Mercedes EQS 450+: Anticipating Needs You Didn’t Even Know You Had!

Isn't that the point to luxury? To anticipate all your needs and deliver flawlessly? That's the Mercedes EQS all electric luxury car does that, and a lot more.

Liv Leigh |

Updated: Apr 4, 2024

Luxury was easier to get used to than I expected!

When I first got into the Mercedes EQS 450+, my mind couldn’t help running to the price. “This is a one hundred and twenty two thousand dollar car!” I’d repeat, in awe, as I sank into the plush, two-toned leather seats, skimmed my finger over my memory seat position and relaxed as the vehicle adjusted to my perfect orientation, tilting the steering wheel, and merging me seamlessly with my cabin. A glance to one side and the EQS would recognize that my gaze was on either side mirror and allow me to adjust it with the wiggle of minimalistic buttons embedded in the door. Turning my attention to the 56 inch gorilla glass, anti-glare, scratch-proof HyperScreen, with 3 taps I could initiate the multi-contour massaging seats that were so enjoyable and relaxing that it was almost distracting!

Mercedes EQS Front Cabin. Photo: Liv Leigh

Two upgrades you can’t pass up: Massaging seats the HyperScreen

Neither the massaging seats nor the HyperScreen come with the base model Mercedes EQS 450+ which starts at $102,310. The massaging seats require an upgrade from Premium to Exclusive trim at $105,710 with the highest trim, aptly called Pinnacle, starting at $108,510 and featuring some of the luxury seating features in the rear seats. The HyperScreen requires an additional $7,230 but it’s hard to separate these showy features from the concept of this luxury vehicle. In fact, the HyperScreen has become so synonymous with the name that, if you were to Google Mercedes EQS right now, those are likely the only images you will see. The popularity of the HyperScreen is understandable. It elevates what could be an elegant and luxurious cabin in its own right into an almost shockingly futuristic, decadently opulent spaceship interior.

Mercedes EQS HyperScreen at Night. Liv Leigh

Watch your friends jaws drop when you pick them up at night in the EQS!

At night the HyperScreen shines, glowing like a command center from a cinematic depiction of vehicles from the future. Edged by a seamlessly embedded 64 color ambient lighting track that caresses the dash, curves around the front door to the rear, and even around the front seats. I quickly determined that my favorite setting was Energy Shine with warning support, operating feedback, and multi-color animation turned on. The cabin was ringed by responsive illumination pulsing from deep blue to white and then red as I sped up. It was so immersive and engaging that it truly felt like the car and I were sharing the driving experience in symbiosis.

Mercedes EQS Illuminated Door. Photo: Liv Leigh

Laid-back, luxury with a good dose of power and silken suspension

The EQS 450 + is a single-motor, rear wheel drive only. Packing 329 horsepower, 419 lb ft of torque, and a zero to 60 of just under 6 seconds. This is a perfectly capable vehicle with enough power to handle daily driving like a breeze and the instant torque we’ve come to expect from electric cars but, if you want more performance, then you’ll need to upgrade to the Mercedes EQS 580 with dual motors, 516 hp, and a $125,900 starting pricetag. Fortunately, it isn’t the power that makes this electric sedan stand out, it’s the extremely cushy ride thanks to the Airmatic air suspension with adaptive damping system. Whilst not meant for off-roading or really bad roads, the EQS turns normal roads into streams of air. You seal into the cabin in a cushion of silence that is accentuated by the pillowy ride. Where some cars are bouncy and others are harsh, the EQS literally glides over the road as if on water. It’s truly a next level experience!

On top of that, all Mercedes EQS 450+’s sold in North America come with 10 degrees of rear wheel steering. Which basically means that, when turning, the rear wheels are actuated to either turn with or counter to the front wheels to assist with the vehicle’s turning performance. What that amounts to in real life is the surreal feeling of driving a much smaller vehicle even though the EQS is almost 17 feet long! This alone was one of the easiest luxury features to get used to. You start to feel a bit invincible, like there’s no turn you can’t make, no U-turn you can’t whip through, no parking you can’t navigate. Couple that with the cushy ride, the opulent massaging seats and the expansive, intuitive command center of the HyperScreen, and you can see why it was so easy to become accustomed to.

Mercedes EQS Rear Wheel Turning. Photo: Liv Leigh

Spry enough to handle mountain roads and switchbacks

I took the EQS on a scenic Colorado drive up Lookout Mountain and, even though this is very clearly a luxury sedan, the press of a haptic button switched between Eco, Comfort, and Sport mode which felt noticeably responsive and peppy without ever relinquishing the cushioned ride on the curvy mountain roads. The expansive glass roof is seamless on the outside but, with the flick of a finger or the command of a “Hey Mercedes” a black cover quietly begins to shield the glass or with a flick in the other direction, the glass opens up to welcome in the fresh air.

Mercedes EQS Glass Roof. Photo: Liv Leigh

Available with custom fragrances and an air purifier

If the air outside doesn’t happen to be that fresh, not to worry, for a $450 add-on you can get the Energizing air control plus with HEPA filter package which literally filters the outside air of airborne pollutants and odors before it enters the sanctity of your cabin. To top it off, for another $350, you can add an air balance cabin fragrance package which embeds a little perfume bottle in the glove box and, at your behest, delicately floods the cabin with your chosen scent.

Activating fragrance in the Mercedes EQS Air Quality system. Photo: Liv Leigh

The Mercedes EQS is one of the most efficient electric vehicles out there!

While flashy and futuristic on the inside, the outside of the EQS is understated elegance with its softly rounded arch design that some have called a “bean.” It’s almost deceptively “normal” looking, which perhaps makes the HyperScreen interior even more shocking, but the exterior of the Mercedes EQS is not just an arbitrary aesthetic choice. That rounded shape is responsible for making this one of the most streamlined and efficient vehicles available on the market. When I first received this vehicle, it was at 100% battery and had close to 440 miles of range! The EPA estimate is only 350 miles but, over my week with this car, it consistently out-performed the stated range. In fact, the only time I saw a real dent in the range was after climbing the mountain which, if you’re familiar with electric cars, is totally to be expected. The rest of the time, I could almost forget that it was even using any power at all with the perfectly silent and smooth ride.

Capable charging speeds for snagging some energy on the go

When I finally did charge the EQS, it was a breeze. It can charge up to 200 kW, which is super fast – it is capable of recharging about 180 miles, or 80% of the battery in 31 minutes – but also necessitates using a level 3 350 kW charger and there aren’t any near my home. So I went to a handy level 2 150 kW Electrify America station at a grocery store near my house, knowing that I’d get slower speeds but opting for convenience over expedience. I activated the charger in the Electrify America app, plugged in, made sure it was charging, and made my way into the store. I only grabbed a few items and came right back but the car was already almost at my desired charge, having held around 120 to 145 kW – so, delivering near the the top of the charger’s capacity – for the charging session.

Mercedes EQS Charging Port. Photo: Liv Leigh

If you need some lateral leg room, the driver’s foot well is a little snug

Now I have a somewhat unique situation in that I’m a right leg amputee so I have to drive with my left leg crossed over to the gas pedal. The center console for the EQS with its 17.7 inch display, encroaches quite a bit on the leg space for the driver. Most people may not find this to be an issue in the slightest but, unfortunately, for me it meant that my right knee was jammed quite uncomfortably against the console, which became a bit painful after a period of time, but the ride was so enjoyable that I did my best to ignore it! Speaking of which, the brake and acceleration blending echo the effortlessly smooth ride. There’s no jarring halt in one-pedal mode as you release pressure on the accelerator, but rather a gradual coasting, reminiscent of a gas vehicle. If you prefer more or less regenerative braking (or as they call it, recuperation), you can easily adjust it with a plus or minus paddle on either side of the steering wheel. I found the normal recuperation setting to be my perfect sweet spot with a gentle braking effect as you ease off the accelerator and an easy coast to stop.

As a right leg amputee, driving with my left leg was a little squashed in this cabin! Photo: Liv Leigh

The Heads up Display is subtle and informative. Photo: Liv Leigh

Useful and intuitive features at every glance

Before I saw this car in person, I thought the HyperScreen may be gimmicky. It’s not. It’s amazing and I love it. The expanse of control and information that is available at your fingertips would be overwhelming if the screen wasn’t so gorgeously embedded into the cabin. It’s easy to get used to planning a route with over 17 inches of map at your disposal and no single task takes up enough of the screen to obscure anything else, like cars with smaller displays.

The expansive HyperScreen gives you tons of visual info. Photo: Liv Leigh

The Mercedes EQS Has A top notch sound system

And finally, the sound system. The Burmester 3D Surround Sound system is the cherry on the ice cream sundae of this immersive, high-tech, pure luxury cabin. Not only is the sound phenomenally good from the start, but you have so many ways to customize your listening experience that you will doubtlessly find the perfect settings for your auditory enjoyment. I loved putting the bass on the highest setting and feeling like I was in my own, private sound studio. Not even a hint of buzz accompanied the immense bass as it pumped through the vehicle, trilling high notes perfectly too, and making all my favorite songs sound better than I’ve ever heard them!

“An amazing electric car!”

Soon my mantra wasn’t “This is a $122,000 electric car!” But instead “This is an amazing electric car!” It was surprisingly easy to get used to all the luxury and there are some features that I will truly miss. The heads up display projects speed limit, driving speed, and navigation data perfectly on to the road ahead. This makes it so much easier to see what turn you need to make and what speed you’re going without looking away from the road.

The Mercedes EQS impressive battery range, comfort features and level of performance and sprightliness belie this car’s lengthy stature. And its ability to answer needs you didn’t even know you had make this level of luxury easy to get used to and, of course, hard to give up.

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By Liv Leigh

An enthusiastic supporter of everything she’s passionate about, Liv got her first Electric Car and immediately made a YouTube ... More about Liv Leigh