Want a 2021 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain? Think about these cars, too

Seriously, it ain’t about the money, wagons accounting for barely a decimal point of Mercedes Canada’s total annual sales volume. Maybe it’s just plain ol’ stubborness, the belief that, despite the fact the sales action is in SUVs, Stuttgart’s management knows in its heart-of-hearts that a wagon is a better vehicle overall than a sport-utility vehicle.

For one thing there’s Mercedes most excellent 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Every bit as capable as anything in an SUV this side of a Rubicon Wrangler, the All-Terrain will take you almost anywhere that an SUV will. Save for the ground clearance and axle articulations required for serious off-roading, this wagon can handle mud, snow, and gravel just as well as any of its jacked-up cousins, and perhaps better than most.

The powertrain displays the same level of sophistication. Mercedes recently switched from a traditional V6 to a BMW-like inline configuration in most of its mid-displacement coupes, wagons, and sedans. Putting all six pistons in a row rather than slung out in a vee has all manner of benefits, which include, but are not limited to, much smoother running and a sweeter exhaust note.

Packaged in E450 guise with a turbocharger and Mercedes’ EQS belt-alternator-starter hybrid system, there’s 362 horses and 369 pound-feet of torque to be had. It’s essentially the same engine that powers AMG E53s, save for the lack of an electric supercharger. Even in this lesser guise, the big Merc will get to 100 kilometres an hour in less than five seconds and feels nothing short of powerful. Move up to an AMG’ed motor if you want the throatier exhaust note, but never think you’ll need more power.

I’m not saying that Lamborghinis cower in fear or that the big Merc makes sounds that are even remotely Ferrari-like. But, if you wanted the same kind of performance from a (weightier) sport brute, you’d need at least two more pistons and will probably be sucking back three more liters of hi-test per 100 klicks.

The ride is also cushier. Even given Mercedes’ typically stiff dampers, the wagon fairly glides over bumps that would send many an SUV a-rockin’. The only way to get a vehicle with a high centre of gravity to not flop around like a beached whale in corners is to stiffen up the suspenders. That which SUV intenders specifically don’t like about wagons — their low ride height — is the very reason the wagon can simultaneously handle better than their favoured sport-utes and still manage bumpy roads with more grace.

As for the interior, the decor is what has very much become ubiquitous Mercedes glitz. Quiet elegance is melded with a stupefying level of tech-ery. Computer screens dominate the dashboard. Oh, they’re actually a bunch of smaller screens disguised to look like a (small) TV-sized display, but the effect is unique.

The upside is that the displays are colourful and — difficult to do with pixels — bordering on the elegant. The downside is that all that computing power can be complicated and little things — like flipping through radio stations — are not nearly as convenient or easy as programmer types claim. I’ve made my peace with Mercedes’ infotainment systems, but MBUX would still not be my first choice were I able to transfer computer systems to different brands of cars.

In the end, all this goodness will matter not if you don’t like the E450’s style. And to make that easier, Mercedes, like Audi before it, has morphed its wagon into a quasi-SUV. Now officially called the “E450 All-Terrain,” it’s basically the same old estate with body cladding and chrome and bolder fascias front and rear. Whether that’s enough to get you over your anti-wagon bias, I’ll leave in the eye of the beholder.

The infotainment might be, however. Frankly, it’s not great. The Sensus never was all that easy to use in its infancy, and now with updated systems available on its competitors — such as Mercedes’ MBUX — and even newer Polestars (a.k.a. electrified Volvos) it just feels out of date. The rest of the interior is pretty sweet and, as you might expect, it’s chock-a-block with safety gizmos. If you can get past the infotainment system, it’s a more than worthy competitor to the Mercedes.

On the other hand, Mercedes’ inline engine is the healthier of the two sixes, its 362 horses up some 27 hp more than the Audi’s V6. It’s also smoother, and it’s hooked up to a nine-speed automatic versus Audi’s seven-speed. Both come standard with all-wheel-drive, of course.

Inside, both interiors are tech-laden, heavy on touchscreens, Audi using a traditional stacked design while the Merc splays out its screen horizontally. Both are traditionally German-luxurious, the Audi a little more Spartan in its lack of switchgear while the Mercedes retains some traditional buttonry. The Audi has a smidge more legroom for passengers, the Mercedes a little more cargo space. Fairly evenly matched, if one appreciates sophisticated powertrains, you’re better off with the All-Terrain. If visual appeal is more important, then I suspect you’ll find the Audi more to your liking.

It also rides on softer suspension than the AMG version, but while that may cause a little more roll than in the GLE 53 — and perhaps a lot more than the E450 wagon — it manages potholes and frost heaves with more decorum. Overall, it fits the GLE’s intended use better than the AMG 53, save perhaps for those third-row seats (if they were only useful). It is also as quiet as the proverbial church mouse and one of the most refined SUVs in its class. Still doesn’t handle as well as the wagon, though.