Mercedes-Benz Eqe300 vs Audi E-Tron Gt

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-AMG EQE53 SUV has some serious tech inside and will fit the family in style. If you're after the AMG experience, you may be a little disappointed as this model leans heavily towards plush rather than sports-SUV. And it does plush extremely well but it begs the question whether the AMG factor is worth the extra cash.

While it may be a very different beast to the R8 supercar, it’s hard to argue that the e-tron GT offers performance that isn’t equal to anything Audi has previously produced. The immense acceleration and power, coupled with the brilliant and clever handling make this updated range, especially the RS pair, feel like something special.The fact that it will save you visiting a petrol bowser and might help cut harmful emissions is just a bonus.

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

We affectionately nicknamed our test EQE53 model the Blue Tic Tac because of its… well, similarity to the mint.

While not uncommon in the EV market, the EQEs pillowy design doesn't exactly scream 'big personality'. However, it does feature some cool features like the massive 22-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers and the AMG badging at the rear. But that's all that separates it from its non-AMG siblings.

Head inside and it features all of the plush comforts and styling you’d expect from a Merc with some of the best ambient lighting in the business and a sunroof that manages to make the cabin feel airy despite all the black trims. 

Some of those trims, like the synthetic grey panels scattered liberally throughout the cabin, are found in all EQE models and don't reflect the grade level. A trim with better tactility and style would be a point of difference.

The dashboard features three screens in a ginormous panel, which surprisingly doesn’t catch the light but does show fingerprints and every spec of dust on it. Which might annoy you as it's 100 per cent the drawcard for the interior and when it's dirty, it's very obvious.

Although I'm not in love with some design choices, it's still a lovely cabin to spend time in.

While there are some big changes underneath, on the surface the design tweaks are quite subtle. 

There are some tweaks to the front grille, headlights, lower bumper and air intakes, but overall the look isn’t dramatically different. The more noticeable styling change is between the S and RS models, with the latter looking more sporty and dynamic thanks to a unique lower bumper design and the larger alloy wheels, which have a sportier look.

The biggest design changes are arguably the introduction of the switchable transparency roof on the RS and the option to use matt carbon camouflage.

The former is another shared element between the RS e-tron GT and Taycan, and it uses a special glass that can switch between being clear or opaque depending on whether you put a current through it. Cleverly, Audi is offering the option to have individual sections alternate between the two states, so you can customise it to your preference.

As for the grandly named matte carbon camouflage, it wasn’t highlighted in Audi’s presentation, but it’s the same material the Lamborghini developed over a decade ago and calls ‘forged carbon’ instead.

Unlike traditional carbon-fibre, which is made from injecting resin into sheets of fabric-like carbon fibre weave, forged composite uses a malleable paste of carbon sheets and resin. This technique is quicker to make and easier to shape into complex pieces, but lacks the visual impact of conventional carbon-fibre.

The biggest design change internally is the new steering wheel, which is a not-quote-squared-off rim that feels nice in your hand without being too thick. The RS models feature two new large red buttons - ‘RS’ and ‘Boost’ - which allow you to select the drive modes and activate the short boost function, respectively.

The cabin of the EQE53 offers plenty of head- and legroom for its occupants. Using the armrests is also a civilised affair as there's not fighting for elbow positions!

Access to both rows is (annoyingly) more complicated than it needs to be because of the sidesteps - which are, quite frankly, useless on a car like the EQE. They hit your shins/calves when you're not using them and using them feels silly.

All seats offer a tremendous amount of comfort but the fronts benefit from heat and ventilation functions that keep you relaxed year-round. They extend everywhere you need them to to get into the best seating position.

Storage is excellent throughout the car and in the front there's an extra-deep middle console (it swallows most of my arm), a large centre console that features retractable cupholders and a big shelf underneath for bulky items, like a handbag, or as my mum joked, Saturday night’s takeout and a bottle of wine!

Each door pocket gets a dedicated bottle holder and the rear also gets two retractable cupholders and a pair of map pockets.

The boot has 520L of capacity available which is a good size for the class and the wide boot aperture and level loading space make it easy to slide things in and out. You miss out on underfloor storage in the EQE53 model but the back seat has a 40/20/40 split to open up storage options.

The technology looks daunting but is very user-friendly once you spend some time with it. The main multimedia system is responsive and you can access the menus from the steering wheel controls as well as the touchscreen.

The system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and satellite navigation, all of which are easy to use. Charging is good with eight USB-C ports (six up front!) and a wireless charging pad.

Despite having four co-pilots this week, the additional screen in front of the passenger remained mostly unused and ended up being more of a novelty.

The real bugbear has been the air-conditioning system. Despite having a pre-climate function, it takes ages for the car to cool down and my eight-year old struggled in the rear the most. The rear vents just don't seem to pump much out, even on the top speed setting.

Once the system has cooled the cabin, though, it's like a fridge. But until it does... you really notice the 30+ degree days!

Practicality is an important consolidation for the e-tron GT, it may have replaced the two-seater R8 as Audi’s definitive performance hero, but it’s a four-door sedan so it needs to be more family friendly. It’s especially relevant for Audi, as the brand has a history of brilliantly combining family needs with fast cars, namely its iconic wagons, the RS4 and RS6 Avants.

Audi also has a strong reputation for some of the best interior design in the industry, and the e-tron GT is arguably amongst its best work (at least in this reviewer’s opinion). It looks modern and stylish without leaning too far towards being different simply because it’s an electric car.

The new steering wheel fits the new design well, framing the digital driver’s display nicely. The display itself has a new RS-specific display for the higher-end models.

There’s a central infotainment touchscreen, but underneath this particular Audi skips the climate control touchscreen in favour of a digital readout and physical switchgear; a welcome relief for some, no doubt.

As for the seats, all three trim levels get the same style of sports seat trimmed in Nappa leather with a honeycomb stitch pattern. There are different finishes, both black and red leather, and some with contrasting stitching available through the optional design package. The RS performance package gets a unique ‘serpentine green’ stitching to stand out.

Small item storage in the front is adequate but not generous, which does make the e-tron GT feel more like a sports car at least, even if it doesn’t help practicality.

As for the rear, space is surprisingly good given the external dimensions and the nature of it being a low-roof sedan (rather than an SUV) with batteries underneath the floor. That’s largely because Audi has split the battery pack to allow for extra room in the rear for passengers’ feet, combating a common problem with electric sedans.

Headroom is adequate, and will be tight for anyone much taller than 180cm, but it will do the job of transporting the family in relative comfort. It is, by no means, the most spacious or family friendly model in the Audi range, but it does play its role as both a performance car and roomy sedan.

The boot is measured at 405 litres in the S but shrinks to 350L in the RS models, but both have the same 77L space under the bonnet, so space is (again) reasonable without being generous.

The 2025 range begins at $209,900 for the S e-tron GT, steps up to $264,900 for the RS e-tron GT and hits $309,900 for the new RS e-tron GT Performance (all prices exclude on-road costs).

While there is more power and equipment, that’s still a significant leap in price, with the previous e-tron GT starting at $181,784 ($28,116 cheaper) and the RS e-tron GT priced from $250,484 ($14,416 cheaper).

This pushes the Audi close to its most direct rival, the Porsche Taycan. Despite what the brands try to say publicly, the reality is these two are very closely related mechanically. Porsche now has two models cheaper than the S e-tron GT (the $174,500 Taycan RWD and $184,500 Taycan 4), while the Taycan 4S is priced just above it at $215,700.

Porsche’s rival to the RS e-tron GT is the $260,300 Taycan GTS, while it has the $306,900 Taycan Turbo to challenge the new RS e-tron GT Performance - plus the Turbo S and Turbo GT above it for those craving more power.

While the Audi isn’t bad value, it isn’t surprising that people in the market for an electric performance car from Germany are leaning towards the Taycan instead of the e-tron GT given the pricing structure.

In terms of specification difference between the three variants, the S e-tron gets 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering, HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lights, and a panoramic fixed glass roof.

Moving up to the RS e-tron GT adds unique 21-inch wheel design, a panoramic glass sunroof with a new switchable transparency, performance brakes with a carbide coating, and an RS-specific instrument cluster design.

The RS e-tron GT Performance crowns the range with its own 21-inch alloy wheels, active suspension and a specific RS Performance exterior electric sound system as standard. 

There are a range of option packages too for all three models, which bundle extras together. The Sensory package ($6000) and Design package ($3800) are available for the S, the RS can be had with the Gloss carbon exterior styling package ($6000) and RS design package ($4500), and the new RS Performance has the matte carbon camouflage exterior styling package ($10,000) and a unique version of the RS performance design package ($4500).

The EQE53 is an AWD and has dual electric motors - one at the front and one at the rear.

Without the optioned AMG Dynamic Plus Package, the motors produce up to 460kW and 950Nm but with the package those outputs jump up to a staggering 505kW and 1000Nm!

That means the 3.7-second 0-100km/h sprint time also improves to 3.5-seconds. Suffice it to say, it's enough to blow your hair back and considering we have no roads in Australia you can really let this thing loose on, it's more than enough power for anyone.

The key number for the new model is 680kW - that’s what the new RS e-tron GT Performance produces from its dual electric motors. That makes it the most powerful production car Audi has ever offered, which is quite an achievement when you look back at some of the cars this brand has built over the years.

That power upgrade is an extra 205kW over the pre-facelifted RS e-tron GT, and comes with a whopping 1027Nm of torque.

The RS e-tron GT has been upgraded too, now making 630kW/865Nm, a 155kW improvement on the old model. Which is a good thing, because the new S e-tron GT has even more power than the original RS, underlining just how much Audi has focused on power for this mid-life enhancement. The new S packs a 500kW/717Nm punch, compared to the 475kW/830Nm the previous RS offered.

Non-AMG EQE models see decent driving ranges over the 500km mark, but the EQE53 has an official range of up to 485km which again positions it in the middle of its rivals. So, not bad, but a larger range would be welcome as the EQE53 is a comfortable road-tripper!

The EQE53 has a a claimed consumption figure range of 23.0 to 25.6kWh and a lithium-ion battery with a large 90.56kWh capacity.

After a week of open-roading, city-driving and not being shy in using its power, my average has been around 25.5kWh, which is solid for an electric performance SUV.

The EQE53 has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can hook it up to the faster DC chargers and it accepts up to 170kW on this type of system meaning it goes from 10-80 per cent in as little as 32 minutes. On an 11kW AC system, expect it to hit 100 per cent after 14.5 hours. 

Another one of the significant unseen changes for this update is the battery. Audi has overall the battery for this latest e-tron GT, so it now has higher energy density (168.3Wh/kg), more size (105kWh v 97kWh), faster charging (10-80 per cent in 18 minutes) and reduced weight (down 9kg).

Despite all the extra power, driving ranges for the three models are still all beyond 500km. The S e-tron GT has a claimed range of 558km, the RS e-tron GT can manage up to 522km and RS e-tron GT Performance can run 528km on a single charge, according to Audi. 

As for the charging itself, Audi claims it now takes just 18 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent using an ultra-fast DC charger.

I really wanted the AMG EQE to be crazy-fun like its petrol-powered cousins but while it has the specs to support that wish, it never feels wild.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected for an AMG model. The 53 is still one cool customer and its composure on the road is wonderful but it's a model that a grandparent could get into and not feel overwhelmed by. Power is smoothly delivered and when you need to take off, it responds eagerly .

Steering is firm and responsive but it’s the rear axle steering that makes the EQE53 feel nimble in the city or a tight car park despite its bulky size. It corners well, without much roll and you can tackle a winding road at speed with confidence.

The ride comfort is very good with minimal outside noises finding their way inside and the suspension is plush without feeling like you’re floating on top of the road.

The visibility is mostly good but the wide A-pillar is annoyingly in the way for my driving position and I have to duck my head around it to see clearly on roundabouts.

The 360-camera system is top notch but the camera angle turns when you move the steering wheel, which takes some time to get used to. Otherwise, the EQE53 is an easy one to park.

Befitting its role as Audi’s performance hero, the new range drives with a level of speed and precision you would expect from such a car.

Even the new S e-tron GT has a level of acceleration that not every sports car could keep up with (the official 0-100km/h claim is 3.4 seconds), which would be impressive on its own but is a standout when you consider this is a four-door sedan.

It also helps that the adaptive air suspension and all-wheel steering (which can help both low speed manoeuvring and high speed changes of direction) make for an incredibly responsive and agile handling vehicle.

And then you drive the RS e-tron GT Performance and the driving experience is a step up again with its 2.5s triple-digit sprint time. That’s largely because of the new active suspension system it uses, which features a hi-tech array of cameras, radars and sensors to ‘read’ the road ahead of it and adjust the ride accordingly.

The result is arguably one of the best riding, most comfortable electric performance cars on sale today. Typically the need to control so much weight, from the batteries, means the ride is often too firm. But with the active suspension, Audi has somehow managed to make the ride both compliant (on 21-inch wheels) but also very well controlled, which allows you to really drive with precision even at speed.

But it’s not just the suspension, as mentioned earlier, the RS models also get a new ‘Boost’ button on the steering wheel that offers an extra 70kW of power for 10 seconds. Along with the surge of extra performance there’s a large countdown timer on the digital dashboard when you press it to really give you a sense of urgency and speed.

Thankfully, with so much power the e-tron GT range has plenty of stopping power. The S comes equipped with steel brakes, which do a fine job. But for the faster RS models, you get a carbide coated rotor and you can option ceramic brakes for more resilient stopping power.

Audi has equipped the e-tron GT trio with a respectable level of safety features, including adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, park assist plus, front and rear autonomous emergency braking, active lane assist, side assist with exit warning, collision avoidance assist and a 360-degree camera system for parking assistance.

Given its low sales volume, ANCAP has not crash tested the e-tron GT (or the structurally similar Taycan), so there is no score. But overall its level of equipment and Audi’s reputation and experience means we have no safety concerns over this particular model.

The EQE SUV is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is not unusual for its grade level but it has a longer-than-usual battery warranty of up to 10-years or 250,000km.

You can pre-purchase a three-, four- or five-year servicing program. The three-year program costs a flat $2240, while the four-year program costs $3525 and the five-year option costs $4085.

All pricing is pretty competitive for the class but servicing intervals are odd at every 12-months or 25,000km as it's typical to see intervals on EVs at 24 months.

Audi offers its standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the three e-tron GT variants, but the battery gets a specific eight year/160,000km warranty. The five years of coverage is fairly standard for the luxury car segment, but short of the increasingly common seven-year warranties for mainstream brands.

As for the servicing, that’s included in the cost of the car, with Audi covering the first six years of maintenance for no additional charge. It helps that service intervals, without a complicated and oily engine, are stretched to two years or 30,000km.