The Mercedes-Benz E450 Has One Mission: Comfort Above Everything

You know, there’s still something to a good sedan. It’s becoming a lost craft, with all the rigamarole surrounding crossovers, SUVs, and trucks. Or even the super-ification of every sedan left on the market. The joy of a luxury sedan—emphasis on luxury—has almost been lost. After a weekend with the new and distinctly unsporty 2024 Mercedes-Benz E450, I was firmly convinced: It is a beaming beacon of serenity and sanity.

OK, sanity might be a bit of a stretch considering Mercedes has added an optional third screen to an already LCD-dense dashboard. And yes, the infotainment might be overwhelming for most. But there’s still something to the E450 that I haven’t found in anything besides other mid-grade Mercedes products: A holistic approach to the problem of comfort and luxury. The core of the new E-class is that of a fuel-sipping, soft-riding, silent commuter missile.

Deep beneath the hedonistic amount of gimmicks, this is a car to pay attention to. In a market of dreary or outright ugly (looking at you, BMW i5), this Benz doesn’t miss the forest for the trees. This, folks, is still a true luxury sedan.

With an all-new generation for 2024, the E450 is still the mid-size sedan choice in the Mercedes matrix of cars. For the nerds, it’s called the W214 (superseding the W213), and it has grown in every direction despite looking largely like the old one. It’s one inch longer, 1.1 inches wider, and half an inch taller than before, with a fully redone interior that is closer in vibe to the EQ range of EVs. The E450 keeps its smooth and reserved turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (thank god) with 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft, and it goes a full half-second quicker to 60 miles per hour than before, though performance is hardly the objective.

With the new ergonomics, the 2024 E-Class is the first non-EQ Benz to feature three displays in its dash: A 12.3-inch gauge cluster, a 14.4-inch central display, and a 12.3-inch passenger display. While the gauge cluster and central display are standard, the third display is part of the $1,500 MBUX Superscreen package. And before you ask—no, there are almost no buttons in sight. I could only track down two: The fog light switch and the