Mercedes E-Class saloon - Practicality & boot space (2016-2023)

The latest Mercedes E-Class has a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), which creates more space for passengers inside. It also has a well shaped, roomy boot. All the space on offer combined with a supple ride makes for a very practical, comfortable saloon.

Mercedes E-Class interior space & storage

There’s plenty of storage space in the E-Class, with a central cubby in front of the infotainment controls (this is where the wireless charging bay is located if chosen), a large glovebox and central storage area under the armrest between the front two seats.

The car is very easy to get in and out of, with the doors opening wide and no excessive ducking or bending required to get in the back. Once there, there’s plenty of head and legroom, and while it’s not as spacious as the S-Class, the E-Class does more than enough to rival the leaders in this class.

The seats are incredibly comfortable and although you can upgrade for more adjustability and support, you really don’t need to unless you're after supreme comfort. Road and wind noise are mostly kept out of the interior, and Sport models with 17-inch alloy wheels manage to soak up bumps better than other versions.

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Boot space

The E-Class has a 540-litre boot, which is the same as the Jaguar XF, and 10 litres larger than the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series. Not only is it big, but it’s also a useful shape with a large tailgate that makes the boot about as easy as possible to access as it can be on a saloon car. The boot does have a small lip but the opening is so big that it really isn’t a struggle to load large cases in. In the facelifted E-Class the rear seats split by 40:20:40 as standard, instead of 60:40 in older versions.

If you’re tempted by a plug-in hybrid, it’s worth remembering that the boot capacity is reduced to 400 litres due to space required for the lithium-ion battery pack. This results in a cuboidal hump at the back of the boot, which can potentially make it difficult to slide larger items through when folding the rear seats down.

Towing

The Mercedes E-Class makes a surprisingly accomplished tow car, with a maximum braked capacity of 2,100kg for every version, except for the E 200 which can tow 200kg less. That means, despite being a low-slung saloon, the E-Class can haul a heavier load than a seven-seat SUV like the Hyundai Santa Fe.