2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan
Great Luxury Sedan, Better EV
Mercedes-Benzs launched their quickly expanding all-electric EQ sub-brand with the EQS sedan, arguably the first EV to come from an established brand that truly delivered the flagship luxury sedan experience. Well, it’s time now to determine if this midsize EQE sedan can deliver the same experience for the rest of us.
Making a fully electric luxury flagship sedan is easy when money is no object, and Mercedes sure created a great one with last year’s EQS. Bringing that excellence down to a lower price point is much more difficult; but Mercedes wasted no time undertaking it with this midsize 2023 Mercedes-EQE.
The interior is not quite to EQS levels of sophistication, but still glorious to look at and with all the ambient lighting, almost as high-tech feeling.
While the EQS’ wide Hyperscreen dash is available, a more traditional setup is standard with the central control panel housing a 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen, with a tablet style 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster mounted upright behind the steering wheel. The MBUX interface is similar and responds quickly, with most functions easy to find. Standard navigation with Electric Intelligence will plan the most efficient route, or one with charging stations if necessary.
Whether you stick with the standard MB-Tex upholstery or upgrade to real leather, the feel is luxurious throughout. Front seats are very comfortable, as are the rear seats with plenty of legroom. A large panoramic roof and a premium Burmester sound system are standard.
Regen braking has three levels right up to full 1-pedal driving, plus an auto setting which never seemed to give the feedback we were looking for. Overall, the EQE was very solid feeling on the road, behaving more like a typical Mercedes-Benz sedan than an electric car. The only detractor from the experience was a very thick sloping A-pillar which seemed to be in our line of sight more than we’d like.
On to more specific powertrain details. A base 350+ features a single rear motor rated at 288-horsepower and 305-miles of range from a 90.6-kWh battery. An additional motor can be added up front for 4MATIC all-wheel drive both in 350 form, and this top of the line 500 4MATIC which cranks out 402-horsepower from 300kWs worth of dual-motors. No official range figure for the 500 yet, but our car indicated as many as 263-miles available, though based on our driving loop, around 220 seems much more realistic.
Off to Mason Dixon Dragway to see how that 400-plus horsepower translates to acceleration times.
While there was enough oomph off the line to press us back in the seat a bit, it felt mostly smooth for a somewhat soft launch. There are plenty of unique hyperdrive-like sounds to go along with the very quick 4.0-second trip to 60 miles-per-hour. According to Mercedes, torque delivery is checked 10,000-times per minute, distributing power to front and rear motors, according to traction, way faster than is possible with any mechanical system. Power stayed pretty consistent until just before the end of the ¼-mile, where it tapered off slightly as we finished in 12.6-seconds at 108 miles-per-hour.
In our handling course, the EQE delivered a very unique experience as its optional rear axle steering provides an extreme 10-degrees of turning, which translated to very little input needed to the steering wheel to change direction quickly. And while that hyper responsiveness took some getting used to, the minimal body roll and overall well-balanced nature were much appreciated. And needless to say, whipping in and out of parking spots is a breeze.
While the EQE shares the same basic one-bow, cab-forward shape of the EQS, the smaller size makes for a bit less of an elegant profile. Still very futuristic looking however, with a smooth face and wheelbase stretched to the max. Pricing starts at $76,050 for the rear-drive 350+, with the top 500 4MATIC beginning at $87,050.
While it doesn’t have quite the presence or panache of the full-size EQS, the 2023 Mercedes-EQE Sedan does a great job of bringing plenty of the flagship flair down to a more attainable level. Making it not only a great luxury sedan, but an even better EV.
2025 Genesis G80
New Interior And New Tech Elevates G80 Sedan
Talk about bad timing. This second-generation G80 debuted at the height of a global pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped Genesis or this Bentley-on-a-budget sedan. In fact, since then, Genesis has unveiled a spectacular all-electric version and now given all G80s a makeover. So, let’s find out what a better and better-timed new G80 is ready to deliver.
Breaking into the luxury sedan scene requires going up against traditional brands with long pedigrees and legions of loyal buyers. But Hyundai has never shied away from a challenge, and has made steady progress with their Genesis brand, and hopes that a revised 2025 G80 midsize sedan will be their next step up.
Styling matters more when you’re the upstart, and the Genesis Athletic Elegance theme changes very little for ’25; just a new grille, slightly reshaped bumpers, new wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches, and an updated color palette. The G80’s unique two-line LED headlamps get revised Micro Lens Array technology that boosts performance while minimizing the brightness for oncoming drivers.
Changes inside are much more significant with an entirely new dash and console, eliminating both the hooded gauge panel and dashtop wide info screen. Merging them together into one 27-inch wide LG panoramic display than runs from behind the steering wheel to over the center stack. There’s a bigger and more comprehensive control panel in the center stack; while the console gets less armrest coverage, more space for storage, and reshaped cupholders. The wider display is still a touchscreen, but there is also a console mounted controller if you prefer to keep it fingerprint free. Both options work well, but the controller is still too easy to confuse with the dial-like shifter.
Materials are on par if not a notch above most European luxury rivals, and there are 18 speakers to crank out 1,400 watts of premium sound from Bang & Olufsen. Top Sport Prestige trim comes with Nappa leather seats, carbon fiber trim, micro-suede materials for the headliner and pillar covers, heated armrests, head-up display, and upgraded active safety features. Front seats are immensely comfortable without feeling overly soft, and there’s plenty of comfort and room for adults in the back seat.
More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at.
Same powertrains as last year. Base power comes from a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo-four; the upgrade is this 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that outputs 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both are hitched to standard all-wheel drive. At our Mason Dixon Dragway test track, the AWD delivered enough grip for consistent slip-free launches. We hit 60 in 5.0 seconds flat. Run after run, the 3.5T pulled as strong as it sounds. All G80s work with the same paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission, and while shifting was silky smooth on the street, here on the track with Sport Mode and wide-open throttle they were noticeably firmer and quicker.
It was a very surreal experience in the cabin. More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at. For us, that was 105 mph in 13.4 seconds at the quarter. In addition to the G80’s Sport Mode that tightens steering, improves throttle response, adjusts shifting points, firms up the suspension, and reconfigures stability system parameters; Sport Prestige trim adds rear-wheel steering and an electronic limited slip differential. But, even with all of that, it didn’t feel overly sporty in our handling course. Now, we were able to comfortably carry quite a bit of speed through the cones, but there was just an overall soft, somewhat disconnected and heavy presence that had us unsure of how hard we could push. Sport Prestige also adds upgraded performance brakes. They were plenty capable, bringing this 4,600-lbs. luxury liner consistently down from 60 in just 104 feet with little fade.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the six-cylinder are 16 City, 24 Highway, and 19 Combined. We averaged a good 21.3 mpg of Premium. Still, that’s a slightly below average Energy Impact Score, using 15.7 barrels of oil annually with 7.8 tons of CO2 emissions.
Considering the amount of luxury packed into the G80, its $58,350 starting price, even though slightly higher than last year, remains pretty remarkable. It’s a substantial step up to the 3.5T though, as it begins at $70,850.
Genesis has existed as a standalone luxury brand for just less than a decade, and it has indeed been making steady progress into what is surely the hardest segment of all to master. The 2025 Genesis G80 sedan continues to impress and is a great option for luxury-minded buyers who prioritize true value over badges.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: eight-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 375
- Torque: 391 lb-ft
- EPA: 16 City | 24 Highway | 19 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 13.4 seconds at 105 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 104 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 21.3 mpg (Premium)