A Quiet Victory: Luxury That Speaks for Itself
It may not be the flashiest choice, nor the one destined to dominate social media feeds, but the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been crowned MotorTrend’s Car of the Year. It isn’t a hyper-powered EV or a nostalgic reboot of a cult icon from the 1960s. Instead, it represents something more enduring: a car that has been consistently refined since the 1950s, with each generation finding ways to become smoother, quicker, more efficient, and more luxurious—without screaming for attention.
The new E-Class embodies a philosophy of quiet confidence. It is dependable, consistent, and always delivers what you need—no more, no less. That’s precisely why the Golden Calipers go to what many consider the best midsize luxury sedan of the modern era: the 10th-generation E-Class.
Advancement in Design: Subtle but Distinct
Historically, the E-Class has lived in the shadow of the flagship S-Class while also being pressed by the entry-level C-Class. As a result, earlier generations often felt caught in the middle, borrowing design cues from the S-Class but sometimes constrained by C-Class interior compromises.
The 2024–2025 E-Class, however, finally establishes its own identity. Available as a sedan and the E450 All-Terrain wagon, it blends timeless Mercedes cues with just enough freshness to feel distinct.
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Side Profile: The sedan’s side view is clean and elegant without resorting to excessive detailing. Subtle strakes near the fenders evoke the legendary 300 SL Gullwing while visually lengthening the car’s silhouette.
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Wagon Proportions: The All-Terrain wagon, despite sharing the sedan’s wheelbase, looks sleeker thanks to its tapered glasshouse, giving it a shooting brake character.
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Front and Rear Styling: The front fascia attempts to link the E-Class with the EQ electric family via a black grille surround, though some find it “raccoon-like.” The rear execution is far more successful: an LED light bar unites scalloped taillamps filled with Mercedes star motifs, creating both width and cohesion.
Inside, the cabin balances digital modernity with cohesive elegance. The 3D-capable instrument cluster, large infotainment screen, and optional passenger “Superscreen” may grab initial attention, but the real achievement is in the holistic design:
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Air vents visually link across the dash while blending seamlessly with floating door handles.
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Ambient lighting themes pair with the passenger display to create a refined, futuristic nighttime environment.
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Practical touches—such as a hidden wireless phone slot, foldaway cupholders, sculpted front seatbacks for rear legroom, and spacious trunks—make the E-Class as functional as it is beautiful.
Engineering Excellence: Focus Brings Perfection
The previous E-Class was so versatile—sedan, wagon, crossover-style wagon, coupe, and cabriolet—that perfection across all variants was impossible. For 2025, Mercedes wisely freed the E-Class from coupe and convertible duties, shifting them into the new CLE-Class. This allowed engineers to laser-focus on the sedan and wagon.
Key Engineering Updates
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Longer Wheelbase: Stretched nearly an inch for improved straight-line stability, interior space, and comfort.
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Refined Suspension: New layouts separate suspension from steering forces, enhancing ride isolation.
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AirMatic Air Suspension: Continuously adjusts damping to absorb imperfections and smooth impacts.
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Rear-Wheel Steering: Optional on the sedan, reducing the turning circle by nearly three feet for city agility.
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All-Terrain Wagon Setup: With higher ride height and Off-Road mode, it achieves 7.0 inches of clearance—sufficient for mild trails.
Mild-Hybrid Powertrains: Smooth, Efficient, Smart
Every 2025 E-Class integrates a permanent-magnet motor as part of a mild-hybrid system, enabling engine-off gliding, seamless start/stop, and additional torque assist.
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E350 Sedan: Powered by a 2.0-liter turbo I-4 (255 hp, 295 lb-ft) paired with the integrated motor. Rear-wheel drive is standard, AWD optional.
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E450 Sedan and All-Terrain: Equipped with the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six (375 hp, 369 lb-ft) paired with mild-hybrid tech. All-wheel drive is standard.
Despite not being marketed as efficiency champions, both E450 models return up to 30 mpg at sustained highway speeds. The E350 achieves up to 25/33/28 mpg city/highway/combined, while the E450 delivers 22/31/25 mpg. The hybrid integration not only improves efficiency but also smooths out turbo lag, creating an experience that feels more like an electric-assisted glide than traditional combustion.
Digital Intelligence: The Best MBUX Yet
Mercedes’ MBUX system has been reengineered with a single, more powerful processor, allowing faster responses and over-the-air updates. It now supports apps like Zoom, TikTok, YouTube, and Vivaldi browser.
More impressive are its AI-driven features:
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Contextual Suggestions: After a long drive, the system may suggest activating seat massage.
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Routines App: Owners can program “if-this-then-that” actions—like enabling the 360° parking cameras near specific curbs or cooling seats automatically above a temperature threshold.
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Future Potential: Mercedes promises greater automation, with AI learning driving habits to propose new routines.
The interface mimics smartphone layouts, with color-coded, larger tiles. Hard buttons are reduced, and steering wheel haptic controls remain divisive. Voice assistant abilities still lag behind natural conversation, leaving room for refinement.
Driving Experience: Luxury First, Performance in Reserve
The E-Class has always been about balance, and the 2025 model doubles down on that identity. It isn’t trying to out-sport the BMW 5 Series or undercut the Audi A6—it simply delivers near-perfect harmony between comfort, refinement, and usable performance.
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E450 Power Delivery: The inline-six, aided by the motor, provides progressive thrust. The nine-speed transmission is seamless, and start-up is so smooth you may need to check the tachometer to confirm the engine is running.
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Ride and Handling: The suspension allows controlled lean, squat, and dive but ensures serenity on rough roads. Wheel motions are contained, ride composure is excellent, and agility is enhanced by optional rear-wheel steering.
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All-Terrain Versatility: With dedicated Off-Road mode, it proved capable on desert trails and uneven ramps, rivaling many crossovers in traction.
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Driver Learning: The navigation logs recurring rough patches and warns drivers before hitting them, a clever touch of predictive safety.
Assisted Driving
The E-Class doesn’t yet offer Level 3 autonomy (reserved for the S-Class and EQS), but its Driver Assistance package feels remarkably humanlike. Adaptive cruise and lane-keeping combine to deliver natural acceleration, braking, and lane changes. Instead of robotic gaps and jerky inputs, it mirrors how a good driver would behave—reducing stress on long drives.
Safety is backed by Euro NCAP 5-star crash scores, automatic emergency braking, rear-impact protection, and lane-keeping assist that works so transparently many testers left it engaged even on winding roads.
Value: Worth Every Dollar
Mercedes-Benz may carry a reputation for high prices, but in the context of midsize luxury sedans, the 2025 E-Class represents strong value.
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E350 Sedan: $63,600
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E450 Sedan: $72,000
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E450 All-Terrain Wagon: $77,250
While more expensive than the Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series (excluding the i5 EV variant tested), the E-Class offers a cohesiveness and polish its rivals currently lack. It’s not about flash or status signaling—it’s about consistent excellence and refinement that matter most to the owner, not bystanders.
Final Verdict: A Masterclass in Modern Luxury
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class isn’t revolutionary in a headline-grabbing way, but it doesn’t need to be. It succeeds because it understands its mission: to deliver a luxury sedan experience that is comfortable, quiet, intelligent, and endlessly satisfying.
In a market often obsessed with spectacle, the E-Class proves that true luxury doesn’t shout—it whispers with confidence. That’s why it earns its second Golden Calipers award in less than five years and solidifies its place as one of the best midsize sedans of the century.
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