Why 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Is The Most Expensive Car In Its Segment

– Chris Perkins

With a base price of $63,450, the new E350 is over $2,000 more than the equivalent BMW 5 Series. The new W214-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class debuted last Spring, and it’s finally on its way to US dealerships. Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday announced pricing for the new E350 and E450 sedans, and they’re not cheap. The base E350 4Matic in “Premium” trim costs $63,450 and pricing climbs all the way up to $71,800 for the E450 4Matic in “Pinnacle” trim. All in all, it’s a bit more expensive than its nearest rivals.

Here’s a breakdown for pricing in each trim, including a $1,150 destination fee:

Model Price
E350 4Matic Premium $63,450
E350 4Matic Pinnacle $66,000
E450 4Matic Premium $69,250
E450 4Matic Pinnacle $71,800
The E350 comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque while the E450 gets a 3.0-liter inline-six with 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes has simplified its trim offerings in recent years, packaging a lot of features buyers want into the base “Premium” trim.

The “Pinnacle” trim adds stuff that can probably be best described as “nice to have” but not essential. Stuff like a light-up grille and “Active Ambient Lighting with Sound Visualization.” All E-Class models now come standard with all-wheel drive, too.

Compared with rivals, the E-Class is pretty expensive. The base Audi A6 Quattro costs $58,395 while the new BMW 530i xDrive rings in at $61,195. (A rear-drive 530i is cheaper still, at $58,895.) Without a full spec sheet for the Mercedes, it’s hard to compare them like-for-like, so perhaps when similarly equipped the Audi and BMW are roughly equivalent, if not pricier. It’s a similar story with six-cylinder versions of the these mid-size luxury sedans, too. The lovely Genesis G80 is also a bit cheaper at $55,560 to start.

It’s worth noting that the new 2024 E-Class is more expensive than the 2023 model. The outgoing E350 4Matic started at $60,400 and the E450 4Matic costing $66,700. But, the new E-Class does pack a ton of technology, including an optional selfie camera. Can you really put a price on that?