Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W214) review: an S-Class cabin for a 5 Series price
4.4/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Order the E200 with the optional front-passenger Superscreen only if you actually use the co-pilot's display; otherwise the standard cabin is already the best in the class and the money is better spent on the Air Body Control suspension, which is the option that most improves everyday comfort on Bahrain's roads.
Pros
- Rear legroom approaches limousine territory for a mid-size sedan
- Optional Superscreen and rear touch controls are unmatched in the class
- Very quiet, stable cabin at causeway cruising speed
- Air Body Control suspension transforms ride quality on patched roads
Cons
- Standard steel-spring suspension feels notably firmer than the Air Body Control option
- Superscreen is an expensive option most owners will rarely use
- Servicing and parts pricing sit well above a mainstream sedan
- Options quickly push the on-road price toward S-Class territory
The W214 grew again over its predecessor, and the extra length went almost entirely into the wheelbase — rear passengers now get genuine limousine-adjacent legroom in a car that is still called a mid-size sedan. Combine that with the optional 141 cm-wide Superscreen spanning the dashboard, and the E-Class is doing a convincing impression of a car costing 50% more.
A chauffeur's car as much as an owner-driver's
In Bahrain's corporate lease market, where the E-Class is a default choice, the rear-seat experience matters as much as the front. Optional rear touch controls, a fridge-style rear console and genuinely quiet cabin isolation at 120 km/h on the causeway make the case on their own, independent of how the car drives from the front seat.
How it actually drives
The E200's 2.0-litre turbo four with mild-hybrid assistance is smooth and adequately quick without ever feeling urgent, which suits the car's character. Air Body Control adaptive suspension, where fitted, is the transformative option on Bahrain's patched secondary roads — the standard steel-spring setup is competent but noticeably firmer over expansion joints and speed bumps.
Fuel and servicing costs sit above a mainstream sedan but in line with what buyers in this segment expect, and the causeway commute in particular plays to the car's strengths: quiet, stable, and unruffled at 120 km/h for the whole crossing.