Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes E-Class - MPG, emissions & running costs

Economical diesel engines will make fuel stops a rarity on cross-continental trips in a Mercedes E-Class

MPG, emissions & running costs rating

4.0

How we review cars
RRP
£55,710 £86,870
Find your Mercedes E-Class
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The plug-in hybrid E 300 e and E 300 de are the most economical models on paper. You can read more about them in the section below, but don’t expect to get near the advertised WLTP fuel economy figures in the real world, especially if you’re just using the engine once the battery is flat. The plug-in models have a smaller 50-litre fuel tank compared with the larger 66-litre tanks fitted to all non-plug-in petrol and diesel models.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The E-Class is economical compared with rivals. We’d recommend going for the E 220 d because of its excellent 58.9mpg fuel economy, which is great for those who do a lot of motorway miles. The entry-level E 200 petrol provides a respectable 44.2mpg, and might be a better choice if you mainly do short trips and don’t need the company car tax savings of the plug-in models.

The most powerful model without full-hybrid assistance is the E 450 d, which returns 44.9mpg. With over 360bhp, it’s really fast and luxurious yet still manages to be pretty economical overall, if not quite at the level of the E 220 d.

The two diesel engines produce emissions ranging from 126g/km to 165g/km, while the petrol E 200 sits between the two with a 146g/km figure. These versions will incur a higher Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax bill than the equivalent E 300 e or E 300 de plug-in hybrid model.

Model 

MPG

CO2

Insurance group

E 220 d

58.9mpg

126g/km

36

E 200

44.1mpg

146g/km

41

E 450 d

44.9mpg

165g/km

50

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The Mercedes E-Class plug-in models have a stand-out electric driving range thanks to a large - by PHEV standards - 25.4kWh useable battery. This provides around 70 miles of range before the petrol or diesel engines in the E 300 e and E 300 de models are needed. There’s even a near 60-mile range in the high-performance AMG E 53 model, too.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

E Class

2022 Mercedes

E Class

35,714 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £25,800
View E Class
E Class

2022 Mercedes

E Class

44,201 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash £25,300
View E Class
E Class

2020 Mercedes

E Class

35,726 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £26,187
View E Class
E Class

2019 Mercedes

E Class

67,750 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £16,500
View E Class

The battery can be charged at a maximum rate of 55kW (60kW for the AMG E 53), which allows a 10-80 per cent top-up from a public charger capable of delivering such speeds in around 20 minutes. Most will prefer to charge at home using a cheaper overnight tariff, though. Using a typical 7.4kW wallbox charger, Mercedes quotes a 10-100 per cent charge to take three hours. Most other manufacturers quote a 0-100 per cent charge time, so we anticipate it’ll take around four hours to fully replenish a flat battery.

Model 

Battery size

Range

Insurance group

E 300 e

25.4kWh useable

70 miles

50

E 300 de

25.4kWh useable

67 miles

50

AMG E 53 Hybrid

25.4kWh useable

59 miles

50

Tax 

All versions of the E-Class are subject to the luxury car tax because all models costs over £40,000 when new. This means a surcharge will be added from the second time the vehicle is taxed until it is six years old. The plug-in hybrid models have a small £10 discount because of the plug-in hybrid system.

Company car tax will be significantly lower for plug-in models than regular petrol or diesel models. Choose the E 300 e, and you’ll be charged Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) at 5 per cent, while the E 300 de and AMG E 53 Hybrid models will be charged at 8 per cent.

Insurance groups

Insurance groups in the E-Class go from 41 for the entry-level petrol model up to a maximum of 50 for the E 300 e, E 300 de, E 450 d, and high-performance AMG E 53 model. The BMW 5 Series will be cheaper to insure, because that rival starts in group 35, and goes up to group 44 for the quickest 550e plug-in hybrid version.

Depreciation

According to our expert data, the Mercedes E-Class should hold its value as well as the BMW 5 Series, maintaining between 41 to 50 per cent of its original value after three years and 36,000 miles. The best version is the E 200 AMG Line, while the model that depreciates most is the AMG E 53 Hybrid Edition 1.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific, model check out our valuation tool...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    E200 AMG Line 4dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £55,710
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    E300e Urban Edition 4dr 9G-Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £65,200
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    E450d 4M AMG Line Premium 4dr 9G-Tronic [Pan Roof]
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £79,870
Select car

New & used car deals

Mercedes E Class

Mercedes E Class

RRP £56,650Used from £22,520
BMW 5 Series

BMW 5 Series

RRP £52,195Avg. savings £6,739 off RRP*Used from £33,995
Mercedes C Class
Audi A6

Audi A6

RRP £39,640Avg. savings £7,364 off RRP*Used from £16,899
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Citroen Holidays 2025 review: a cheaper and cheerful VW California campervan rival
Citroen Holidays - front

New Citroen Holidays 2025 review: a cheaper and cheerful VW California campervan rival

The new Citroen Holidays is the perfect option for those that want to camp on a budget
Road tests
15 Apr 2025
Carbon fibre could be banned as EU classifies it as a hazardous substance
Czinger teases 21C's carbon fibre bodywork

Carbon fibre could be banned as EU classifies it as a hazardous substance

Particulates emitted by the disposal of carbon fibre can be harmful to both machinery and human health
News
14 Apr 2025
How green are electric cars? The truth about EV environmental impact and carbon footprints
Polestar 3 - front full width

How green are electric cars? The truth about EV environmental impact and carbon footprints

New figures from Polestar cast light on the big questions around EV sustainability and environmental impact compared to petrol cars
News
15 Apr 2025