Is the W214 E-Class still the luxury king? (Mercedes-Benz E300 2025 Review)

[@DavidIngham-q9j]

Tom’s back! Great to see, he’s the one. E class is a bit out of my price range but we can but dream.

[@kulaak-krii]

Tom's back! I can re-subscribe and watch Chasing Cars again. It's not Chasing Cars without Tom!

[@topher.m]

Amen. But I suspect this may have been prerecorded from a while ago.

[@BobbyDazzler888]

I bought an e class hybrid in Thailand in 2019. Blew a head gasket and need a 20,000 dollar new head at 35,000km. Luckily i had extended warrsnty. Air suspension blew out, front steering broke amongst many other things. The worst thing was the head gasket misdiagnosis thst took like a year and 15 visits before they determined what is was because it was a micro leak entering into chamber one. The interior was very squeaky and plasticky. If you use your hand and press on the plastics, it squeaks and these squeaks get louder the older the car gets.

[@HoofHearted2DAY]

Dude you have come SO FAR since you started… your narration delivery is night n day 🎉

[@cserd8734]

Having owned multiple Mercedes products over the last 2 decades, it’s been enlightening to watch the quality deteriorate with each model. My last c300 blew a timing chain just out of warranty no assistance from Mercedes at all. In fact they were dam right rude about it even though it had a full Mercedes service history. Have a Lexus now… cheaper and much better quality and dealer service.

[@stardustbilermam1736]

Who cares? Lexus doesn't have the harm the Germans have. Especially since the f models died

[@nickgruzevskis8629]

I've never owned a brand new Mercedes, hence not experienced MB dealership experience. I can talk about Lexus experience, as owned an LS for many years, and the Lexus Service Experience was the best for any car I've ever owned.

[@RichardPettit-r6p]

Welcome back Tom. 👋🏻😍

[@ryans7097]

I think the current E class looks great but unfortunately I think Mercedes current interiors with the huge screens, cheap looking controls on the doors, and my least favorite thing, the all haptic buttons for basic controls, are just a complete miss. And don't get me started on how ridiculous the price starts to get adding features that come standard on vehicles from other companies lol.

[@Billywoo12]

Just purchased a BMW i5 having driven the competitors. Delighted with it. E Class doesn’t feel like a Mercedes any more.

[@peternic1]

Nice to see you back Tom. I've missed you.

[@kl9794]

Mercedes Australia is out of their mind; as a previous E-Class owner, I would not pay for the asking price, plus the options, just to get the basic like the head-up display. By comparison, they make the BMW 5 series & Audi A6/7 a bargain.

[@matnewland1998]

Owning a E450, there is no way I will be downsizing in engine size, had the new E class for a day and it was a huge backwards step, sounded like a Mitsubishi Magna, disappointing this is the only option for Australia, but understandable with Australia being such a small market. In my honest opinion, I wont be purchasing another E class, sales I would expect would be going backwards on this model, haven't seen any on the road either. Rest of the car was nice, but a cheaper Subaru looking and feel on the bottom of the dash, seems as that some class has left the cockpit in place of a mass produced screen instead. On our large open roads, the engine is working harder all the time. There is certainly a large gap now in the E class offering. Many people would enjoy the car as it is packaged up, but Mercedes Australia have lost me on this one..

[@MarkNelson-q5m]

Good to see Tom back🎉

[@tigs2576]

Good to see the OG (Tom) back!

[@xenonozhid3383]

It's a shame you can't order this model with a star on the bonnet like you can in other markets. Not everyone wants an AMG version. Yes, I agree it's over-branded.

[@prakashnarismulu3332]

My 1977 W123 E class is fantastic 😅never need another one

[@paulkazzer]

Another wonderful review from Tom. MB really fails in comparison with the BMW 6 cylinder diesel 540d around $150k option for option. Thanks Tom.

[@kierangan7944]

$150k for an E300.. definitely not good value

[@nickgruzevskis8629]

I still enjoy my W210 E430, the beige interior still feels special after 26 years, but overall the car feels its age compared to newer cars.

[@thenorthwatch777]

First, great to see you Tom, I don’t know if this means your regular return or just now and then. May your legal career also flourish. Secondly, this car for the first time made me prefer it over the new 5 Series. Passenger screens for me are going too far, we need less screens in our lives not more, this is why older cars appeal more to me now, I am technology fatigued. But it’s a great car, just wish it was 6 Cylinder.

[@tool8337]

Fair about the 5-series, but to me, it looks like a cheap, low-end gaming laptop inside. Unfortunately, it also has adopted some of the E-class's undesirable traits like hard plastics and capacitive touch. Luckily in the US, you can get the E with a 6cyl and no superscreen. Overall, buyers in this segment are starving and will not have good options until next generation. I can't agree with your take on technology though. It's not how much technology there is, but how it's integrated. The tech has *become* the design rather than being fit into the design. This is why I don't like "older cars" but think last-generation (2015-2020) was peak. It had pretty much all the same technology and features but interiors had redundant controls with tactile buttons and more design architecture. Everyone should leave tesla's minimalist design to tesla and get back to making good cars. People often conflate clean & ergonomic design with "minimalism." Minimalism is actually not what most people prefer. It would be wrong to say this generation is wholly a step back - particularly with the proliferation of 4-wheel steering, improvements in driving assists (lane keep/adaptive cruise), and infotainment graphics. However, you really don't lose any luxury in the outgoing 5-series/E-class/7-series/S-class.

[@NZsarge1]

Can’t get a six cylinder Merc E Class, no thanks.

[@intellips]

Thank you for the review Tom. I’ve been waiting for the chasing cars review for months. I’m in the target market for this car, and will be moving on from my beloved A7 sometime next year. The lack of a 6 cylinder option still doesn’t sit well with me though

[@woodrow60]

Spot on about the use of logos. The current approach suggests a loss of confidence at Benz.

[@davidkeenan5989]

Great, thorough review.

[@mercboy111]

Agree with you whole heartedly on this

[@brownhairydog6472]

Shame no inline 6. I'm sure the four banger is great but for refinement and sound an inline six suits this model.

[@yuhboyify]

I wouldn't touch a brand new MB product with a 50-foot pole. Rubbish build quality, reliability, depreciation, abhorrent servicing and part costs, brakes and rotors need replacing every 60k kms. Oh, and poor customer service.

[@spiro5327]

Great review, though I would rather buy a Lexus and save myself future issues

[@dkkli985]

Wow, that service cost is...WOW. Hopefully BMW and Audi won't follow.

[@davidkeenan5989]

That screen sunlight issue and the steering wheel buttons seem like bugbears. I wonder if you could put a smaller MB wheel on the car.

[@daweigo6851]

Not if you want to retain warranty

[@Gigiandmunchkin]

I have seen a few around, they look huge like an S class, Probably a used 6 cylinder S class or a new C300 for $90k is the better option, but this still has some appeal. E53 will also be 6 cylinder coming soon

[@samaramarzola]

Whack on the white daks like the olden days Tom, class 🥂

[@malekzin4788]

All I want for Christmas is buttons on my new car

[@tool8337]

Passenger displays are dumb gimmicks in every instance. When everyone has cell phones and the full central display three inches away, they are obsolete and redundant. It will be outdated in five years and takes the place of the beautiful trim and architecture of the cabin. At least you can ditch the SuperScreen in the US model. The prior gen was peak design (even if not screwed together perfectly). I own the outgoing E-Coupe and the CLE is straight up not an option because of the unacceptably cheap interior materials. Overall I hate MB's ubiquitous "parts bin" piano black plastic seat control modules and use of capacitive touch instead of the last gen's perfect buttons. However, I can get along with the current E-class and S-class. I have been looking for a second car but will only consider this or the S class if they replace the piano black & capacitive touch in the facelift (of both/either). It's a shame they offer no luxury coupes anymore - the CLE and SL don't count and there's no E or S coupe. As a MB fanboy, I'll probably just get an 8-series or last-gen car. For the current gen, I am leaning towards the S because you can still get the rotating tweeters on the A-pillars with the high-end burmester. I also hate the grille and the rear taillights of the E, but those are probably changing in the facelift. Though, I prefer the interior design of of the E and think it's not too far off the quality of the S if you get the "exclusive leather package." Generally, I'm not in love with the direction of Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche and no other brands offer anything at the same level.

[@robertkellett1156]

ummmmm... no..... Lexus...yes!

[@ashleyziernik2590]

100% 👍 ... who needs future dramas 😉

[@N34R4T0M4T]

You can not seriously compare the two lol

[@coachbehr]

TOM!

[@user-lw2ng2fo5s]

Apparently it does 0 to 100 in 4 seconds ! 🤩

[@intellips]

It’s 6.2

[@user-lw2ng2fo5s]

@@intellips actually it’s 2.8

[@justmesweetman9808]

Old mercedes are far more reliable than these new ones. The purpose of a car is to drive with less cost for maintenance and repairs. Otherwise, what the point of having them 😊

[@N34R4T0M4T]

Such an awesome car

[@MiniEggs1999]

The bmw doesn’t get air? Does it ride better than this with less thunk on 19”s?

[@seanteh7120]

Have replaced my Merc with a Lexus. Lexus is truly solid, have quality materials n totally dependable....like the Mercs of old. Still keeping the Bmw for the exciting handling. New 5 n 6 series getting too big n heavy though. 3 seems to be the new 5...compare the size n weight. Been hoping for more than a decade that Merc again stands for The most over engineered car or The best or nothing. It's neither in my opinion.

[@lucassitanggang5154]

Luxury King? No, Luxury King Is S-Class

[@richardkleinberger7031]

No the Audi A6 is more substantial.

[@N34R4T0M4T]

Audi is mindnumbingly boring these days

[@jx_jeff]

Has mercedes said anything about the safety of the front passenger in an accident. I assume it would be more dangerous with all this glass

[@bbking0064]

I doubt Tom is back. He would be in the comments responding. Probably pre-recorded prior to leaving.

[@SirAMG63]

Back with the bmw bias are we? They definitely have paid you.

[@PeterCox-k1w]

No thanks and the same for the bmw audi

[@sonnysantino7849]

Terrible overpriced German shite

[@holidayusa098]

Audi A6 is hundred times better

[@shermanmak]

What an ugly car. Had a look at it. Like all recent Merc dashboards are horribly reflexive in moderate sunlight.

[@ThomasJohn-rz7yf]

Worst cars Benz The cars parts quality is very poor