2025 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain Review: Designed for Every Road
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If you don't appreciate a station wagon featuring air suspension, an off-road driving mode, standard all-wheel drive, and a leather interior, I'm not sure we can get along. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain embodies all of these attributes and much more. It also represents the most affordable entry point into an E-Class wagon in the U.S. and is undoubtedly the most practical option in the lineup.
But does it outshine the Audi A6 Allroad?
Joel Feder
The Essentials
The E-Class All-Terrain made its comeback with the new E-Class generation for the 2024 model year. The design and technology were refreshed, while the fundamental features like air suspension, increased ground clearance, and some off-road capability remained unchanged. This isn’t designed for extreme off-roading; rather, it's perfect for ski weekend getaways.
The latest All-Terrain adopts the new E-Class look, resulting in an attractive wagon. The horizontal headlights connect to the black grille, giving it a raccoon-like appearance. The overall body design is merely an evolution, and the rear hatch showcases stylish, starry LED taillights. It’s elegant and understated, yet a bit flashier than its predecessor. The electronically retractable door handles, which occasionally fail to pop out immediately when touched, seem unnecessary. The All-Terrain's standout feature is the unpainted plastic fender cladding, which provides a rugged "I can take on the outdoors" vibe.
Joel Feder
Inside, the All-Terrain feels like an E-Class with extra cargo space and no trunk. In other words, it’s a pleasant environment. The Macchiato Beige on Black leather interior feels justified at the tested price of $87,960. However, the shiny piano-black plastic trim comes off as cheap, and the $1,500 MBUX Superscreen Package, which turns the dashboard into one large glass panel with three screens (including a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 14.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a 12.3-inch display for passengers), feels excessive.
The E-Class has expanded over the years, and my kids didn’t complain about legroom in the back. However, my daughter quickly remarked that the cup holders in the flip-down center armrest were “designed for ants” and suggested that Germans should test some American-sized water bottles in the future. She certainly has her opinions, and I wonder where she gets them from.
Joel Feder
Driving the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain
Every E450 All-Terrain is equipped with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo inline-six engine combined with a mild-hybrid system, delivering 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission manages the shifts, with all-wheel drive as standard. Mercedes claims this setup allows for a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.6 seconds, making the vehicle impressively quick—and it certainly feels that way.
The inline-six engine operates smoothly, while the nine-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly. Steering in Comfort mode is light yet accurate, requiring minimal adjustments on the highway. Switching to Sport mode adds heft to the steering, but it feels artificially weighted.
Joel Feder
A significant feature of the All-Terrain should be its air suspension paired with all-wheel drive, but it falls short of expectations. The air suspension lowers by 0.6 inches at speeds over 75 mph to improve fuel efficiency and high-speed agility in Comfort mode. However, Off-Road mode raises the vehicle to 7.8 inches of ground clearance (up from the standard 6.4 inches) but operates only at speeds up to 9 mph before automatically disengaging and lowering the vehicle.
Contrary to the Audi A6 Allroad, which can switch to Allroad mode to raise the air suspension and lock the all-wheel-drive system even after the car has been turned off, the All-Terrain cannot raise the vehicle or lock the all-wheel drive for long-term use. This effectively undermines part of the vehicle's intended purpose.
Off-Road mode does offer hill descent control, which seems rather unnecessary, in addition to a surround-view camera system and a transparent hood feature to assist the driver in avoiding sizable rocks and hazards that could damage the vehicle. However, my primary desire is for all-weather stability while navigating through a snowstorm on the way to the slopes.
Joel Feder
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain has a starting price of $77,250, which includes a $1,150 destination fee. My well-equipped model, featuring 20-inch AMG-designed wheels and summer tires for $859, along with the MBUX Superscreen Package, a $1,950 Driver Assistance Package
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