Mercedes-Benz E-Class credit hire review
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The E-Class is the workhorse of prestige and luxury credit hire supply: big enough to match a 5 Series, A6 or luxury saloon like-for-like, and run in numbers by chauffeur and executive fleets, so hire stock is plentiful. The car itself outperforms its badge in the public record — What Car?'s reliability survey places the E-Class third of nine luxury cars, even while Mercedes-Benz as a brand sits 24th of 30 manufacturers.
Mercedes-Benz E-ClassPrestige & luxury · exact model reviewedAt a glance
| Class | Prestige & luxury; also serves upper executive matches |
|---|---|
| Body | 4-door saloon; estate on some fleets |
| Engines in hire supply | E220d diesel is the fleet staple; E200 petrol and plug-in hybrids appear on newer stock |
| Typical hire spec | AMG Line trim: MBUX widescreen infotainment with smartphone mirroring, leather-look upholstery, parking package with reversing camera, heated front seats |
| Boot | 540 litres saloon (manufacturer figure) |
Is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class a good credit hire car?
As a car to spend a few weeks in, few things at any price are more restful: long-distance refinement is the E-Class's defining talent, and the MBUX cabin is the most impressive thing in this corner of hire supply. On dependability the picture needs both halves stated: What Car? ranks the E-Class itself third of nine luxury cars — a strong result — while placing Mercedes-Benz 24th of 30 as a brand, so the model is a bright spot in a mid-pack range.
What spec of E-Class will I be given?
Almost always an E220d in AMG Line trim, the specification executive and chauffeur fleets buy: widescreen digital instruments and MBUX infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, parking sensors with reversing camera, and heated front seats. Stock spans the long-running W213 generation and the current W214, which carries the larger-screen MBUX cabin.
What is the E-Class like at high mileage?
The E220d's OM654 diesel is the engine the chauffeur trade runs to six-figure mileages, and What Car?'s used-car commentary raises no systemic mechanical alarm with the generation. Its cautions are specific: DVSA-sourced recall records list a campaign for engine-management software on the earliest cars (built to May 2016) that could cause unexpected power loss, and another for rear seat-bench wiring (built to August 2016) that could cut fuel supply and stall the engine — both long since remedied at dealers, and checkable by registration on the government recall checker. What Car? also advises checking the electrics thoroughly and inspecting the bodywork on used examples, the car being long enough to collect car-park scars.
What does the E-Class cost to run?
For the hirer: fuel, and the E220d is remarkably frugal for a car of this size — Mercedes-Benz's published WLTP figures sit in the mid 50s mpg combined, so a motorway week costs less than in many family SUVs. Servicing, tyres and consumables sit with the supplying fleet.
Verdict
Runs for it
- long-distance comfort at the top of hire supply.
- E220d economy defies the car's size.
- third of nine luxury cars in What Car?'s survey.
- plentiful fleet stock means faster like-for-like supply.
Counts against it
- Mercedes-Benz's 24th-of-30 brand standing.
- complex electronics give more to go wrong with age.
- sheer size counts against it in town.
Sources
- What Car? — Used Mercedes E-Class (2016–2024) reliability & common problems: whatcar.com.
- DVSA vehicle recall records — E-Class campaigns, checkable by registration: gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall.
- Mercedes-Benz published WLTP figures, E-Class range (mercedes-benz.co.uk).
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