My experience of a 2024 Merc EQA350 as a loan car
Discussion
I was very pleasantly surprised by it!
Specs were 0 to 60 in 6 seconds(it is 4wd), and 288bhp/384Ib/ft/2035kg.
It had around 200 miles on the range when I got in it, and I drove about 60 miles in it. It was still showing around a 150 miles left on the range when I handed it back.
At first the braking regeneration got on my nerves a bit, but I did get used to it though. One pedal driving(mostly) was quite novel too I thought. I did say to my missus that it was a shame that it weighs so much though, because with less weight I reckon that it would feel pretty quick to be honest.
The initial pick up when I floored it wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be, especially because a lot of owners of EVs do say that it is immediate, but this wasn't anyway. Plus it never felt all that quick, however I am used to a F82 M4 as a daily though, plus the Merc GLE400d that we have also has far more torque in comparison to the EQA(it is heavier though).
Having a loan car that I didn't have to replace the fuel in felt good, and if you're only doing local runs, then I can definitely see why many love EVs for sure. It opened my eyes in a positive way, and that surprised me really, because I'm usually very quick to dismiss electric in fairness.
I just wanted to share some positivity about electric for a change really, and I felt like the car deserved it.
Specs were 0 to 60 in 6 seconds(it is 4wd), and 288bhp/384Ib/ft/2035kg.
It had around 200 miles on the range when I got in it, and I drove about 60 miles in it. It was still showing around a 150 miles left on the range when I handed it back.
At first the braking regeneration got on my nerves a bit, but I did get used to it though. One pedal driving(mostly) was quite novel too I thought. I did say to my missus that it was a shame that it weighs so much though, because with less weight I reckon that it would feel pretty quick to be honest.
The initial pick up when I floored it wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be, especially because a lot of owners of EVs do say that it is immediate, but this wasn't anyway. Plus it never felt all that quick, however I am used to a F82 M4 as a daily though, plus the Merc GLE400d that we have also has far more torque in comparison to the EQA(it is heavier though).
Having a loan car that I didn't have to replace the fuel in felt good, and if you're only doing local runs, then I can definitely see why many love EVs for sure. It opened my eyes in a positive way, and that surprised me really, because I'm usually very quick to dismiss electric in fairness.
I just wanted to share some positivity about electric for a change really, and I felt like the car deserved it.
GT9 said:
Quoted, just in case... 
We spend countless hours on here arguing the toss about the theoretical benefits of one powertrain vs the other, the weight, the weight again, and then just for good measure the weight for a third time.
Get in these cars and drive them and it all goes out the window when you realise that they are a pleasant place to be, cover most of the bases and don't leave you feeling shortchanged.
Having said that, 140 bhp per ton was never going to set the world on fire.
We spend countless hours on here arguing the toss about the theoretical benefits of one powertrain vs the other, the weight, the weight again, and then just for good measure the weight for a third time.
Get in these cars and drive them and it all goes out the window when you realise that they are a pleasant place to be, cover most of the bases and don't leave you feeling shortchanged.
Having said that, 140 bhp per ton was never going to set the world on fire.
The weight of this definitely played a big part for me in the corners from a driving perspective though. However it isn't designed to be great in the corners though to be fair to it. A lot of the reviews slate the way it drives from a drivers perspective as well. However as something to just sit back and relax in, I did really rate it though for sure.
The steering wheel was comically light to use, and that took away any satisfaction of throwing it around for me(it reminded me of the old Audi TTS we had regarding that too). The TTS was a pretty poor car in the corners from a drivers perspective too, however it was a lovely thing to live with though(much like this was).
SWoll said:
You need to try something like a Model 3 Performance or i4 M50. I guarantee you'll be blown away by the drivetrain in either for normal road driving. Won't give you the fizz of your M4 at full chat but the way they shove you down the road is preposterous and so much more accessible/useable than ICE for a daily driver.
It has got me eager to try something much faster for definite, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know this for the day. I love driving different cars in general, because I enjoy driving, and I also really like to compare cars to each other as well. So this was a good experience for me really. plfrench said:
Was it in Sport mode or similar Lee? I'm surprised it didn't feel notably more sprightly than the GLE400d at least! EV power delivery and absolute performance can be quite significantly different across the various driving modes! This might explain the steering feeling very light too - maybe it defaults to Comfort mode on start up?
I didn't think about what mode it was in to be honest, but you're right now I think about it and it will default to comfort I think, and there was a dynamic button on the centre console, and that would've sharpened things up as you say. 
I'm so used to just leaving the GLE400d in comfort mode(I do use sport very occasionally though in it), so I didn't think about changing it. I wished I had now in fairness!
I never leave the M4 in its most docile settings for example in comparison.
plfrench said:
You'll set Lee right back now, just as he was giving EV more of a chance
TheDeuce said:
I think it's very poor to give someone a 'surprise' EV. I'm glad you were positive about the opportunity to try something new and try and learn, but just handing over the keys to someone with no EV experience isn't really good enough.
I've been given 3 EVs now from Merc as loan cars when the GLE400d has gone in for a service(it has been serviced 4 times now and it is only just over 2 years old because of the mileage we do). I'm a bit surprised to get an EV when I'm taking an ICE in for a service really(I don't ask for an EV either). I think that they're trying their best to convert me though perhaps?!
Zero Fuchs said:
You feeling ok hun?
Sorry, I hate it when people trot out that line but thought it was fitting in this instance
Props to you Lee for giving it a go though and posting your thoughts. I don't post much any more (I'm amazed GT9 still has the motivation, so props to him too!) but it's good to see a genuinely unbiased opinion, especially from someone who has petrol in their veins.
I don't know you well at all but know your posts well enough to appreciate that this is an honest account.
I really appreciate your kind words thanks. Sorry, I hate it when people trot out that line but thought it was fitting in this instance
Props to you Lee for giving it a go though and posting your thoughts. I don't post much any more (I'm amazed GT9 still has the motivation, so props to him too!) but it's good to see a genuinely unbiased opinion, especially from someone who has petrol in their veins.
I don't know you well at all but know your posts well enough to appreciate that this is an honest account.
Yes and it is totally genuine. I'm trying to be more open minded about the EV stuff really, and I really did enjoy my time with the car. Plus as many of you have mentioned, it isn't a great example of the breed either in fairness. So I will look forward to trying a faster/more highly regarded EV at some stage for sure.
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