There’s been a lot of talk lately about station wagons—I mean, a lot considering that they make up around 1% of the overall car market. In the past month, Mercedes-Benz announced a shooting brake version of its all-new CLA, but only for Europe, with more possibly on the way. Audi announced a fresh version of its A6 Avant. Volvo is flirting with doing away with them altogether.
When I wrote this piece for Bloomberg Businessweek earlier this month, I discovered that virtually everyone in my life has owned a wagon at some point or has a beloved wagon story they tell time and again, the favorite points lovingly pressed like stairsteps worn down over the years. I bet it’s the same for you. Wagons, with their distinctive but humble shape, tend to occupy the same special space in our brain that includes sunny summer holidays and ski trips, flea markets and fishing, a favorite teacher or caring parent. They’re classier than trucks, smarter than minivans, more polite than SUVs.
So, I was happy to get some time in the Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic All-Terrain, one of the very few new wagons for sale in the US today. Despite its mouthful of a name, it’s a bona fide wagon in the best sense, with an extended body painted in a soft turquoise suitable for family outings and virtue signaling alike. Because that’s just it, isn’t it? If I see someone driving a station wagon, I assume they’re a nice person.
The Essentials
The first official Mercedes-Benz-adjacent wagon was the Universal, built by the company’s Belgian partner IMA in 1966. But the true wagon version of Mercedes’ 123 series entered production in April 1978, marking the start of well more than 1 million Mercedes wagons made to date.
The E-Class All-Terrain model has been in the US since 2020. It has a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that gets 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed transmission, all-wheel-drive and air suspension come standard.
Pricing starts at $76,100. The one I drove cost $87,960 because of additional options, such as a trim package with an illuminated front grille and heat-and-noise insulated glass; leather seats; and a large touchscreen, which includes a 12.3-inch LED front-passenger display with a selfie and video camera.
Fuel economy on the wagon falls in the middle of the pack, with 25 mpg achieved in combined city and highway driving. (It’s a mild hybrid, which means you don’t need to plug it in.)
The Good
The interior of the E 450 is the Goldilocks-perfect blend of modern and analog, with buttons to control all the expected things (seat position, windows, audio volume) and a nice big screen and computer icons to control the rest, like navigation and apps. It’s softly illuminated by thin light bands spanning the dash and center console; the ash wood-grain storage compartments and soft brown leather seats with matching (rather than contrast) stitching imparts a sense of old-world craftsmanship and quiet, decent luxury.
From the driver’s seat, as I tooled my way to the office in Century City and back to Hollywood each day, the E 450 felt like driving a shorter, sportier-looking sedan. It’s nimble and sprightly, with a leveling system that keeps it at constant ground clearance regardless of how loaded up the car is and while adapting to any rough road conditions. It lowers by 0.6 inch at speeds above 75 mph to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel efficiency.
There are also lots of safety and crash-avoidance goodies, such as “Pre-Safe,” which detects motions that suggest a collision or roll might be imminent. It’s happened to me before, when I was approaching a car too quickly from behind. The car instantly tightens seat belts, adjusts the front passenger seat to upright, and closes the windows and sunroof to help secure the vehicle before a potential accident. I can’t say how effective those actions might have been in the event of a crash, but they did make me feel the car was alert and ready to batten down the hatches, as it were, if needed.
The Bad
There’s not a lot I can pick apart in this vehicle, a tried-and-true model well suited to the affluent wagon-ista. The price will be prohibitive to some: It’s roughly $15,000 more than that of the E-Class sedan and among the most expensive new wagons available. (Mercedes tells me its wagon buyers are among the most affluent across its portfolio.)
And those looking for a plucky, rough-and-tumble wagon should look elsewhere, namely Subaru or even Audi. The E 450’s off-road mode doesn’t do much more than activate some cameras underneath the car. Instead, use this sledge for leisurely jaunts to Ojai—the Hamptons of California—or the Hamptons Hamptons in New York, where you can fill the back with antiques and art and stay planted firmly on the pavement.
If You Remember One Thing
Want to endear yourself to friends, family and foes with an instant image upgrade? Buy a station wagon. This modern classic will do just fine.
. Read more on Business by NDTV Profit.