Mercedes E-Class Estate E63 S 4Matic+ Night Edition Prem+ 5dr TCT Review
Category: Estate car
Section: Version review

The model
Read full reviewIt's not cheap, but the Mercedes E-Class Estate is classy and impressively refined. It's also generally comfortable, easy to drive, well equipped and a compelling option in the luxury estate car sector. Crucially, its boot beats the BMW 5 Series Touring's and Volvo V90's for luggage room, although the V90 does have more spacious rear seats. The E300de plug-in hybrid has the best fuel economy of any equivalent PHEV once the battery is depleted.
The trim
See full equipmentThe E63 S Night Edition Premium Plus has everything regular E-Classes come with and more, including 20in alloy wheels, red brake calipers, unique AMG bumpers and side skirts, a limited-slip differential, heated front seats, nappa leather trim, keyless entry, three-zone climate control, privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with steering and lane-changing assistance, power-folding door mirrors, a sports exhaust, a powered tailgate with gesture control and multi-coloured interior ambient lighting. Then there's the fully-electric front seats with memory settings, the electric steering column, the 12.3in infotainment screen with 'augmented' sat-nav, the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring, the Burmester stereo with 13 speakers and 590 watts, the front and rear parking sensors, the adaptive LED headlights and the 360-degree camera. That's way more kit than you get as standard with the entry-level Audi RS6.
The engine
See full engine specsThis is a crazily fast performance car, which you can see just by looking at the numbers. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine thunders out 604bhp and thanks to four-wheel drive can hurl you from 0-62mph in 3.4sec officially – when we tested the estate it hit 0-60mph in 3.3sec, which was way quicker than the Audi RS6. Needless to say, it feels epic to drive and makes an amazing noise when you give it a boot-full. We love it all – well, apart from the 20mpg average fuel economy.