Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain estate - Reliability & safety

Sophisticated safety equipment is standard, and the Mercedes badge stands for quality

Carbuyer Rating

4.5 out of 5

Owners Rating
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Reliability & safety Rating

4.5 out of 5

Mercedes has forged a well deserved reputation for quality and its recent results in our Driver Power owner satisfaction campaign have been encouraging. As regards safety, the E-Class All-Terrain should do just as well here as the E-Class Estate it’s based on.

Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain reliability

Mercedes was the highest-ranked of the premium German brands in our 2016 Driver Power survey; it finished 12th out of 32 manufacturers surveyed. The latest E-Class hasn’t yet featured in the survey, but the old model had a very strong reputation and it seems unlikely that the latest model will let the brand down.

Where Mercedes cars tend to really excel is in build quality, with owners giving positive reports about the way their cars are put together. The materials they're made of are also widely praised. However, reliability itself isn't historically the marque's strongest suit, and was particularly singled out for criticism in the latest Mercedes C-Class. Running costs, too, are a sticking point among Mercedes customers.

Safety

One thing not in any doubt is safety. In Euro NCAP crash-testing conducted in 2016, the E-Class (albeit the saloon model) gained a five-star rating that took into account a superb 95% score for adult occupant protection and 90% for the protection it afforded to children. This is thanks in no small part to the high level of standard equipment fitted to every E-Class, with even more being available optionally.

In addition to the nine airbags and autonomous braking system that slows and stops the car if it detects an obstacle in its path, you can specify the 'Driving Assistance Plus' pack that gives the car semi-autonomous driving capabilities. With the most up-to-date safety equipment fitted as standard, it’s highly improbable the All-Terrain will be any less safe than the saloon.

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

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