I drove Mercedes-Benz's $141,000 electric car and was blown away by its luxurious interior and comfy ride see inside the EQS
Tim Levin
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.Tim Levin/Insider
- I drove the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the German brand's first electric car for US customers.
- Its quiet and luxurious interior is packed full of supple leather, wood trim, and lavish features like massaging seats.
Everybody's jumping on the electric-vehicle bandwagon — and that means you don't need to buy a Tesla if you want a high-end, battery-powered set of wheels.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
People who want to ride in ultimate comfort can now buy a zero-emission car from one of the top dogs in luxury transportation: Mercedes-Benz.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The German brand's first electric offering in the US is the EQS, a four-door sedan that floats down the road, accelerates like a sports car, and cocoons its passengers in an interior fit for royalty.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
I got to test it out for myself.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
There are three versions of the EQS on the market: the 450+, the 580, and the high-performance AMG model.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The car starts at just over $100,000. The fully-loaded EQS 580 Pinnacle that Mercedes lent me came out to $141,400, including some options and a delivery fee.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Let's start with the exterior. Some have criticized the EQS for looking a bit blob-like, and I can't blame them.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Somehow, the EQS isn't quite as elegant as Mercedes's gas-powered sedans, which come off more sculpted than inflated.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Still, the long, sleek, and imposing EQS looks better in person than it does in photos, especially with a striking matte-gray paint job.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Not to mention, that pool-float shape imbues the EQS with some of the best aerodynamic qualities of any car on the market.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It slips through air with minimal drag, giving it a range of up to 350 miles in the 450+ trim and 340 miles in the 580.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The dual-motor, all-wheel drive 580 is slightly less efficient than the 450+, but it makes up for it with performance.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The 516-horsepower EV silently and seemingly effortlessly rockets forward with every push of the accelerator.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
But it doesn't feel harsh. The EQS smoothly glides down the road and soaks up bumps thanks to its air suspension.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
One amazing thing about the EQS: standard rear-wheel steering that cuts its turning radius.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
With the optional 10 degrees of rear-wheel steering, my test car made sharp turns and slipped into parking spaces easily for a 207-inch land yacht.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
There's one sticking point about the way the EQS drives: Its brake pedal feels disconnected and unnatural. You have to depress the pedal way farther than you think to get the brakes to catch.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Walk up to the EQS with the key in your pocket, and its door handles pop out to greet you.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
In the EQS's driver's seat, you're surrounded by rich leather, supple suede, wood trim, and a dazzling lineup of screens.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It's solidly built and feels high-end, as you'd expect from a car that costs 5.5 Toyota Camrys.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
All the knobs, switches, and other high-touch objects feel substantial and satisfying to play around with.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
A fingerprint reader lets owners lock their driver profile.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The EQS's front seats are plush, highly adjustable, heated, and ventilated.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
And every seat besides the rear middle has several massage settings.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Ambient lighting strips are scattered throughout the car. You can set a color or have it cycle between them.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
And then there's the elephant-sized touchscreen in the room, which Mercedes calls the Hyperscreen.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The optional feature adds three screens under a single piece of glass for a grand total of 56 inches of display.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It's all a bit over the top and sometimes distracting. But on the upside, the main screen was easy to figure out, responsive to taps, and visually impressive.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The passenger screen mirrors lots of the functions on the main screen, and you can certainly do without it.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Unless, of course, your passengers can't be bothered to simply reach an extra four inches. We've all been there.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Between the quietude, fancy materials, and a virtual assistant doting on your every need, driving around in the EQS is a serene experience.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Because who cares about traffic when you can simply say "Hey Mercedes, please turn up my massaging seat."
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
My test car came with the $1,690 "Executive Rear Seat Package," which is meant to transform the EQS from a car to drive, into a car to be driven in.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Yes, the back seats are just as upscale and special as the rest of the car, but they weren't quite as palatial as I'd expected. I didn't have a ton of headroom.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Still, back-seat passengers get a removable tablet built into the armrest that controls their massaging seats, air conditioning, and other settings.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The armrest opens up to reveal a wireless phone charger.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Back-seat "executives" also get soft little pillows.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Small gripes aside, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is a luxurious, technology-packed, and endlessly comfortable EV that anybody would be lucky to own.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
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