-Class forms a spectrum from the compact coupe to the spacious wagon. The coupe and cabriolet seat just four riders, and their rear seats are more cramped than the five-seat sedan and hatchback.

The convertible is the worst off for cargo, too, with just 9.5 cubic feet behind the seats (and that’s with the roof up). The coupe isn’t much better at 10 cubes, the sedan’s trunk is a little disappointing at 13.1 cubic feet, while the wagon is excellent with 35 cubes, or 64 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

Safety Features

The Mercedes E-Class is close to as good as it gets in the safety department. For 2020, all models come with standard blind-spot monitoring. This feature joins automatic emergency braking, a driver-attention monitor, and cloud communication with other Mercedes vehicles about upcoming hazards.

The Driver Assistance Package ($2,250) adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and more. The Parking Assistance Package ($1,290) brings rear cross-traffic alert, a surround-view camera system, and an automated parking system.

The E-Class has a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

Connectivity

It’s not hard to mistake the E-Class dashboard for a laptop, given the 12.3-inch infotainment screen that sits front and center. The E-Class doesn’t have the latest MBUX system, but it does come with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

A head-up display is a $1,100 option.

E 350 - From $55,045

The base E-Class comes with keyless entry, push button start, and a power operated trunk. These features join synthetic leather upholstery and memory settings for the driver's seat for a reasonable entry point into a Mercedes.

The Premium Package ($2,000) adds a 12.3-inch driver information display, heated front seats, wireless charging, a Burmester audio system, and satellite radio. Notable standalone options include a panoramic roof ($1,000), three-zone automatic climate control ($760), and massage-capable front seats ($1,320).

E 450 - From $62,545

The E 450’s only advantage over the base trim is the V6 engine. In terms of other equipment, the E 450 is identical to the E 350. All base features, options, and packages are the same.

AMG E 53 - From $74,795

The E 53 marks the first step into AMG territory, with the power boost to match from its mild-hybrid powertrain. The AMG E 53 includes a few more standard features as well.

The 12.3-inch instrument display is included, as are heated front seats. As usual, AMG models get their own look, with an AMG steering wheel, AMG badging, and aggressive exterior accents.

It also opens some exclusive AMG options, like a performance exhaust system ($1,250), a performance data app for track days ($250), and AMG sport bucket seats ($2,500).

AMG E 63 S - From $108,345

As the king of the E-Class lineup, the AMG E 63 S gets the impressive twin-turbo V8 under its hood. The AMG sport buckets are included, along with wheel-mounted performance controls, Nappa leather, and the Burmester sound system.

The AMG E 63 S also gets some tech upgrades, with wireless charging and the automated parking system among the standard features.

Compare E-Class Trims Side-By-Side

CarsDirect Tip

Of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup, the E 450 is a relatively good value. If you’re a performance enthusiast, the AMG E 53 offers strong performance without a heavy penalty at the gas pump.

Willis Kuelthau

Automotive Editor - December 11, 2019

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Expert Review

Pros

Gorgeous cabin
AMGs are blisteringly quick
Packed with safety features

Cons

Plain base trim
Prices increase quickly
Laggy infotainment system

Expert Rating

3.9

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Joel Patel

Automotive Editor - February 12, 2020

Incredibly safe. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is one of the safest vehicles on the market. Beyond its excellent crash-test scores, the E-Class comes with cutting-edge tech features.

Standard features include automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, crosswind assist, and a car-to-X communication, which allows the vehicle to relay things like dangerous road conditions to a central notification system that’s shared with other cars,

Mercedes’ Pre-Safe system, which prepares the vehicle for an imminent collision by tightening the seat belts, adjusting the front passenger seat, and closing open windows, is also standard.

There are all sorts of available safety features, which includes a Level 2 semi-autonomous system that can handle some aspects of driving, lane changes on its own with a tap of the turn signal stalk, adaptive high-beam assist, active lane keep assist, parallel park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera.

The E-Class’ available safety features aren’t cheap, but they do represent some of the most high-tech equipment on the market.

Relaxing to mind-bending performance. Mercedes offers the E-Class with a wide range of powertrains. Even the non-AMG models accelerate purposefully and smoothly.

For 2020, the E-Class comes with a more powerful base engine. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now produces 255 horsepower, an increase of 14 hp. The silky 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 returns in the E 450 and produces 362 hp. The available twin-turbo V6 is the better choice for the E-Class and fits the vehicle’s luxurious nature better.

The AMG-badged E-Class models come with much more powerful engines. The AMG E 53 gets a 3.0-liter turbo inline-six that’s rated at 429 hp. The engine comes with a mild-hybrid system, which helps the vehicle have a decent fuel economy figure for its performance level.

At the top of the range sits the AMG E 63 S, which has the same amount of power as some supercars. The model comes with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 603 hp. That results in a 0-60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Luxurious, spacious, and comfortable. Midsize sedans have always played second fiddle to large sedans when it comes to luxury and comfort. But that’s not the case for the E-Class.

The vehicle really does feel like a smaller version of the large Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Even the base E 350 has a spacious, pleasant, and lush cabin that feels like a cut above other options. Part of the luxuriousness comes from the E-Class’ excellent list of features.

Unlike a lot of its competition, the E-Class is offered in multiple body styles. The model is available in sedan, coupe, convertible, and wagon body styles. The wagon body is rare for the class and is even offered with the high-performance V8 engine.

Depending on body style, the E-Class’ cargo space varies from OK to fantastic. The E-Class convertible has only 9.5 cubic feet of cargo space, the coupe offers 10 cubic feet of cargo space, the sedan can hold 13.1 cubic feet of cargo space, and the wagon can hold up to 64 cubic feet of cargo.

If you’re looking for something that has nearly the same amount of cargo space as some SUVs, the wagon body is the way to go.

Humdrum fuel economy. The E-Class may be a lot of great things, but it’s not efficient. Even with things like a nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, the E-Class gets subpar fuel economy.

The most efficient E-Class is the base model, which is rated at an EPA-estimated 26 miles per gallon combined. The E 450 gets 23 mpg combined, while the AMG E 53 can get 24 mpg, which is remarkable for the kind of performance it has. The AMG E 63 S, understandably, is the worst of the bunch with a combined rating of 19 mpg.

Final thoughts. The 2020 Mercedes E-Class is one of the few vehicles that raises the bar for its class. Things like having a silky ride, powerful engines, and high-end features are all par for the segment. But the E-Class acts as a benchmark with upscale safety features, multiple body styles, and a cabin that’s nearly as lush as much more expensive vehicles.

The few downsides the E-Class have been mostly about pricing. The model’s expensive, to begin with, and it’s unfortunate that Mercedes offers advanced driver-assist features as part of costly packages. Also, the base engine isn’t all that powerful compared to other powertrains that the automaker offers.

Competitors include the Audi A6 and the BMW 5-Series. The A6 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, a mild-hybrid system, and nearly the same amount of high-tech features as the E-Class. The A6’s styling is more modern than the E-Class’ too. BMW’s 5-Series is offered with nearly the same amount of high-performance powertrains and safety features as the E-Class, but it isn’t available with the same number of body styles.

Check prices for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class »

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Specs & Features

Highlights

Overall Crash Safety Rating

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque

2.0L I-4 / 255 HP / 273 ft.lbs.

Transmission

9-spd TouchShift w/OD

Drive Type

Rear-wheel

Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined

23 / 32 / 27 Mpg

Passenger Capacity

Bumper to Bumper Warranty

48 Months / 50,000 Miles

Mechanical Specs

Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque	2.0L I-4 / 255 HP / 273 ft.lbs.
Drive Type	Rear-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined	23 / 32 / 27 Mpg
Brakes	4-wheel Disc
Front Suspension	Multi-link
Rear Suspension	Independent Multi-link
Spare Tire And Wheel
Fuel Tank	17.4 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type	Premium Unleaded
Average Cost To Fill Tank	$66

Dimensions & Capabilities

Maximum Cargo Volume	13.1 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume
Exterior Length	193.8 "
Exterior Width	73.7 "
Exterior Height	57.8 "
Front Headroom	37.9 "
Rear Headroom	38.2 "
Front Legroom	41.3 "
Rear Legroom	35.8 "
Front Shoulder Room	57.8 "
Rear Shoulder Room	56.9 "
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight	3,792 Lbs.
Wheel Base	116 "
Turning Radius	19.0 '

Exterior Features

Door Count	4 Doors
Wheels	18.0 " Silver W/painted Accents Aluminum / 17.0 " Silver Aluminum / 18.0 " Silver Aluminum / 18.0 " Silver W/painted Accents Amg Aluminum / 19.0 " Silver W/painted Accents Aluminum / 19.0 " Silver W/painted Accents Amg Aluminum
Paint	Clearcoat Monotone / Metallic Monotone / Matte Monotone
Exterior Mirrors	Dual Heated, Power Remote Driver, Power Remote W/tilt Down Passenger
Bumpers	Body-colored / Body-colored With Metal-look Insert
Grille Moldings	Chrome
Rear Spoiler	Lip
Exhaust	Stainless Steel With Chrome Tailpipe Finish / Stainless Steel With Dark Chrome Tailpipe Finish

Interior Features

Seating

Passenger Capacity	5
Seat Trim	Mb-tex Leatherette / Leather / Nappa Leather
Front Seat Type	Sport Bucket
Heated Front Seats	Driver And Front Passenger Heated-cushion, Heated-seatback
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls	(10-way Power) / (12-way Power)
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls	(10-way Power) / (12-way Power)
Front Armrests	(10-way Power) / (12-way Power)
Rear Armrests	Center
Rear Seats	40-20-40 Bench

Radio & Infotainment

Radio	Am/fm/hd, Seek-scan / Siriusxm Am/fm/hd/satellite, Seek-scan
Speakers	8 / 13 Burmester
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity

Convenience Features

Steering Wheel Type	Power Telescopic Tilt
Climate Control	Automatic Air Conditioning
Cruise Control
Sun Roof	Express Open/close
Rearview Mirror	Auto-dimming Day-night
One Touch Open Window	Front And Rear
Tinted Windows	Light
Vanity Mirrors	Dual Illuminated
Remote Keyless Entry	Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets	3

Safety Features

Overall Crash Safety Rating
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Front Impact Airbags	Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags	Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag	Driver
Passenger Side Impact Airbag	Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag	Rear Side-impact Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners	Front And Rear
Anti-Lock Brakes	4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning	Active Brake Assist With Autonomous Emergency Braking Forward Collision Mitigation / Forward Collision Mitigation W/cross Traffic
Blind Spot Sensor	Blind Spot Assist Blind Spot
Lane Departure Warning	Active Lane Keeping Assist Lane Departure
Autonomous Cruise Control	Active Steering Assist Hands-on (with Lane Change) Steering Assist / Active Lane Change Assist Hands-on (with Lane Change) Steering Assist
Pedestrian Detection	Front Pedestrian Detection Prevention
Driver Attention Alert	Attention Assist Driver Attention
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams	Adaptive Highbeam Assist (aha) Auto High-beam
Adaptive Headlights	Directionally Adaptive
Parking Sensors	Active Parking Assist Automated
Security Systems	Security System
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable	Immobilizer

Warranty

Bumper To Bumper Months Miles	48 Months / 50,000 Miles
Major Components Months	48 Months / 50,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months
Roadside Assistance Months	48 Months / 50,000 Miles
Corrosion Perforation	48 Months / 50,000 Miles
Accessories Months

Used 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class for Sale