The Mercedes E-Class Estate has always been a very classy way to carry rather a lot. These days though, it's cleverer and more efficient than ever. A focus on downsized engines will be a big draw, there's a frugal base diesel, a plug-in hybrid and fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG models add some excitement. Overall, the whole range just feels slicker and more desirable than ever. It's all very impressive, particularly as you can carry up to 1,820-litres.
It used to be that if you wanted a large, plush practical estate, you bought a big Volvo. For some years now though, that role has been only fully filled by the Mercedes E-Class Estate. Rivals trade space for a bit of style but this car continues to prioritise practicality, with 670-litres of room on offer even before you start folding seats. This tenth generation E-Class Estate of course enjoys all the advantages developed for its saloon counterpart, a car offering efficient engines, astonishing technology and luxurious comfort. There are also cutting-edge driver assistance features even allow owners to take a step closer to fully autonomous driving.
On the move, you quickly find that Mercedes has achieved an excellent balance between comfort, refinement and agility with this E-Class Estate. It's as happy easing through town as it is covering great highway distances - but then you'd expect that. More surprising is how at home it feels on twistier roads, particularly if you've got a model fitted with the impressive 'AIR BODY CONTROL' pneumatic suspension that can be fine-tuned with the 'DYNAMIC SELECT' driving modes controller. More technology is provided by the optional 'DRIVE PILOT' system that when activated, allows the car to pretty much drive itself, working with the adaptive cruise control and active steering systems to keep the E-Class rolling in its chosen lane at any chosen speed up to 130mph. Engine-wise, there's a base 184hp E200 petrol variant if you want it but almost all E-Class buyers select a diesel, probably the four cylinder 2.0-litre 194hp biturbo unit you'll find in the E220d most customers are going to choose. The gearbox it comes mated to is a nine-speed 9G-Tronic auto. Rest to 62mph here occupies 7.3s and there's the option of 4MATIC 4WD if you want it. Those in search of more diesel performance are offered a 3.0-litre six cylinder unit in the E400d putting out 340hp and capable of rest to 62mph in 4.9s. E400d variants come only with 4MATIC 4WD. There's also an 'EQ Power' Plug-in hybrid E300 de diesel derivative, which mates a 2.0-litre combustion engine with a 122hp electric motor. Further up the range, there are various Mercedes-AMG petrol performance variants. The E 53 4MATIC+ derivative uises a 3.0-litre biturbo inline six cylinder engine using the brand's latest EQ boost technology and putting out 435hp. Beyond that, there's the 4.0-litre V8 E 63 4MATIC+ models.
Despite this model's sleek looks, with a capacity of 670 to 1820-litres, the E-Class Estate's load compartment is one of the biggest in the segment. As standard, the rear bench seat has new cargo-related functionality: it is possible to position the backrest at an approximately 10-degree steeper angle. This creates an additional 30 litres of cargo volume while continuing to enable full use to be made of five seats. In addition, the rear seat backrest folds down in a 40:20:40 split as standard, opening up plenty of potential configurations between transport capacity and seats. To release the backrests, there are electric switches located in the load compartment and to the right and left next to the backrests. The developers paid particular attention to practical dimensions and innovative management of the load space: for instance, the new E-Class Estate is one of the few car models that can accommodate a Europallet. With a minimum load compartment width between the wheel arches of 1100 millimetres, it was possible to retain the preceding model's very good measurement. If you want to carry extra people, there's the option of a rear-facing folding bench seat for children that makes this car into a full seven-seater. The proven combined cargo cover and net is back, offering both security from prying eyes and safety. The EASY-PACK tailgate provided as part of the standard equipment can be opened and closed very easily at the touch of a button for comfortable loading and unloading. Operation is electromechanical. We'd also want the optional EASY-PACK load-securing kit which allows the load compartment to be used in a versatile and safe manner.
Expect to allow a premium of £2,000 over the saloon model, which means pricing starting from around £38,000 for E-Class Estate ownership. Overall, that's pretty competitive against rivals like the Audi A6 Avant and the BMW 5 Series Touring. There's a choice of either standard 'SE' trim or, for around £2,800 more, a sportier 'AMG Line' package. Even in 'SE' guise, the standard specification is as complete as you'd have a right to expect for the prices being asked. All models feature a Garmin Map Pilot navigation system with a 8.4-inch display, Parktronic parking sensors with a reversing camera and a Park Pilot self-parking system. There's also leather upholstery with heated front seats, LED headlights and taillights, 64-colour selectable LED interior lighting, two-zone automatic climate control, a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with dual touchpads, electrically folding mirrors and 17-inch wheels (or 18-inchers on the E400d). The 'AMG Line' models come with AMG exterior styling including unique bumpers and side skirts, larger 19-inch alloy wheels, perforated front brake discs, a three-spoke AMG steering wheel and Artico leather and Dynamica microfiber upholstery with a seat comfort package. All E400d models come with Air Body Control multi-chamber air suspension as standard, as well as COMAND satellite navigation with 12.3-inch display and remote online services. Safety-wise, there's a 'Collision Prevention Assist Plus' autonomous emergency braking system, plus a 'Pre-Safe' anticipatory safety system (including 'Pre-Safe Sound', which helps prevent damage to hearing).
There's not much of a running cost penalty for choosing an E-Class Estate over the saloon version. And it helps that the focus on economical four-cylinder models has meant that the average cost of running an E-Class has tumbled. Mercedes even trumpets the V6 E 53 AMG model as the most efficient powerplant of its type. Let's look at the WLTP-rated figures for engines across the range. That 2.0-litre biturbo diesel engine in the volume E220d model is surprisingly frugal. Expect 41.5-47.1mpg on the combined cycle and up to 129g/km. Not bad for such a large station wagon. If you go for the six cylinder E400d 4MATIC diesel, it's a similar story. This variant manages 37.2-40.9mpg and 162g/km. The Plug-in hybrid E300 de has an official CO2 rating of just 44g/km. For completion, we'll also give you the figures for the E 53 4MATIC AMG variant. Here, the combined fuel figure is 29.4-30.7mpg and the CO2 return is 203g/km. And otherwise? Well this model series is designed for the long haul. This car will easily out-last you, one reason why all-important residual values have traditionally been strong with diesel and lower-order petrol engines. Unless you do something silly like specify an overly bright colour scheme, you can expect to get over 60% of your initial purchase price back after three years.
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