The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
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I drove the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the German brand’s first electric car for US customers.
Its quiet and luxurious interior is packed full of supple leather, wood trim, and lavish features like massaging seats.
It’s a dream to drive thanks to two powerful electric motors, a comfy ride, and ingenious rear-wheel steering.
Everybody’s jumping on the electric-vehicle bandwagon — and that means you don’t need to buy a Tesla if you want a high-end, battery-powered set of wheels.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
People who want to ride in ultimate comfort can now buy a zero-emission car from one of the top dogs in luxury transportation: Mercedes-Benz.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The German brand’s first electric offering in the US is the EQS, a four-door sedan that floats down the road, accelerates like a sports car, and cocoons its passengers in an interior fit for royalty.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
I got to test it out for myself.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
There are three versions of the EQS on the market: the 450+, the 580, and the high-performance AMG model.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The car starts at just over $100,000. The fully-loaded EQS 580 Pinnacle that Mercedes lent me came out to $141,400, including some options and a delivery fee.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Let’s start with the exterior. Some have criticized the EQS for looking a bit blob-like, and I can’t blame them.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Somehow, the EQS isn’t quite as elegant as Mercedes’s gas-powered sedans, which come off more sculpted than inflated.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Still, the long, sleek, and imposing EQS looks better in person than it does in photos, especially with a striking matte-gray paint job.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Not to mention, that pool-float shape imbues the EQS with some of the best aerodynamic qualities of any car on the market.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
It slips through air with minimal drag, giving it a range of up to 350 miles in the 450+ trim and 340 miles in the 580.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The dual-motor, all-wheel drive 580 is slightly less efficient than the 450+, but it makes up for it with performance.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The 516-horsepower EV silently and seemingly effortlessly rockets forward with every push of the accelerator.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
But it doesn’t feel harsh. The EQS smoothly glides down the road and soaks up bumps thanks to its air suspension.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
One amazing thing about the EQS: standard rear-wheel steering that cuts its turning radius.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
With the optional 10 degrees of rear-wheel steering, my test car made sharp turns and slipped into parking spaces easily for a 207-inch land yacht.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
There’s one sticking point about the way the EQS drives: Its brake pedal feels disconnected and unnatural. You have to depress the pedal way farther than you think to get the brakes to catch.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Walk up to the EQS with the key in your pocket, and its door handles pop out to greet you.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
In the EQS’s driver’s seat, you’re surrounded by rich leather, supple suede, wood trim, and a dazzling lineup of screens.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
It’s solidly built and feels high-end, as you’d expect from a car that costs 5.5 Toyota Camrys.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read more: I drove a Tesla Model Y and discovered 6 reasons not to buy Elon Musk’s $66,000 electric SUV
All the knobs, switches, and other high-touch objects feel substantial and satisfying to play around with.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
A fingerprint reader lets owners lock their driver profile.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The EQS’s front seats are plush, highly adjustable, heated, and ventilated.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
And every seat besides the rear middle has several massage settings.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Ambient lighting strips are scattered throughout the car. You can set a color or have it cycle between them.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
And then there’s the elephant-sized touchscreen in the room, which Mercedes calls the Hyperscreen.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The optional feature adds three screens under a single piece of glass for a grand total of 56 inches of display.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
It’s all a bit over the top and sometimes distracting. But on the upside, the main screen was easy to figure out, responsive to taps, and visually impressive.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The passenger screen mirrors lots of the functions on the main screen, and you can certainly do without it.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Unless, of course, your passengers can’t be bothered to simply reach an extra four inches. We’ve all been there.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Between the quietude, fancy materials, and a virtual assistant doting on your every need, driving around in the EQS is a serene experience.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Because who cares about traffic when you can simply say “Hey Mercedes, please turn up my massaging seat.”The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
My test car came with the $1,690 “Executive Rear Seat Package,” which is meant to transform the EQS from a car to drive, into a car to be driven in.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Yes, the back seats are just as upscale and special as the rest of the car, but they weren’t quite as palatial as I’d expected. I didn’t have a ton of headroom.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Still, back-seat passengers get a removable tablet built into the armrest that controls their massaging seats, air conditioning, and other settings.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
The armrest opens up to reveal a wireless phone charger.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Back-seat “executives” also get soft little pillows.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Small gripes aside, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is a luxurious, technology-packed, and endlessly comfortable EV that anybody would be lucky to own.The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.
Tim Levin/Insider
Read the original article on Business Insider
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