Mercedes EQC - Teacher Says, Can Do Better!

Sometimes expectations are high, as they should be with the £65k+ Mercedes EQC full electric vehicle. So have they done a proper ground up EV, or is it an ICE parts bin special?

[@arnifix]

Watching car journalists fight the EQC's voice assistant is just amazing. Comedy gold.

[@CarCapture]

Starting route guidance to Galway.... Made me cry :D

[@johnnyvvlog]

Gotta get that Galway girl you know 😂

[@maxgreece1]

Major part of a 2 minute comedy routine in the middle of the review. Fantastic stuff. Needs to sell this to Michael McIntyre - he'd have a ball with it!

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

Not taking ur eyes off the road is a myth. I had two Nissan Leafs for six years. Even though I was completely familiar with the layout and location of buttons and knobs, there was always a glance away from the road. I have found that, after a short period of time, I do not spend any longer glancing at the screens in our Model 3s than I did in my Nissan Leafs. Also, if one is checking their rear view and side view mirrors as one is supposed to, u are already taking ur eyes off the road. I don’t think I am any more skilled than the average driver, but this is my real world experience.

[@alaneasthope2357]

I love the phrase "compromised petrol adaptation". That seems to apply to a lot of manufacturers at the moment. Great review. I like the way you put EV's into categories, sport, tech, or comfort. Very fair. You should have said, "Mercedes, self destruct." :)

[@wolfman9999999]

Until EVs become more than a blip in the car market, this will continue to be the case.

[@judsonbrian9023]

you probably dont care at all but does anybody know a way to get back into an instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the account password. I would love any tricks you can give me.

[@dawsonkevin5666]

@Judson Brian instablaster ;)

[@judsonbrian9023]

@Dawson Kevin thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@judsonbrian9023]

@Dawson Kevin it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my ass!

[@joflynn5]

If you check out Bjorn Nyland's channel he did a 1000km road test and the car performed to more or less the range as specified by Mercedes.

[@Greenmachine123]

Totally agree with your final comments. I really disagree with car companies bastardising ICE vehicle designs to accommodate electric vehicle drivetrains and batteries. I honestly believe they are doing worse for the image of electric vehicles as they are not showing the world the full potential of electric cars. It's like trying to put wings on your bike and making it fly. Start from scratch, start from an MEB platform and show us what you can actually do.

[@FFVoyager]

I think we underestimate the time it takes to create a complete new chassis, the design, testing, equipping factories and compliance testing, so if they can fit batteries and motors into vehicles they already make and imagine they can sell, then they are probably doing the right thing (for their shareholders). I do think they will learn a lot, very fast, and (near) future models from Mercedes could be devastating.

[@rodh1404]

I think it's fine to adapt an ICE design. That will help to cut R&D costs, and let you produce something more quickly. BUT, if that's what you're doing, then it should be reflected in the final price of the vehicle. To be fair, the EQC is a bit cheaper than something like the Tesla Model S, but it's still not inexpensive even for an EV. At this price point, I think Mercedes could and should have provided a proper EV frame.

[@eubikedude]

Maybe it's intentional ...

[@tubularap]

He: "Go away !!" She: "OK, I'm taking you to Galway." Hahaha

[@B0BHW]

And then I remembered ... way back in 1981, I had the huge misfortune of being asked by my company to test drive and report back on the 'all-new' Austin Maestro as a possible replacement for the Ford Cortina on our sales force fleet. Setting out from Soho Square, I grappled with the streets of London West End while the nice lady constantly talked to me. Complete gibberish of course. I never got as far as West London. After an hour of ear ache and my right hand bleeding from the sharp edge of the door pocket when I wound the window down - I drove back to head office and told them that if they insisted on getting a fleet of these as company cars, I'd resign! In 38 years, nothing has changed. No wonder Tesla is managing to completely disrupt the car industry.

[@stevenbarrett7648]

So....how was Galway then ?!!!

[@Xenon0000000000001]

Mercedes ("How may I help you?") really should point out the setting to disable voice activation to car reviewers. Outside of reviewing, the voice control is actually pretty good.

[@SamPrince]

Such a big battery for the mediocre range effectively means that the charging will be slower as every kWh isn't adding as much range as you'd think.

[@Isaac-un4cn]

But in fairness, it does have a fairly flat charging curve at 100+ kW, whereas the i pace maxes out around 85 kW and begins to taper off around 50% state of charge.

[@krispyai4229]

"Something you can touch while you're driving without having to take your eyes off the road".

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

I meant to say, 'something else!'

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Electric Vehicle Man 😂

[@benholroyd5221]

"STOP" Playing 'Stop in the name of love' "NO" 'Calling Noel' "TURN OFF" 'This is not a valid junction' "ARRRRGH" 'Do not know how to do argh' Its like the early naughties all over again

[@RennieAsh]

It's raining! Buying jacket Buying everything

[@rogerstarkey5390]

The latest victim of the "M******s" assistant!

[@RWBHere]

He could have referred to it as a Merc, and lost out on the comedic potential of the unintelligent oftware.

[@tonychallinor6721]

Thanks! Your struggle with Mercedes AI made me smile so much. We can all relate

[@primus108]

I totally approve of your way of telling it like it actually is. So many 'car guys' gush over little things that don't matter, like a crease in the sheet metal. Your reviews are much more useful to me as a consumer. 'Car guys' give me a pain.

[@robsmith1a]

I am so far underwhelmed by the E-Tron, EQC and to a lesser degree the I-Pace (mainly on grounds of efficiency or lack of). I think the ID3, Zoe, E-208 Corsa-E etc are way more relevant (if still expensive for the class of car) given that they also have practical range and performance. The Tesla Model 3 definitely seems to be the best current EV regarding capability v price. My main worry is that they are all still pretty expensive (even taking lower running costs into account). I paid less than £18k for a Zoe in 2017 (battery included) and there doesn't seem to be anything with the same range anywhere near that price now - I thought the idea was that EVs would get cheaper over time.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Price hasn't gone down but the batteries have increased significantly.

[@robsmith1a]

@@ElectricVehicleManI have a 41 kwh battery pack and looking at the Price of the E-208 for example it looks like much closer to £30k for 50 kwh. I know it is much higher spec than the Zoe but that's more than I'd be willing to pay for any car (my limit is about £20K). I don't see floods of EVs hitting the roads until 200 mile ranges cost £20k. I am managing about 185+ miles summer range in the Zoe.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Zoe price is the same but they had big discounts then. The lack of supply is meaning there isn't the need to discount.

[@robsmith1a]

@@ElectricVehicleMan You are spot on there (I got over £6K off list), perhaps I just like a bargain

[@christopherguy1217]

I loved the Mercedes assistant chiming in all the time, you had me laughing out loud, I had to leave Starbucks as I was getting looks. You'll need to refer to the company as the three pointed swastika a la John Cadogan from Autoexpert.com.au.

[@RWBHere]

Harsh! 😉

[@trapsarentgay4195]

The Piano black tile looks good for about two seconds

[@greyphantome2617]

One of the best natural unbiased review, which ones is the best built out of the lots ?

[@wermagst]

The main reason the EQC is so similar to the GLC are costs. They are both made on the same production line, which obviously saves a lot of money, compared to setting up a new factory. I would also like them to make a "pure" EV, but from a business point of view their approach makes sense. If the EQC sales were low (see i-pace in the US) they could still use the equipment to produce GLCs. One thing you forgot to mention is the towing capability, which imo is quite relevant for an SUV. The EQC has a really nice tow bar mechanism and a tow rating of 1800 kg, same as e-tron but completely outclasses the i-pace's 750 kg.

[@jur4x]

Judging by some pictures I found in Google, there are some bits on the battery that protrudes into that "transmission tunnel". And what comes to engine bay, it's all simple - they want to assemble these on the same line as FF cars without to many modifications to the line. The last one is actually quite a compromise. P.S. Jaguar outsourced I-Pace manufacturing, so what line assembles it, is not really their problem :)

[@EinkOLED]

My scottish friend drove one and didn't get any response from the Assistant. Excellent review by the way.

[@renebergqvist599]

Oh my lord - what wouldn't John Cleese be able to do with this M-assistant. Best laugh in weeks.

[@JohnC-iv8jo]

" ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULD NOT LIKE SOME TOAST " The dwarf

[@rogerstarkey5390]

I prefer muffins(😉)

[@TomUlcak]

The switches to adjust the electric seat is shaped like the seat! Did you notice?! I think that is brilliant.

[@FFVoyager]

They have built that on the GLC platform so it is comprised from the outset and it is a big shame it's not a clean sheet design like the I-PACE but they seem to have made a good electric car nonetheless.. (But I look forward to when they do a 'proper' new 'C-class' estate version though. That ought to be a stunning car)

[@soundslave]

Transmission tunnels are where manufacturers put batteries. Usually there and under the rear seats in a 'T' shape.

[@bigyin.7710]

Nissan Leaf has a 'tunnel'.

[@wolfman9999999]

You will probably continue to see transmission or in the case of FWD cars, exhaust pipe tunnels in EV's. Manufacturers will be having to offer both gasoline and EV versions of same models. This also allows them to defer R&D costs for chassis and affords them to spend that deferred cost on the development of the EV drivetrain and batteries.

[@kjh789az]

EVM speaks the truth - when not interrupted! Hope the Assistant is an option we could refuse.

[@alanjrobertson]

Haha absolutely hilarious, one of your funniest videos yet thanks to Ms Mercedes that kept piping up!

[@H9Gamings]

Wrong, this is not Mercedes first full electric car, the first was a Mercedes W201/190 in 1990ish.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

I'll pull the video down this minute!

[@H9Gamings]

@@ElectricVehicleMan No need to do that :)

[@timaustin2000]

Sssss, mistake in the first ten seconds! Eeee, mate. Merc has already done a full electric - twas a B Class, if memory serves. It wasn't on a unique platform but it does exist - Bobby did a fully charged on it years back.

[@andrewzamorski4950]

Thanks for the test drive, as always a fair opinion. As it has been a year (ish) would you consider revisiting the electric highway state of play. In terms of reliability, availability of charging options and communication?

[@gordonmcmillan883]

"First full electric car from the big German brand" - the electric B Class doesn't count, then?

[@ewadge]

The Electric B class was a petrol and diesel car also produced as an EV. This is meant to be Mercedes first car engineered to be an EV as there is no petrol/diesel equivalent of it. Now of course there is a lot of 'inspiration' taken from other models, particularly the Mercedes GLC. But technically, it is considered to be Mercedes' first real EV.

[@gordonmcmillan883]

Well he does actually say in the video that the EQC is based on an ICE car, hence the transmission tunnel and no frunk, which puts it in exactly the same category as the electric B Class to me.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

No ones perfect!

[@maesygwartha]

@@gordonmcmillan883 absolutely agree (B250e owner)

[@JohnDoe-vx3z]

You mean the Tesla Model B ?

[@barriewilliams4526]

As a cyclist as well as a car driver I find touch screen controls rather worrying, to say the least!

[@jonathanmeazza427]

I'm glad you talked about the transmission tunnel. It's a big cop out. Again these well established firms have got a lot of catching up to do. I wonder if fiat will just pay Tesla for more carbon offsets instead of producing an EV. Funny video.

[@LeightonW]

So its not that efficient, the next question should be, has it a cabin reverse-cycle air-conditioner or just an element heater?

[@christopherhamilton5557]

Nice work! Solid objective review. Even in the rain no less! Have an “uncompromised” day! 😂👍

[@salipander6570]

Wait for the Volvo XC40 EV. Might be a proper step upwards.

[@tuc-dh4df]

Volvo are claiming 260 plus miles with a battery 5 and a half kilowatt hours more than the MG ev! MG claiming 163 miles on 44 and a half kilowatt hour battery size!

[@kardy12]

I have to admit the Siri-like assistant was hilarious to listen to every time you said Mercedes, but it would really tick me off in real world use...

[@henrikmunster6812]

You don't normally talk loudly to a camera all the time, you are driving. And if you are talking to a passenger, you don't mention the name of your car all the time. I don't think, it will bother you a lot in real life.

[@SDav21]

You can switch it off. Duh!

[@maxsec2]

What's the make again ????

[@RWBHere]

Mercy Days, or something.

[@williamfence566]

£50K for the Car and £30K for the badge

[@eubikedude]

That's a very "clonky" noise when the inidcator self-cancels. Was it suggesting you take a trip over here? (.ie), probably not the best time of the year for it. ;)

[@Sam-tx1tn]

Model X all day. 2 words; charging network.

[@trapsarentgay4195]

Sam48 as long as you have the cash, hell yeah

[@jamesmcmillan2656]

Great to see an honest review

[@leapy99]

Great honest, hilarious review of a car I'll never drive :-)

[@richardirvine9469]

Kids if you wanna drive mum and dad mad,,,just say 'Mercedes',,,😀

[@1_2_die2]

Actually... the EQC isn't the first all electric model from Mercedes. Befor were the B250e, a B-class with Tesla battery and drivetrain. The unloved and unwanted stepchild of the brand, just to compliance for US market regulations and only a few hundrets were available in Germany (and surroundings). Around 11:00 -.- the view backwards is awful - a big dark coffin.

[@clansome]

Only 30% is from the ICE equivalent which for a first generation car from a volume luxury car manufacturer I don't consider bad. Personally I wish they would get a hurry up and deliver a B Class replacement, ground up EV (I don't count the compliance model they did in 2016). At least they did a better job of this than Audi did with the eTron.

[@alanmcconachie]

Informative and entertaining as you argued with the car.

[@philgalpin9284]

Do you think someone is going to produce stick on plastics to cover the piano finish in the cockpit? Seems a no brainer!

[@matekochkoch]

Efficiency will be much more important for EV than for conventional ones. It equals charging time and you can't put a price tag on time.

[@paguk2000]

I have seen the fully charged review of the 208 I look forward to you reviewing that they where impressed

[@gerbre1]

"Hey Mercedes." "What do you want to do?" "Start massage please."

[@B0BHW]

Nice! Maybe I'll consider the Mercedes after all!!

[@TheWinstn60]

Tokenism by Mercedes

[@onnokonemann9326]

Liked it. If only for the fantastic assistent 🤣

[@Francesco-bu1hh]

Do not say Mercedes.. say Benz. Nice video.

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

See you were in Wetherby. seems to be always raining there lol. The car talking to you would drive me mad.

[@novacolonel5287]

I had the priviledge to drive the 612 HP Tesla X this year, and it was perfect (save for the body form, which is really not that efficient).

[@RichieRouge206]

That weird leatherette stuff is Merc’s ‘manufactured’ leather. Naff at that pricepoint, as is that dreadful air vent. It’s far too tacky inside.

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

Compliance cars are useless. Get a 2 year old S or X or even a Kona. My 5 year old Model S is bigger, still does 230 miles on full charge and does 60 mph in 4 seconds. Why change it? Great honest review 👍

[@rogerstarkey5390]

Non of the above, Model S is just as big inside for passengers, MUCH more luggage space, and hugely better performance. Apparently the raven cars ride really well. Then there's the Volvo coming next year.

[@andymccabe6712]

Please, please, please..can people stop comparing everything to the vehicles produced by the company associated with St Elon... Why is it that Fanbois seem to be unable to grasp the simple concept that even if a T word is faster, has more boot space, or is 'better' in any other perceived way...It still does not mean that an individual would or indeed should want to own the T word. We have free choice . We can pick the object we PREFER.....

[@alaneasthope2357]

@@andymccabe6712 In every industry there is one company that sets the standard to which all other manufacturers aspire. In the electric vehicle industry it happens to be Tesla. There is nothing wrong with brand loyalty, and people who can afford it will buy a car for the badge on the front because it's not only a car, it's a status symbol. And that's fine. However, a car has to have a benchmark, and for EV's that's Tesla. The Mercedes interior is going to be far superior to Tesla, because they've had years of experience in producing luxury cars, and the Tesla will have a superior electric drive train because they've been doing that for years.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

@@andymccabe6712 Please, please please can idiots stop using the term "Fanboi". Why is it some can't seem to realise that those who appreciate Tesla are *First and foremost* EV advocates? Why can't you realise that we want nothing more for there to be a wide selection of good vehicles to advance the industry? Still waiting......... In the meantime, if you settle for the mediocre, your choice, you're welcome to it, but don't knock the leader. The same applies to the manufacturers who come to market with the latest "killer", or with sly digs, but no substance. Just by the way, we were ASKED to give an opinion.

[@chrisb508]

Good review. Hopefully Mercedes will do better in the future.

[@TagmakersCoUk]

What these up-market legacy car makers are hoping to do is to "veneer" over their technological ineptitude when it comes to features that REALLY matter. These are largely the hidden features which relate to computerisation, battery tech and the efficiency management of power, and the hardware/software that is going to determine HOW we use cars, and not WHY we use them. We're at a point now where many people (car buyers) are starting to understand that the "cosmetics" that have been the typical benchmarks of car comparisons are now secondary to the efficiency features - which include electro-mechanics, power management and (most relevant) computer processing power, software and data analysis. In the last two years, long-term EV owners (particularly Tesla owners) have been getting far more excited about software enhancements and upgrades than they do over "the shape of the front grill". You just need to call up KZbin videos on Tesla software upgrades to see how these vids are proliferating. This is a reasonably nice car. But that's all it is... "just another car".

[@MrSnowMen]

I wish car manufacturers would ask you to check if their car is good for purpose before putting on the market...

[@justinstephenson9360]

Why do car manufacturers insist on large areas of black gloss? Fingerprint and dust magnets. Not a lot of rear space and the boot space is poor. The range is a bit less than ideal - real world range of 260 mph would be ideal for me. As the title says - Could do better

[@Mrflash222006]

Lmao Galloway , will this be Scottish, Irish and welsh friendly EV ?

[@pauldunneska]

I think is was Galway in Ireland.

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

What's the weight of the batteries?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

2.456456kg

[@pavelsunny1]

Phisical buttons are completely obsolete. Those were the UI of an Russian rocket from 60s. Not for 21 century

[@DogsBAwesome]

They should lock car interior designers in a room of piano black and not let them out until there is no dust or fingerprints, also in the room is a child sized robot with sticky fingers.

[@johnnyvvlog]

This car is worse than a wife. You have to constantly argue with it 😂

[@Groaznic]

AND it doesn't let you manspread even there in the back.

[@RWBHere]

True. We don't argue. Happily married for half a lifetime, without a row. But arguments with 'intelligent voice recognition' are useless.

[@davestraight8219]

after the second time with the voice control i woulda just called them the germans - hope your headache wasnt too bad evm

[@SDav21]

Poor review and very biased. Also if you keep activating the assistant, turn the activation word off! Don't mislead by making people think it is annoying.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Biased how? What facts (opinions are opinions) are incorrect? The compromise bit perhaps? Why would I be biased?

[@tonychallinor6721]

So having watched your MG EV review and then this - is the Merc (don't mention the full name) warrant a price tag 3x the MG?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

If you have lots of money, yes, if you could only just afford the Merc, no.

[@mjh4892]

I can’t help it. I really liked the MG.

[@Specwinclean]

Genuinely hilarious.... something to definitely get used to...

[@mikeyonwin8195]

Well done EVM!

[@B9er]

Not the first Merc EV. The B250E was first.

[@Xanthopteryx]

Seems like the screen has a very.... shiny surface, and everything reflects on it.

[@woodfordp]

Seems to have driven a different car to every other reviewer, but I do like his views and delivery

[@xchopp]

Fail. I'm not buying any car that listens to everything I say and transmits it to the manufacturer.

[@SDav21]

Like your phone? And anyway it can be switched off.

[@Tore_Lund]

You said it: "Crap efficiency"! Purpose of such car???

[@hamshackleton]

So if it is smaller inside than the exterior suggests, it mus be a 'Sidrat' - the inverse of a Tardis!

[@jockmoron]

Good review. You seem to have a good understanding of the important points of car design and manufacture. It is a compromised vehicle, the looks are mundane. But driving comfort is obviously important too and you're definitely paying for it. I would imagine too that the reliability and standard of build of the car will be better than Tesla's. How long is the guarantee and battery life? Tesla have from the start followed a very technological and efficiency focus, with a low drag coefficient and excellent battery technology, but they had a long learning curve in construction standards. Efficiency is important, a low drag car and efficient power train will give up to 20% more range for the same amount of KWh.

[@andrewtaylor641]

😂🤣, Mercedes.... 😂🤣. Good honest review as always. 👍

[@ogodei70]

Would you like a slice of toast? hehehehe (Red Dwarf referance)

[@mjh4892]

One and a half Harry, one Simon!!!

[@davebown8145]

Can't you just turn off voice activation and use the steering wheel button to activate? problem solved 🤔

[@stanspb763]

If this does not drive a nicely as a iPace, It must not be much of a driver's car. I drove an ipace for the first time yesterday and it really did not impress. The front seating area was cramps, felt like a space capsule but the rear seating room was roomier. Driving was what was disappointing, it felt larger and heavier than comparable Tesla, S, X and of course the M3, but did not have the responsiveness of any of them. The overly garish instrument area was really poor, and the map screen so small and with poor resolution that the owner used her iPhone propped up on the dash to navigate. You do not seem to like the big responsive fast high res screen and control surface of the Tesla but cluttered less flexible one of the Merc.... and Jag. But the customers have been voting with their money. Sales are underwhelming for the Jag so we can expect the only sales Mercedes and Jag will have are those cannibalized from their own ICE car loyalists.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

I think the badge dictates most people’s decision. The Jag was a more involved drive than the others. Far from hot hatch etc but the best of the bunch.

[@davidknott2821]

Why do car review's always go on about a flat floor being good. I have a old crv which has a flat floor and it is a pain and quite dangerous. You put something down in the passenger foot well and after the first corner it's under the pedals. And what is the problem with having a foot on each side in the back.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

If you accept that from a £75k car then I think you need to up your standards a bit.

[@SuperChudley]

lol, worth it just for the comedy factor - he who shall not be named keeps piping in :) heated seats on towards the end?

[@FreePizza007]

Don’t say Mercedes. Say Merc!

[@aaronchapman1306]

Is it me or is the hey Mercedes thing the funniest thing ever

[@davethefab6339]

Nice one.. totally agree with all your points.

[@ecoterrorist1402]

65K enough said. It’s a 30K car

[@andrewmullen4003]

You should've asked Mercedes to guide you back!!, great review, badge snobbery at it's peak

[@AMan-he9sz]

Thanks for making these videos. I like forthright persons, and you are always that. This particular vid made me laugh a lot (Mercedes virtual assistant woes) Anyway, thanks for being critical to a proper degree and giving your honest, real world impressions. My one complaint about all your vids (and some other channels too) is that your intro sequence is TOO LONG. I DO understand the need to promote your channel - but you and others need to pare down the intro sequences. When I have to skip forward to avoid the lengthy intro (and I do on your vids every time) it doesn't do anything to enhance my enjoyment, nor does it encourage me to subscribe.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Lengthy intro? The EVM logo?

[@DogsBAwesome]

The leather-ish is probably Alcantara

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Artico actually.

[@relaxnchill9335]

Good review … well done

[@andrewkirk3159]

Note to reviewers. Try using the word Daimler.