W214 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Fumbles Crash Test

In the updated test, the rear occupant is a dummy with the physique of a 12-year-old child or small woman. The reason why the nonprofit organization uses a dummy with this particular physique is the lap belt's tendency to slip from the pelvis onto the abdomen, thus increasing the risk of injury.

As you can tell from the footage published by the IIHS on YouTube, the rear-seat dummy's lap belt moved from the ideal position onto the abdomen. The shoulder belt also moved upward, compromising the effectiveness of the restraint system. Because of the aforementioned, the 214-series Executive Class missed out on the coveted Top Safety Pick+ accolade. Instead, the mid-size luxury sedan received the Top Safety Pick award.

But don't be fooled by the laurel wreath because the 2024 and newer E-Class also underperformed in other areas. The standard headlights, for example, feature low beams that create some glare. Last but not least, the safety boffins at the IIHS rated the standard automatic emergency braking system acceptable rather than good.

Part of the reason for this result is the 25-mph daytime crossing child test, in which the subject vehicle reduced impact speed by 11 miles per hour instead of avoiding a collision. The optional system avoided a collision and performed noticeably better than the standard one in all other front crash prevention tests.

Competing against the 5 Series from BMW and the A6 from the Volkswagen Group's Audi brand, the E-Class welcomed the 214 series in April 2023 for the 2024 model year. Electrified powertrains, more tech, and polarizing exterior styling are the highlight changes from the 213 series. Although the platform on which it's based supports V8 and V12 powerplants, the highest you can go with the 214 is an AMG-enhanced I6.

Emphasis on enhanced because said turbo inline-six engine is not assembled mostly by hand in Affalterbach. E 53 HYBRID with all uppercase letters is the name of the AMG variant in question, which is the most expensive E-Class available in the United States of America as of February 2025.

The plug-in hybrid bruiser starts at $88,000 and rocks a combined 577 horsepower. Engaging Race Start mode ups the ante to 604 ponies, which is one better than the V8-powered E 63 S from the previous generation. Considering that the CLE 63 is getting an electrified V8, there is a slim chance for the next E 63 to feature eight cylinders as well.

Lower down the spectrum, prospective customers are presented with non-AMG I6 and I4 engines. The most affordable of the bunch is the E 350 Sedan, whose 2.0-liter turbo inline-four mill offers 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters). Excluding the destination charge, it starts at $62,450 compared to $58,700 and $58,100 for the most affordable A6 and 5 Series models.

In the updated test, the rear occupant is a dummy with the physique of a 12-year-old child or small woman. The reason why the nonprofit organization uses a dummy with this particular physique is the lap belt's tendency to slip from the pelvis onto the abdomen, thus increasing the risk of injury.

As you can tell from the footage published by the IIHS on YouTube, the rear-seat dummy's lap belt moved from the ideal position onto the abdomen. The shoulder belt also moved upward, compromising the effectiveness of the restraint system. Because of the aforementioned, the 214-series Executive Class missed out on the coveted Top Safety Pick+ accolade. Instead, the mid-size luxury sedan received the Top Safety Pick award.

But don't be fooled by the laurel wreath because the 2024 and newer E-Class also underperformed in other areas. The standard headlights, for example, feature low beams that create some glare. Last but not least, the safety boffins at the IIHS rated the standard automatic emergency braking system acceptable rather than good.

Part of the reason for this result is the 25-mph daytime crossing child test, in which the subject vehicle reduced impact speed by 11 miles per hour instead of avoiding a collision. The optional system avoided a collision and performed noticeably better than the standard one in all other front crash prevention tests.

Competing against the 5 Series from BMW and the A6 from the Volkswagen Group's Audi brand, the E-Class welcomed the 214 series in April 2023 for the 2024 model year. Electrified powertrains, more tech, and polarizing exterior styling are the highlight changes from the 213 series. Although the platform on which it's based supports V8 and V12 powerplants, the highest you can go with the 214 is an AMG-enhanced I6.

Emphasis on enhanced because said turbo inline-six engine is not assembled mostly by hand in Affalterbach. E 53 HYBRID with all uppercase letters is the name of the AMG variant in question, which is the most expensive E-Class available in the United States of America as of February 2025.

The plug-in hybrid bruiser starts at $88,000 and rocks a combined 577 horsepower. Engaging Race Start mode ups the ante to 604 ponies, which is one better than the V8-powered E 63 S from the previous generation. Considering that the CLE 63 is getting an electrified V8, there is a slim chance for the next E 63 to feature eight cylinders as well.

Lower down the spectrum, prospective customers are presented with non-AMG I6 and I4 engines. The most affordable of the bunch is the E 350 Sedan, whose 2.0-liter turbo inline-four mill offers 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters). Excluding the destination charge, it starts at $62,450 compared to $58,700 and $58,100 for the most affordable A6 and 5 Series models