Mercedes-Benz Cle53 vs Mercedes-Benz EQE

What's the difference?

The AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ is formidable yet friendly, ferocious yet refined and fun yet functional.

Yes, the price is edging up to previous 63 flagship levels, and it can become a bit noisy inside, but the four-seater coupe’s specification, speed, sophistication and balance are compelling reasons to consider this if your shortlist also includes an Audi RS5 or BMW M4.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE350 4Matic is an electric sedan that will comfortably house your family. My son really liked this one, the ambient lighting in particular!

It has enough power to satisfy the drivers out there and a driving range that will make you feel at ease. But the boot is small and this car will suit families whose kids are out of the pram stage best. I really like the safety and standard features on the EQE but the ongoing costs are a bit expensive for an EV.

Crisp and aero clean with a handsome fastback silhouette, the CLE’s design is very much in the mould of a modern-day C-Class coupe, but with larger proportions in line with what a contemporary E-Class coupe would look like.

It employs the same architecture as the W205 C-Class and W214 E-Class sedans.

Length, width, height and wheelbase measurements are 4850mm, 1861mm, 1423mm and 2865mm, respectively.

Wearing the AMG suffix means the CLE 53’s body differs in small but important ways to the regular C236 coupes.

The front end, for instance, adopts what Mercedes calls a ‘shark nose’ look, for a suitably more macho visage, with vertical slats in the grille and larger air intakes that ultimately aid cooling and performance.

Meanwhile, the tracks are broader by 61mm at the front and 45mm at the rear, and are matched by mudguards that are 58mm and 75mm wider, respectively. This certainly gives the AMG a hunky appearance.

Speaking of which, further AMG visual titivations include a discernibly larger bulge on the bonnet feeding into (functional) side air vents, along with 20-inch specific alloy wheels, as well as a 'Night Package' I and II, comprising black trim elements all around.

A model-specific wider body kit, lip spoiler, twin pairs of tailpipes, diffuser insert and 20-inch AMG alloy wheels complete the CLE’s gymnasium makeover.

Result? The sleek and muscular body’s extra girth, fatter footwear and darkened highlights make the 53 look as menacing as any AMG forbear, setting a very high bar for the CLE 63 to beat when it eventually surfaces. Great work, Affalterbach!

Love it or leave it, the swoopy design of the EQE sedan is decidedly modern with a shiny black grille that features a repeated Mercedes-Benz star motif and the aerodynamic covers on the 20-inch alloy wheels.

The nose is snubby and dips down too low for it to look sexy but the rear earns some design points with its elegant proportions, 3D ‘helix’ LED lights and cute spoiler.

The chrome accents around the windows and the illuminated flush door handles add some pizzazz, too.

I’m not a massive fan of its exterior looks but the interior is gorgeous! The dashboard features an 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel that pull your focus with their crystal-clear graphics but they need to, because the dashboard has a whole lotta empty space which looks a tad boring.

The side air vents are styled like jet turbines but are a little finicky to manoeuvre.

The black suede-like headliner creates a plush aesthetic but when you open the panoramic sunroof, the cabin is downright airy.

The door panels, which double as a grab handle, house the window and side mirror controls and its super handy to have the seat-configurator and memory functions on the door itself, rather than the side of the seat. This positioning makes them much easier to see!

Mercedes has added LED ambient-strip lighting around a lot of the interior, including the front seats, which has a massive wow factor at night time.

The ambient lighting can be adjusted up to 64-ways and also features a dynamic element where the lights pulse (under certain selections) when you accelerate. 

The interior dons a C-Class-in-drag-race do-over. Frankly, the latest – and much more modern-looking – E-Class sedan’s dashboard would have been preferable, however, given its tech-heavy panorama of screens.

For its AMG 53 outing, the cabin boasts an AMG-specific steering wheel with performance mode knobs, a 12.3-inch driver display brandishing a variety of instrumentation styles (including 'Race', 'Sport', 'Classic' and minimal screens) and a multimedia system with track telemetry data within a tablet-style 11.9-inch touchscreen.

There's also electric and heated ‘integral’ sports seats with memory, 'Anthracite' trim elements set against high gloss black inserts, 64 questionable shades of ambient lighting and banging Burmester premium audio with no fewer than 17 speakers.

This is a roomy and well-presented cabin, offering space to spread out up front, a superb driving position, exceptional seat support, quality materials and a decent level of practicality.

Storage is plentiful, most switchgear is within easy reach and the multimedia system is easy to fathom after you’ve taken the time to familiarise yourself with it.

On the other hand, the glossy plastics do not look or feel as elevated as, say, a Porsche’s interior, the air vents feel flimsy to the touch, while trim squeaks were occasionally heard over some rougher road surfaces. It’s not as solid as you’d expect from a Mercedes at this price point.

Rear access is tight due to a slim aperture, as almost all coupes are, but once sat on the contoured rear bucket seats, most adults should find it tolerable unless they’re especially long-legged or over 185cm or so tall.

Further back, a handy 410-litre boot is provided, with a folding rear seat backrest to boost cargo capacity even further, underlying the CLE’s family-friendly packaging.

Note, though, that this is 10L shy of the regular non-AMG models, and smaller than the Audi RS5 (465L) or BMW M4's (440L) boot.

Plus, no spare wheel is available – just a tyre repair kit.

Mercedes uses the term ‘saloon’ for its sedans and this term highlights the space each passenger will enjoy in the EQE sedan! There is plenty of head and legroom up front and you don’t feel like you’re on top of your co-pilot, either.

The electric front seats are comfortable with their adjustable lumbar control and extendable under-thigh support. The kinetic function on both also make longer journeys an absolute pleasure.

The rear seats are well-padded and you get limo-like legroom but the swoopy roofline does cut into the headspace. I’m comfortable enough with my 168cm (5'6") height but someone with a few inches over six-foot may not be.

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to individual storage options with large middle and centre consoles, the latter can be made even larger because the two cupholders are retractable.

There is a massive shelf underneath them that has a handy elastic strap for larger items, like a handbag. The glove box is on the shallow side but both doors have a drink bottle holder and storage bin.  

In the rear, individual storage is also decent with two map pockets, two retractable cupholders in the fold-down armrest, as well as a drink bottle holder and storage bin in each door.

The other amenities in the rear are good with a couple of reading lights and directional air vents. I would have preferred to have seen climate control, too, but there’s enough here to satisfy.

The technology looks high-end but is relatively simple to operate once you get used to the Mercedes-Benz operating system.

The touchscreen multimedia screen has haptic feedback, which just means it vibrates when you touch it, and built-in satellite navigation with an augmented reality feature.

The digital instrument panel is customisable and the coloured head-up display is easy to see.

It is simple to connect to the wireless Apple CarPlay and there is also wired Android Auto.

Charging options are fantastic throughout the car with four USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad to choose from up front.

However, it’s annoying to use the charging pad if you’re also using the cupholders as its awkward to try and get a phone in and out of the housing. In the rear there are another two USB-C ports.

For the class, the boot isn’t massive at 430L and the wheels do cut into the width but it’s been big enough for my shopping errands.

You get a tyre puncture repair kit in the EQE sedan and I like the way you can electrically fold the rear seats if you need extra storage space. Having the hands-free powered boot lid is very convenient. 

There are three models for the EQE sedan and our test model is the mid-spec 350 4Matic grade, which will cost you $144,900, before on-road costs. It manages to slide into being the most affordable compared to its rivals and it has a tonne of features. 

Front occupants enjoy creature comforts like heated and electrically-adjustable front seats that feature four-way lumbar support, extendable under-thigh support, as well as, three-position memory function. They also have a ‘kinetic’ function which I liken to gentle stretching.

Premium items include a panoramic sunroof, black headliner, dual-zone climate control, AMG floor mats, 360-degree view camera system, Burmester 3D sound system, hands-free powered boot lid and electrically folding rear seats (access to the controls are via the boot lid).

The built-in satellite navigation also features an augmented reality feature, which shows dynamic directions overlaid on a video feed. Some might call this gimmicky but it does help navigating a city with all of the little laneways!

On the exterior you get 20-inch alloy wheels with aerodynamic covers and a glossy black grille that features a repeated Mercedes-Benz star motif.

There are a few cool lighting features on the EQE like the Mercedes-Benz logo projected from the side mirrors, a 64-way coloured ambient lighting system and something that Mercedes calls ‘Digital Light’ – which are LED HD adaptive projector-like headlights.

Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre, in-line, six-cylinder petrol engine. Mercedes-AMG calls it “double charged”, with a single, 1.5-bar turbo augmented with an electric compressor as part of a 48-volt Integrated Starter Generator (or ISG).

The latter makes 17kW of power and 205Nm of torque, for a system total of 330kW at 6100rpm and 560Nm from 2200-5000rpm. Up to 600Nm is possible thanks to a 12-second overboost.

It also recuperates brake energy, offers “almost imperceptible” stop/start fuel saving and allows for an off-throttle, engine-off ‘sailing’ mode.

Not interested in economy? Tipping the scales at a hefty 2015kg the CLE 53’s power-to-weight ratio is a sparkling 164kW/tonne.

All Australian-bound CLE 53s feature the Dynamic Plus Package, with a launch-control function that helps deliver an eager 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.0 seconds. Top speed is governed to 250km/h.

Drive is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission. It can simulate double-declutching and offers variable shift modes according to drive settings.

The AWD system, meanwhile, varies torque from 50:50 front/rear to 100 per cent rearwards.

To aid handling, the 4WS system allows the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction to the fronts, up to 2.5 degrees at up to 100km/h, and 0.7 degrees in unison with the fronts above that speed.

Keeping things in control is a four-link front and five-link independent rear suspension set-up, with AMG ride control featuring adjustable dampers and sports spring rates.

The 350 4Matic is an all-wheel drive with two electric motors that have a combined power output of 215kW and a massive 765Nm of torque. The lithium-ion battery has a large 90.5kWh capacity.

The 350 4Matic has a 0-100km/h sprint time of only 6.3-seconds but it feels gusty and you get a tummy-sucking sensation when you have to put your foot down.

Considering the performance on offer, the CLE 53’s 9.6 litres per 100km combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel consumption rating is not too bad. That equates to a carbon-dioxide emissions figure of 219 grams/km. City/highway numbers are 13.2 and 7.6L/100km.

With a 65-litre fuel tank filled with 98 RON premium unleaded petrol, expect an average range of about 685km.

What did we achieve? Driven fairly hard on some of Tasmania’s most beautiful rural roads, the trip meter showed an indicated 9.5L/100km.

The 350 4Matic has an official energy consumption figure of 17.6kWh. My average sat round 16.9kWh and that is after a lot of open road driving. Happy with that.

With a driving range of up to 590km, I didn’t feet any range anxiety!

The charging port is a Type 2 CCS which will accept up to 170kW on DC, which means you can charge it from 10 - 80 per cent in 33 minutes. On an 11kW system, you can see that time jump to just under 10hrs.

The new AMG CLE 53 might look much like several of its AMG 63 predecessors, with its brutish stance and bulging bits, but does the German performance coupe drive and feel like an AMG flagship?

With a 63 range-topper (as yet unconfirmed) in the pipeline, that’s a bit of a moot point here, because that will be an altogether harder, faster and more expensive proposition.

But we can tell you that, even without the bellowing V8 of old, the 53 does a damn-fine impression of a charming high-performance GT with the straight-six .

At the heart of the matter is the inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine incorporating an electric compressor working the lower revs for punchy off-the-line acceleration and a big twin-scroll gas turbo for more-instantaneous responses further up the rev range.

This makes for an impressively rapid real-world tearaway. Not brutally fast in the way even middling EVs can manage to be nowadays, but still with an urge and character that puts you in the mood for speed.

The steering, meanwhile, is alert, faithful and remarkably reactive, with that 4WS rear end tucking in neatly through the tight turns and twisty bits, allowing a feverish pace with a pleasing grace to be maintained.

Assisting that immersive agility is an almost unshakable sense of grip – no surprise given the variable-torque AWD as well as the late-summer warmth and dryness of the roads we were testing on.

Yet, even beyond these factors, it’s clear the AMG’s immense roadholding provides a reassuring layer of confidence and control.

No opportunity was provided to unleash the CLE 53’s full fury on a track, so we can’t tell you how easily sideways or catchable this thing steers in Race mode with all the safeties turned off, but this coupe’s dynamic bandwidth was obvious during the all-too-few occasions we did manage to fang it.

Another positive is the suspension’s ability to soak up the bumps without too much disturbance inside, allowing for easy and effortless cross-country touring. No truly terrible roads were encountered during our half-day in this civilised beast, though, so we’ll have to reserve our judgement on whether this is the comfortable all-rounder that Mercedes claims it is.

What we can tell you is that there is too much road-noise intrusion inside an otherwise isolated cabin. And we’re no fans of the lack of a spare wheel – an absolute necessity in Australia.

Still, first impressions are very positive.

Its maker calls the CLE 53 the AMG for all occasions, and we cannot argue with this logic.

That there’s a decent wad of thrills and emotion on offer to counterbalance this car’s comparative refinement and civility just proves there is a place for the penultimate version of this series.

With the amount of power the 350 4Matic model has, it’s no wonder I enjoy driving it! The motor is responsive and the car doesn’t shift around when you have to put your foot down, either.

The EQE handles beautifully on the road where it feels stable and sure of itself. It tackles corners without breaking a sweat and the steering is crisp.  

The ride comfort is high quality with suspension that smooths out bumps without feeling floaty. The cabin space is quiet even at higher speeds.

There are three levels of regenerative braking – none, normal or strong – ‘strong’ enables a one-pedal driving experience.

It’s responsive enough that you’re confident using it in stop/start city traffic but it wigs me out how the brake pedal moves by itself when activated!

I have kept the level at the default ‘normal’ setting but do tend to turn it off whenever I need to reverse because it can cause a ‘bunny hop’ effect at lower speeds.

The EQE is super easy to park with a clear 360-degree camera system, as well as, front and rear parking sensors. 

The EQE comes jammed pack with safety features and I think the 'Pre-Safe' systems are cool.

For example, a pre-crash audio tone will transmit through the speaker system when an imminent collision is detected. It elicits a reaction from your inner ear that dampens sound when the accident occurs. 

Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree view reversing camera, traffic sign recognition, driver fatigue monitor, and adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality.

The EQE also has rear collision emergency stop and stolen vehicle tracking. The autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, and rear detection is operational from 7.0-80km/h (up to 250km/h for car detection).

The EQE achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. There are a whopping 10 airbags, including a front centre airbag and drivers knee bag.

Back seat passengers also get side chest airbags, whereas its usual to only see these on the front row.

Families will be happy to see ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. There’s plenty of room for front passengers when you install a 0-4 rearward facing child seat.

Somewhat average for most mainstream and luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz offers a five-year/unlimited km warranty, with five years of roadside assistance.

Intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km, and while no capped priced servicing is offered, pre-paid three-, four- or five-year service plans are available, ranging from $4190, $5310 and $7760, respectively at the time of publishing.

On the EQE you’ll enjoy a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by a 10-year or up to 250,000km warranty (whichever occurs first) – which is better than most.

You can pre-purchase either a three-, four-, or five-year servicing plan and the five-year plan costs a flat $3555, or an average of $711 per service.

That’s quite expensive for an EV and the servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car than an EV at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.