Mercedes-Benz E 300 L dynamic evaluation: Traditional luxury fuel vehicles can n
Recently, I had the opportunity to drive a traditional luxury fuel-powered sedan, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. With the advent of the new energy era, major brands are competing in the new energy race, and traditional fuel-powered luxury cars have also been affected to some extent. However, the sales of the Mercedes E-Class have actually shown an increasing trend this year.
In April, it sold 10,008 units, and the cumulative sales for 2024 reached 36,943 vehicles. In the entire sedan segment, it ranked 4th in monthly sales and 3rd in annual sales, which is quite an impressive achievement.
However, the Mercedes E in hand cannot be considered a pure fuel vehicle, as it is equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system in its powertrain, which can barely be considered a "small new energy" vehicle—of course, the 48V system primarily serves as an auxiliary, enhancing smoothness while also reducing fuel consumption to some extent.As an executive-class sedan, luxury is a must. However, I was slightly disappointed the moment I sat inside the car, feeling that the current large Mercedes-Benz doesn't seem as luxurious as I remembered. The interior feels "hard." Although most areas are soft-covered, the soft wrapping layer is relatively thin, and you can press against the internal skeleton with a light touch.
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The main and co-driver's sun visors require a significant amount of force to open, and the makeup mirror cover is merely a flip-up style with no damping, relying on a spring. When closing, it makes a "bang bang" sound, lacking a smooth feeling. Additionally, the air conditioning vent adjustment also lacks smoothness (although it can be adjusted electronically), and I had the impression that Mercedes-Benz should have done better in these aspects.
Of course, there are also Mercedes-Benz's consistent advantages in the details: the texture of the three screens on the dashboard is quite good, using the Qualcomm 8295 chip, with clear picture quality and smooth operation. The interface is also relatively simple, and the privacy design of the co-driver's screen does not interfere with the driver's operation.
The rear windows and the rear door glass are equipped with electric sunshades, and even the small triangular windows have a small manual sunshade. In addition, the rear seat backrest, leg rest, and neck heating are all electrically adjustable, and the VIP seat in the back must be well taken care of.The L2-level driver assistance features of the Mercedes-Benz E 300 L have also left a deep impression on me. When the vehicle is in assisted driving mode on the expressway, it maintains a very stable lane position without the frequent lane adjustments that many cars make. The same goes for autonomous lane changes, which are executed smoothly and without any noticeable adjustments.
When encountering slower vehicles, the deceleration is very smooth, and there is no abrupt feeling inside the car. The anticipation of the distance to the car in front is quite mature. When changing lanes to overtake a slow vehicle, the acceleration is very quick, resembling the logic of a human driver, without the need to wait until the lane change is fully completed before gradually accelerating.
For a long time, people have said "drive a BMW, ride in a Mercedes," implying that BMW offers a better driving experience while Mercedes excels in comfort. After a few days of experiencing it, I feel that this might challenge the traditional notion—the comfort of this Mercedes E-Class is indeed very good, and it does not lag behind in terms of driving experience.
01
Power + Driving SmoothnessThe Mercedes-Benz E 300 L's powertrain gives an overall impression of being steady and potent. While the engine's power output may not be as immediate as an electric motor at the onset, its advantage becomes apparent in the mid to high revs, where it has a more substantial power reserve. The power delivery is progressive and does not wane.
Even when using the economy mode, the vehicle's acceleration from a standstill is quite impressive, with shifts occurring a bit more aggressively. During city driving with light throttle inputs, the power delivery is relatively linear. When accelerating with full throttle, the vehicle's sense of acceleration is very good. The only minor criticism is that there is a slight delay in power output when applying heavy or full throttle, which can force downshifts and affect the responsiveness. Interestingly, the output response is better when not accelerating heavily.
The absolute power of the Mercedes-Benz E 300 L's powertrain is excellent for driving in various road conditions, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time securely under 7 seconds.
Regarding driving smoothness, the engine starts very smoothly upon ignition, without noticeable RPM fluctuations. At idle, the engine remains stable with no significant fluctuations. During low-speed tip in/tip out maneuvers, the engine's power response is quite quick, without noticeable lag. Although there is a slight vehicle lurch, the driving experience remains smooth and pleasant.Braking
Personally, I'm not particularly fond of the braking feel of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class; it doesn't have the same quality as the Polestar 4 I drove before, which felt more responsive. The E-Class's brake pedal feels a bit "soft," but this does not mean that the braking performance is poor; overall, the braking is definitely sufficient.
During light braking, I find the free travel of the pedal to be slightly longer, with a medium pedal force that is neither too heavy nor too light. The braking response is not very quick, but the linearity is acceptable. The braking force increases smoothly with the depth of the pedal, which can make it feel more "gentle" and progressive, ensuring the maximum comfort for passengers inside the vehicle. The adjustability during light braking is quite average, and fine control is somewhat affected.
There is also a minor issue: when decelerating and downshifting, there is a slight jerk in the gear change. Around 20-30 km/h, when the gear drops from 3 to 2 and finally to 1, there is a temporary feeling of engine braking disengagement during the gear shift, which results in a slight fluctuation in deceleration, similar to the sensation when energy recovery exits in an electric vehicle, causing a minor impact.
During moderate braking, the pedal travel is relatively appropriate, the pedal force feedback is suitable, and the braking response is also quite quick. The adjustability is still quite average; when releasing the brake, there is a slow decline in braking force, with a brief dragging sensation. The vehicle's pitch during braking is acceptable; the angle of pitch is not significant, and the comfort inside the vehicle is ensured.During heavy braking, there are no obvious issues with the establishment of braking force, the braking performance is sufficient, and the subjective feeling of the vehicle's braking distance is relatively normal, at an above-average level. When the ABS intervenes, the vehicle stability is good, with minimal body movements, and the ABS noise is not too loud, at a medium level.
Additionally, there are no apparent braking abnormalities. Occasionally, there is a slight brake noise when stopping (the probability is relatively low, and good sound insulation can weaken the noise), which does not affect the experience.
03
Steering
There are two steering modes - Comfort and Sport. For a vehicle with a wheelbase of over 3 meters and a total length of more than 5 meters, the first impression is that the steering flexibility is quite good, without a clumsy feeling. The overall steering is biased towards a comfortable style, with a relatively light hand force.
Regarding the central steering, the steering window (angle dead zone) is moderate, requiring a certain angle (approximately 3~5°) of input for the vehicle to respond. Too sensitive steering may not necessarily be suitable for this type of vehicle. The torque dead zone (steering force dead zone) is small, but the establishment of torque in the middle position is quite gradual, with the torque increase not very noticeable. There is no particularly strong center feeling, but driving daily does not require frequent steering adjustments to maintain a straight line, unlike some vehicles with an inconspicuous center feeling.The linearity of the torque build-up is not an issue; the torque increase is quite linear. The response in the central area is not very full, not very sensitive, after all, it's not a sports-oriented car, so it gives a feeling of stability and balance. There is no significant friction in the steering, the steering is very smooth, and the connection with the wheels is also very direct without a rubbery feel, and there is no obvious lack of assistance during quick turns.
Regarding the self-centering of the steering, both low-speed and high-speed self-centering are quite good. The low-speed self-centering speed is moderate, and the self-centering effect is very good, with a smooth and linear return. High-speed self-centering convergence is also good, with almost no overshoot in the steering wheel, and there is a very slight oscillation in the middle position, which is hard to notice if not paying attention.
When steering at large angles, the response is quite direct and linear, and the pointing accuracy is still very good.Steady Handling
In terms of straight-line driving stability, the vehicle exhibits good suppression of pitch during acceleration and deceleration, with the pitch not being too noticeable. Of course, the fact that the power output is not overly aggressive is also a contributing factor. During rapid acceleration, the tires have excellent grip, with no significant slipping, and there is no torque steer phenomenon, resulting in good straight-line driving stability.
Regarding cornering stability, the steady-state is slightly neutral in steering. When accelerating in a corner to change the motion state, the vehicle tends to have a slight understeer, with the rear wheels being quite stable. The Pirelli 275/35/R20 tires on the rear wheels likely play a significant role, and the vehicle is also a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive model. Performing a Break in turn maneuver (braking in a corner), the vehicle's stability is also good, with the body remaining stable. The transient roll is moderate, with a certain amount of roll, but the roll linearity and roll recovery control are quite comfortable.
During cornering, if there are small speed bumps or damaged protrusions on the road, the rear end may slightly yaw, affecting stability. When navigating continuous, rapid turns on mountain roads with aggressive maneuvers, the vehicle's roll control is not very good, with slightly noticeable oscillations in the roll and a slightly pronounced tendency for the body to sway, which can somewhat affect stability and confidence in handling.
During lane change maneuvers, with moderate lateral acceleration, the control of roll is similar to that in corners, with the roll speed and recovery speed being well-controlled and comfortable, and the yaw response is quick. At higher lateral accelerations, the roll recovery speed is a bit faster, and there is a slight impact on the convergence of roll and yaw. The ESP has two modes available: Comfort and Sport. During lane changes, the Comfort mode provides tighter control and quicker intervention for the vehicle's body, both of which can effectively control the vehicle's skidding more rapidly.Steering stability is quite satisfactory for this type of vehicle. I believe it is adequate for general use and can handle most situations. When it comes to aggressive driving on mountain roads, it does fall slightly short compared to the BMW i5, but it's not a significant issue. After all, it's an executive-level car; who would take it mountain racing for fun?
05
Chassis Smoothness
As soon as I started driving the Mercedes-Benz E 300 L, I could tell that this car would be quite comfortable. Indeed, after experiencing it, it does have its merits in terms of chassis comfort.
In terms of primary smoothness, when driving on continuous rough surfaces, continuous undulating roads, and rural concrete roads, the vehicle exhibits good body control. The pitch control of the body under excitation is commendable, and the roll motion is present but minimal. The damping at the initial stage of the rear suspension feels slightly less.When driving on poor roads, the vehicle body is relatively stable, and it can absorb the excitations from the road surface quite well, with very little abruptness, and the human body's sway is minimal. On large undulating surfaces, both the compression and rebound of the front and rear suspensions are soft, and the vehicle control is also good, with no unnecessary sway, and the pitch sensation is very good. It's just that occasionally, at high speeds, there might be some minor bottoming out, but generally, there are no issues.
In terms of secondary ride comfort, on some poor and rough roads, the vehicle has a good sense of rolling, and there is very little bumpiness on smooth surfaces, which is quite good. However, under these excitations, there are slightly more small vibrations in the steering wheel, seat, brake pedal, and floor, especially when the road has lateral small grooves (similar to washboard roads), the brake pedal and floor resonance are relatively noticeable, and I think it could be further optimized for better performance. The secondary ride comfort can only be described as average, but it benefits from the advantages of primary ride comfort.
For individual impacts, such as seams, potholes, and speed bumps. The handling of seams is quite smooth, with a good tactile sensation, a feeling of being wrapped, and the sound quality is also good. The sensation on potholes and speed bumps is slightly worse than on seams, mainly because for these larger impacts, the tactile sensation of the impact is quite hard, there is a noticeable shake under the rear suspension spring, no significant residual vibration, and the lifting sensation is not strong.
Mercedes-Benz has always had a good reputation for comfort, otherwise, there wouldn't be the saying "drive a BMW, ride in a Mercedes-Benz." This vehicle does a good job of filtering out small road excitations, but there is a bit of insufficient control over some random larger excitations. However, due to its stable vehicle control and good sensation on general paved roads, the experience in terms of chassis comfort is not bad.Other
I find the tuning of the 9-speed automatic transmission in the Mercedes-Benz E 300 L to be relatively average. During the initial acceleration, the gear shifts from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, and 3 to 4 are slightly more noticeable in terms of jerkiness. Additionally, when decelerating and downshifting, the jerkiness is quite apparent below the 3rd gear, which is not as smooth as one would expect. As I mentioned earlier in the evaluation of the braking, the downshifting has already affected the braking sensation, making the presence of the transmission quite prominent. It could be optimized to enhance the sense of luxury.
Moreover, I have noticed that when the air conditioning is turned on at idle, the vehicle exhibits a slightly noticeable regular vibration, which can be distinctly felt in the seat and on the steering wheel. Furthermore, after the engine idles for a certain period without any additional operations, it will automatically shut down. At this point, there is a noticeable jerky sensation when the engine shuts down, and the same applies when the engine re-engages, with the vibration being quite pronounced. This could be confusing for those who are not aware of the situation.
Driver's Summary
In summary, the Mercedes-Benz E300L Luxury model is a well-balanced vehicle, offering decent comfort and ensuring sufficient safety. It is easy to drive, with no particularly uncomfortable aspects. Whether for urban commuting or daily outings, it can handle the tasks quite well.
Although there are minor issues in the details of the experience from an engineer's perspective, none of them are deal-breakers. Compared to the subjective evaluation of the BMW i5, the E300L has an advantage in initial smoothness, a better chassis comfort experience, and it is also notably superior to the BMW i5 in terms of noise insulation (the i5 is not bad in this regard either), which makes it feel more premium to the average consumer. However, the BMW i5 does have a slight edge in driving performance.
The comparison should ideally be made between the Mercedes-Benz E 300 L and the fuel-powered BMW 5 Series, but since there are no evaluation results for the fuel-powered new 5 Series under the same conditions, this comparison can be used for reference.
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