2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV Road Test and Review

Photo by Brady Holt

Mercedes-Benz is an automaker known for its smooth, sumptuous luxury vehicles. It has also rolled out a flurry of new fully electric models, quickly establishing and fleshing out an “EQ” line of sedans and crossovers. 

The biggest and most expensive of them is the all-new 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. This full-size crossover provides seating for up to seven passengers, an EPA-estimated range of up to 305 miles per charge, a richly finished interior, effortless acceleration, and a smooth, near-silent ride. But this appealing-sounding package costs $104,400 and up. To see what Mercedes offers to help justify this expense, we spent a week testing a midlevel EQS 450 4Matic SUV. Keep reading to learn about its pros and cons and to see if it’s the right luxury SUV for you. 

300-Plus Miles per Charge

The first thing that folks want to know about many electric cars is how far they can go on a charge. In the case of the EQS SUV, the answer is pretty far. A large battery and sleek aerodynamics mean the base rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ SUV can travel an EPA-estimated 305 miles. Meanwhile, the AWD EQS 450 SUV like our test vehicle and the more powerful EQS 580 each can go 285 miles. 

The EPA’s EQS SUV range estimate is in line with the slightly smaller Audi Q8 e-tron and BMW iX, but it trails the Rivian R1S (up to 352 miles) and Tesla Model X (up to 348 miles). However, while we didn’t run our test vehicle down to empty, we’ll note that its trip computer estimated we could go an even more impressive 360 miles. The SUV’s battery can charge from empty to full in about 10 hours using a 240-volt car charger, and it can go from 10% to 80% charge in as little as 31 minutes on a top-tier fast-charging station. Efficiency ranges from the equivalent of 77 miles per gallon for the EQS 580 to 85 MPGe for the rear-drive EQS 450. 

Photo by Brady Holt

Gracefully Disguised Size

At 201.8 inches long, the EQS SUV is among the biggest EVs on the market. But unlike many full-size SUVs, the EQS avoids looking big and imposing. Instead, its sleek body and short overhangs make it look smaller and gentler in addition to improving its aerodynamics. 

The secret is a 126.4-inch wheelbase, 6 inches longer than a Cadillac Escalade’s. This puts most of the EQS SUV’s size into the passenger compartment. Mercedes also gave the EQS the same rounded front-end styling as its EQ sedans, with similarly shaped headlights bookending a similar shiny plastic placeholder where EVs don’t need a real grille. But the EQS SUV is much more upright from head to tail than the extra-sleek EQS sedan. While the EQS sedan looks long and low, the EQS SUV is more traditional-looking — until you realize how big it really is. 

Photo by Brady Holt

Luxury Meets Technology

Like many modern Mercedes interiors, the EQS SUV is a mix of traditional luxury and modern technology. As you’d expect from a high-end Benz, our test vehicle includes sumptuous leather, suede, wood, and metal trim, with graceful curves that complement its digital gauge cluster and center stack. It’s high-tech without being austerely ultra-modern. As on many modern luxury cars, EV and otherwise, some of the controls require a distracting amount of concentration to operate. But everything looked snazzy except for the chintzy removable cupholders in an open area of the center console.

If you want an even less traditional EQS SUV, you can get the optional Hyperscreen. A 12.8-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster are standard, which is what you see on our test vehicle. But you can make nearly the whole dashboard digital with a 17.7-inch central touchscreen that flows into the gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch passenger-side secondary touchscreen. If you want to feel like you’re in a car of the future, an EQS SUV with the Hyperscreen might be just your thing. 

Photo by Brady Holt

Comfortable Seating With Optional Third Row

The S in EQS stands for S-Class, which means its iconic flagship luxury sedan. And the EQS SUV delivers that top-tier S-Class experience. Our test vehicle’s built-in pillows on the head restraints are a testament to Mercedes’ philosophy of decadent comfort. Heated and ventilated front seats come standard, and you can also get massaging and rapid heating for the front seats, along with heated rear and even third-row seats. 

Yes, third-row seats — the EQS SUV is one of the few electric SUVs currently on sale with seating for up to seven passengers. The EQS’s optional third row is smaller than we’d have expected in such a big vehicle, but it’s passable if you slide the middle-row seats forward. 

Photo by Brady Holt

Space for Your Stuff

The EQS SUV’s cargo capacity isn’t quite full-size massive like you’d get in a Rivian R1S, but it’s in line with a BMW iX, more usefully shaped than a Tesla Model X, and more generous than an Audi Q8 e-tron. 

By the numbers, you get up to 31 cubic feet behind the second-row seat and up to 74 cubic feet behind the front seats. That’s less than many mainstream-brand compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue, as well as the gas-powered Mercedes-Benz GLS. But part of the capacity is lost because the EQS SUV isn’t especially tall; it still has plenty of space on the floor to spread out your stuff, just less room to stack it to the ceiling. If you use the third row, though, you get a tiny 7 cubic feet of space; that’ll only handle a few grocery bags or a couple pieces of carefully arranged carry-on luggage. Mercedes doesn’t provide a front trunk, or “frunk,” under the hood, but there is some hidden storage under the cargo floor. 

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Smooth and Silent

Like most luxury EVs, the EQS SUV offers effortlessly quick and nearly silent acceleration. To be specific, the rear-drive EQS 450+ makes 335 horsepower and hits 60 mph in an estimated 6.5 seconds, the AWD EQS 450 like our test vehicle drops to 5.8 seconds, and the 536-hp EQS 580 needs just 4.5 seconds, swifter than many sports cars. The EQS also has poised handling, thanks to its low center of gravity. 

But agile handling and swift acceleration are nothing new for an EV. In fact, many rivals are even faster and have even sportier handling. The EQS SUV’s ace is its extra-cushy ride on an air suspension that’s tuned for serenity more than thrills. Pair that with the near silence of electric motors, and the EQS SUV is an uncommonly genteel vehicle. And to be clear, its speed and handling are also above-average for luxury SUVs overall, just not matching performance-focused rivals. Another EQS perk we’ll mention is four-wheel steering that turns the rear wheels up to 10 degrees for a tight 36-foot turning circle. 

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Six-Figure Pricing

As we mentioned, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV starts at $104,400. That’s for the EQS 450+. The AWD EQS 450 4Matic costs $3,000 extra, while the ultra-powerful EQS 580 (with AWD standard) is priced from $125,950. 

It’s easy for these lofty prices to swell as you add options, too. Our test vehicle came with nearly $10,000 worth of options, including a package with massaging, rapid-heating front seats and four-zone climate control ($3,150), a sound-muffling Acoustic Comfort Package ($1,010), 21-inch wheels ($1,100), a head-up display ($1,100), illuminated running boards ($650), and various other add-ons. As a reminder, the EQS SUV is expensive for two reasons: It’s a lavishly equipped Mercedes, and it’s an electric vehicle with a big, expensive battery pack. 

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Competitors to Consider

The EQS SUV is one of the most expensive electric crossovers on the market. The BMW iX and  Tesla Model X both start around $20,000 less, while the Audi Q8 e-Tron and Rivian R1S have even lower starting prices. And if anything, the gulf can widen as you customize your Mercedes with its wide range of extra-cost options. 

Of these, though, the EQS has the most elegantly sumptuous interior and ride quality. The iX comes closest, but its edgier exterior and interior styling create a different vibe. It also doesn’t offer third-row seating. Just be aware that the already-high Benz premium is even higher in this case. And if you’re looking for a roomy three-row electric luxury crossover and you’re not wedded to the EQS SUV’s gently flowing style, the usefully boxy Volvo EX90 promises family-friendly efficiency when it hits the market in early 2024. Lastly, note that Mercedes sells a slightly smaller, slightly slower, similarly styled EQE SUV for familiar Benz virtues on a tighter budget. 

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Final Thoughts

Strictly by the numbers, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV isn’t a winner. It’s expensive without going beyond the class’s lofty norms for range and speed. 

But on-paper value for the money has never been a Mercedes specialty, with electric vehicles or otherwise. The EQS SUV brings decadent comfort and subtler elegance to a market segment that has lately been more about extroverted design, sport-tuned suspensions, and tech-first interiors. If you’re interested in a more cossetting, less extroverted, yet still excellent EV experience, the EQS SUV is a tempting choice. If your budget permits, you might find it’s worth loosening your pursestrings to choose it over one of its excellent rivals. And if you like gas-powered Mercedes SUVs, you’ll appreciate the EQS’s extra quietness, agility, and efficiency. 

Photo by Brady Holt