Mercedes-Benz E200 2025 Review

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200, at $117,900 before on-road costs (ORCs), in many ways could easily pass for its more powerful and better-equipped E300 sibling, which is tagged at $131,500 before ORCs.

The E200’s sacrifices include a less-punchy, 150kW/320Nm version of the E300’s 190kW/400Nm mild-hybrid drivetrain and a slight downgrading of cabin furnishings. Compensation is found in its staggered AMG 20-inch wheels measuring 8.5 inches wide at the front and 9.5 inches at the rear, respectively wearing 245/40 and 275/35 tyres.

Most significantly, the E200 Benz is only a whisker away from matching its BMW 5 Series M Sport competitor which is priced at $116,900 before ORCs. The E200’s other German rival, Audi’s A6,45TFSI S Line, starts at $123,600 before ORCs.

While almost a visual clone of the E300, the 2025Mercedes-Benz E200 is very on brand inside.

Trimmed to Avantgarde level with black leather comfort seats (part of the available Comfort Package), the front pews are powered, heated and adjusted by the familiar door-mounted controls. There’s also a leather-rimmed multi-function steering wheel, auto-dimming interior and driver-side mirror as well as a panoramic glass sunroof. Mercedes-Benz’s Parktronic active parking system is also standard.

The no-cost Exclusive Line interior package brings more chrome, open-pore black ash wood trim and substitutes the standard 20-inch AMG wheels with multi-spoke 19-inch alloys.

Our review E200 was fitted with the $3500 Comfort Package option that adds ‘climatised’ three-stage seat heating and cooling as well as colour choices for the seat upholstery that include Tonka Brown and Macchiato Beige.

The E200 is covered by the Mercedes-Benz five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with five years of roadside assist and servicing intervals spaced at 12 months or 25,000km – whichever comes first.

Three pre-paid service plans are available for the E200, covering three, four or five years and priced consecutively at $3395, $4675 and $6945.

A pioneer in passive and active safety systems, the iconic German brand doesn’t hold back with the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200 despite it being the base mode. It presents with an essentially complete contemporary list of technologies.

It’s highlight by high and low speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a lane-keep/lane-trace system that is more intuitive than enforcing, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring with active assist, pedestrian protection, cross traffic alert, driver attention detection, active-shadowing LED headlights and a collection of parking cameras.

The E200 harnesses 10 airbags and was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating in August 2025.

The Mercedes-Benz E200’s control layout combines functional clarity and a tasteful spread of displays that manage not to be too challenging and distracting for the driver.

The 14.4-inch main touch-screen handles navigation and MBUX Multimedia functionality, plus affords access to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It’s big and generally intuitive in operation, helped by a head-up display.

A smaller 12.3-inch configurable screen for the instrument cluster is viewed through the top half of the steering wheel, which provides driving information as well as being a secondary source for satnav viewing. USB-C ports are distributed through the front and rear of the cabin and there’s a mobile phone charger in the centre console.

In terms of audio, there’s a 730-watt 17-speaker Burmester surround sound system and the acoustic comfort package.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benx E200 uses a hybridised 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

It employs a 48-volt lithium-ion battery driving an integrated starter-generator that both initially fires up the engine and kicks-in with an extra boost of up to 17kW and 205Nm when needed. Although Mercedes Benz has had a lot of experience with hybrids, this is the mildest of the mild and is essentially the same as used in the GLC 200 SUV.

Fitted with the same powertrain, the E300’s stronger performance comes from its higher-output four-cylinder turbo that develops 190kW and 400Nm – compared to the E200’s 150kW/320Nm. That equates to a zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 6.3 seconds, which is 1.2 seconds faster than the E200.

Officially, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200 drinks 95-RON fuel at a rate of 7.2L/100km.

During a week of driving in mainly urban conditions without any significant passenger loads, we recorded an average 8.6L/100km, which is slightly above the norm in a segment where full-blown hybrids are common.

The E-Class has long been known for its exemplary ride qualities and the sixth-generation W214 continues the tradition with its balance, composure and well-weighted and quite quick steering. It’s nimble in the corners and cruises with the aplomb expected from the brand.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200’s accelerator response is on the positive side of adequate, although there’s a clearly four-cylinder character to the 2.0-litre engine that intrudes noticeably when it is working near the top of its rpm range.

Getting to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds should be fast enough for most E200 customers, though, and the nine-speed auto copes well minimising overtaking-time on the open road. The only noticeable flaw is the hesitant accelerator response when a quick getaway from a standstill is needed.

At night it’s fascinating being aware of the active-shadowing light displays of the digitally controlled LED system where the beams are divided into no less than 1.3 million pixels to protect other drivers from headlight glare. If the absence of headlight-flashing from oncoming traffic is any indication, the system seems to work a treat (it also helps reduced reflected glare from traffic signs).

The E200 is not likely to be a target vehicle for those intending to tow a small boat or caravan, but the quoted braked towing capacity is 2100kg. That’s slightly better than rivals such as the BMW 520i M Sport and Audi A6 45TFSI S Line (both rated at 2000kg).

Ensconced in a cabin replete with wood, leather and chrome while being supported by orthopaedically correct seating, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200 is a very nice place to be.

Unless, that is, you are relatively tall and sitting in back seat behind an equally tall front passenger who is likely to rob you of a surprising amount of legroom. Even though the sixth-gen E-Class has grown, it’s still classified as a large sedan by VFACTS, so the lack of stretch-out room is unexpected.

None of this is to denigrate the general air of opulence in the entry-level E-Class, nor the generosity of standard creature comforts. The control layout is cleanly presented and not as intimidating as some and includes niceties such as a power-adjusted steering column and the familiar door-mounted seat-adjust controls.

The only insistent irritation in our review car came from the in accurate finger-slide volume controls for the Burmester surround-sound system.

The E200’s 540-litre boot (with a power-operated lid) is on-par with its significant competitors and up to expectations and uses 40/20/40-split folding rear backrests. The only deterrent is that there’s no spare wheel of any type – just an inflator kit.

With sizable savings in purchase price but not much to visually (or operationally for that matter) separate it from the E300, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E200 should be considered a viable option for E-Class customers not seeking a performance-orientated large luxury sedan (as per the 450kW, six-cylinder plug-in hybrid E53 AMG).

Without being overly opulent, the E200 ties comfort, refinement and competent dynamics with a restrained and tasteful design that’s good for the long term.

As the GLC now dominates Mercedes-Benz production lines, the E200 is a nice taste of the old-world German sedans that once dominated the luxury market.

2025 Mercedes-Benz E200 at a glance:
Price: $117,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol mild hybrid
Output: 150kW/320Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2/100km
CO2: 162g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2025)

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