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Mercedes-Benz E-Class V214 owner shares his experience with the sedan

11th April 2025, 19:00 by R Patil

I drove around 1600 kms so far. Lot of positives and a couple of cons. A quick brief of what I liked and didn’t

BHPian VRJ recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Took delivery of the new E-class on Dec 11, 2024. Was quite busy with work and travel the past month to post an update. We were initially in a dilemma whether to get the old E220d or wait for the new E. My dad and I were a bit confused. I posted a poll here on the forum. Adding to our confusion, the votes were closely split between the two. We finally decided on splurging more now rather than regretting a couple of years down the road as I intend on holding the E for at least 7 years.

Special mention to Silver Star Mercedes and my SA Lakshmi Prasad. Very prompt and professional. I booked the old E220d back in February 2024, but then decided to wait for the new V214. They were constantly in touch with me over a period of 10 months. They kept offering me test drives of cars that I wasn’t even considering like the EQE. I was invited to launch events. I test drove lots of cars over the last decade and Mercedes was the only one that never asked me to take a U-turn to head back to the showroom. They were genuinely interested in selling their product which has become a rarity these days. I haven’t heard a NO from them irrespective of what I asked. I took 5 test drives of the E before writing the cheque. We considered the GLC and GLE as well, but the rear seat comfort of the E won us over.

Here are some pictures:

I drove around 1600 kms so far. Lot of positives and a couple of cons. A quick brief of what I liked and didn’t. Will probably start my ownership thread after I drive a few thousand kms.

Pros:

1. The V214 is a looker. Classy, regal and elegant like how a Mercedes should be.

2. Fantastic NVH levels. Inside and out. I was initially worried about the Nexen tires because I never heard of the brand and I was expecting Michelins from the factory. However, my SA told me there’s MO (Mercedes Original) badge on the tire and that means they match the quality and standards set by Mercedes. True to his words, these tyres are silent on highways when cruising around 100-120 kmph. No issue with grip on wet and dry conditions. Wind noise is well controlled and you cannot hear the engine while you’re cruising or overtaking. You have to cross 3000 rpm to hear the engine. Sometimes I wonder if I'm driving a petrol or a diesel.

3. The engine is silky smooth with good torque. Not the quickest, but plenty enough for Indian roads.

4. Burmester Audio is top notch. In MBUX, there’s this function where you can truly personalise the sound and I highly recommend it.

5. German diesels are very fuel efficient. I got 950 kms out of the first full tank with an average of 15.6 kms per litre (50% highway and 50% city roads).

6. Of course, the rear seats are a five star experience. The front two are great as well. I’m 6’2 and I found a comfortable driving position quickly. The back rest is a bit firm when compared to the 5 series, yet I had no discomfort during my 450km drive.

7. Ground clearance has been good with four on board. I did scrape it on two occasions, however, those two were on unscientific and ridiculously tall speed breakers.

8. The superscreen paired with the ambient lighting definitely has a wow factor. Friends and relatives love it when they see it for the first time. It’s not a giant screen on your face. Mercedes made sure the glass on top of the screen gives this subtle classy vibe.

9. Suspension is neither too soft nor too stiff. Absorbs bumps well. Felt confident to take long sweeping curves on the highways. The only downside is it feels a bit bouncy on flyover expansion joints.

Cons:

1. Even though the spare wheel is placed beneath the boot floor, the boot space is still not large enough to accommodate two large suitcases.

2. Everything is touch. From volume to air conditioning to steering controls.

3. Although the 9-speed gearbox has good reviews, I’m not a fan of it. It upshifts well and you barely notice it. However, it’s the downshifts that I’m not a fan of. I have two reasons. The first one is for example, you’re approaching a red signal or a toll and you let go off the accelerator and you’re coasting. The gearbox starts downshifting as the RPM reaches around 1200 (I don’t remember the exact number). It is here that the gearbox jerks and you can feel this jerk prominently. Second being the gearbox gets confused while you’re downshifting on the highways. It feels bogged down for a second and then it gets going. The ZF on the 520d is a tad quicker and picks the right gear.

3. We’ve had cars with beige seats before, but the one in the E seems to hate black jeans. After just 500 kms, the drivers seats base had black marks. I got it cleaned at a friends detailing shop. He told me Mercedes leather is more sensitive compared to BMW and Audi. He recommended putting a small white cloth on the base while driving for longer periods. But that would look soo out of place in a Mercedes.

4. I’ve noticed one panel alignment issue where the doors ambient lighting meets the dashboards ambient lighting. It’s very evident. Surprised that Mercedes engineers did not catch this before they dispatched it from their factory.

Major concern:

Squeaking noise from all doors even when driving on normal roads. I raised a complaint, and they visited my house to check. They acknowledged the problem and applied some spray all four doors. The sounds have reduced. It’s been two weeks and the sounds are gradually picking up. Very disappointed with Mercedes QA and QC. If the sounds reappear, they said they’ll change the door beading under warranty. I’ll visit their workshop when I get the time.

First long drive:

During Sankranthi, we drove to our beautiful village in East Godavari, Rajahmundry. Had a lovely time on the highways. Punchy diesel engine that’s very efficient. Overtaking is a breeze. I was initially very skeptical about the reflector headlights, but they did their job well. Not 10/10, but a strong 7/10. It’s the efficiency that surprised me. 19kms per litre over 450kms.