Eric's Autos: 2026 Mercedes E450 Wagon

The problem with sedans is that they're impractical. Even the full-size ones have proportionately tiny trunks that make it difficult to carry both people and their things. It's not like it was once -- when big American sedans that had huge trunks were common. In fact, there are no longer any American sedans being made -- except for comparatively small and expensive ones made by Cadillac.

And no wagons.

You can still get one of those -- but there are only two brands still selling them (here, in the United States), and neither are American.

They are Audi and Mercedes.

This review will cover the Mercedes E450 wagon versus its main (and only) rival, the Audi A6 Allroad.

What It Is

The E450 wagon is an E-Class wagon. It is the same overall size as the midsize E350 sedan but -- because it is a wagon -- has about five times as much room inside for cargo (64.6 cubic feet) than will fit inside the sedan's 12.7-cubic-foot trunk.

It also comes standard with a six-cylinder engine. This used to be a given in a new luxury sedan with a base price of $63,900, which is the base price of a 2026 E350 sedan. Despite what it sounds like, this Mercedes comes standard with a 2.0-liter four. Mercedes still uses the "E350" badging -- which used to indicate an E-Class with a 3.5-liter V6 -- because it sounds more prestigious than E250, which sounds pretty cheap given the $63,900 price.

Of course, the $78,300 E450 wagon -- which comes standard with a 3.0-liter inline six/mild-hybrid drivetrain -- isn't exactly cheap. But it does come standard with five times as much room, and that may be worth the extra cost.

The Mercedes wagon's last remaining rival -- in the United States -- is the $73,100-to-start Audi A6 Allroad, the wagon version of the midsize Audi A6 sedan.

BMW no longer sells a midsize wagon in the United States; Cadillac only sells sedans and crossovers and SUVs. Lexus just canceled the last sedan it was selling, the LS.

This makes it easier to compare your options, since there are effectively just two.

What's New for 2026

A fingerprint scanner (to "authenticate" users of the massive infotainment screen) is the only major change for the new model year.

What's Good

-- Much more practical than the sedan and -- arguably -- much better looking.

-- Comes standard with the six that ought to be a given in a vehicle such as a Mercedes E-Class.

-- Standard adaptive air suspension delivers ultra-smooth (and ultra-controlled) ride.

What's Not So Good

-- Nearly $80,000-to-start prices most people out of this wagon.

-- Though Mercedes markets this wagon as being "all-terrain" capable, it isn't, really.

-- Formerly available third-row jumpseat no longer is.

Under the Hood

Unlike the E350 sedan -- which comes standard with an engine the same size and type as you used to find in economy sedans (and these now come standard with even smaller engines) -- the E450 wagon comes standard with a size-and-prestige-appropriate 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine.

A four-cylinder engine can be turbo-boosted to make as much power as a V8 (several AMG iterations of Mercedes vehicles have turbo fours that make V8 power), but nevertheless, something is missing. Mercedes has had trouble selling some of its AMG high-performance models that used to come standard with V8s, such as the C63 AMG -- which didn't sell well when the V8 was replaced with a turbo four, even though the four replicated the power/performance of the V8.

Arguably, the E350 sedan seems cheaper than it used to be -- even though it is even more expensive than it used to be when "E350" meant you got a six rather than a 2.0-liter four. Also, the current E350's standard 2.0-liter four only touts 255 horsepower, which is a substantial diminishment versus the no-longer-available 3.5-liter, 302-horsepower V6 that was standard in this Mercedes just a few years ago.

The E450 wagon comes with Mercedes' new six, which is inline and smaller -- but much stronger. It touts 375 horsepower, and that's enough to hustle this wagon to 60 mph in about 4.8 seconds. Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is standard with the wagon, as is an air-adjustable suspension that can be used to raise and lower ride height, which can be handy if it snows. There are also skid plates underneath to protect the guts -- but this wagon is not really meant for going off-road. It is, however, ideally set up to deal with bad weather days on road, and you can also drive it onto grass to park at events and so on without worrying about getting stuck.

A nine-speed automatic transmission is standard. You can also tow up to 4,600 pounds with this wagon, which isn't far off the towing capacity of current midsize trucks.

The Audi A6 Allroad is similar in most ways, but its standard 3.0-liter V6 is less powerful (335 horsepower), and its maximum rated towing capacity is much lower: just 3,500 pounds.

On the Road

Driving a wagon is a different experience for several reasons -- the main one being that you'll probably be the only wagon you'll see on your drive.

Wagons were once very popular alternatives to sedans, but that was before crossovers and SUVs pretty much replaced sedans. This happened because sedans got smaller -- and so did the wagons that were based on those sedans. These smaller sedans -- current "midsize" models such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry would have been rated as compact-sized sedans back in the '70s -- have far less space in their trunks for cargo than crossovers and SUVs do.

The wagon configuration can make up for that, but the only brands still offering them -- in the United States -- are brands such as Mercedes (and Audi), and that means you're not going to see many of them. This makes it easier to find where you parked yours when you're looking for it after doing your shopping.

You'll also have plenty of space for your shopping.

The other thing about driving this wagon is that you're not driving another crossover or SUV. You sit lower to the ground, which is a different feeling. It feels like driving a car -- which is what a wagon is. After all, a wagon is just a sedan (an E-Class sedan, in this case) with a bodyshell shaped to accommodate more cargo.

But the thing that most sets this wagon apart from sedans -- including its E-Class sedan sibling -- is the 3.0-liter inline six engine it comes standard with. This engine is available in the E sedan but only optionally. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder-powered E350 is disappointing to drive for the same reason it's disappointing to find out the premium price you paid to book a suite at an upscale hotel actually bought you a night at the Holiday Inn. Not that there is anything wrong with the Holiday Inn -- at Holiday Inn prices. But when you pay for something more and get less, it's disappointing.

The inline 3.0-liter six is one of Mercedes' finest engines, if that is defined by electric motor smoothness but without the electric motor soullessness. It is utterly quiet when idling, but when you want it to sing, it does.

At the Curb

The obvious difference between the E450 wagon and the E-Class sedan is that one's a wagon and one's a sedan. What's interesting is the difference in space, one versus the other -- particularly since both the wagon and the sedan are the same 194.9 inches long. Yet the E-Class sedan only has space in its trunk for whatever can be stuffed into 12.7 cubic feet. It's adequate for most grocery runs.

On the other hand, the E-Class wagon has 33.1 cubic feet of space for cargo -- which is nearly three times as much space -- and that's just the space behind the second row. If you fold that row down and forward, the capacity for cargo opens up to 64.6 cubic feet, and it's not just that. The length of the space available makes it feasible to carry home items that would never fit inside the E-Class sedan -- at least not without some portion of them hanging out of the open trunk. Perhaps the more important functional point is that a family can go for a road trip in this wagon because there is room for a family's stuff.

There isn't in the E-Class sedan.

This is also an elegant-looking wagon. Though more practical than the E-sedan, it doesn't look it. The shape is as appealing to the eye as the functionality is to the brain.

The Rest

One thing is missing from this wagon that was available a couple of years ago: a rear-facing fold-down jumpseat that made it feasible to carry seven people in this wagon. For reasons hard to fathom, Mercedes decided to stop offering this feature.

The Bottom Line

If you're tired of the crossover/SUV thing but need something more than a sedan, this Benz wagon could be just the thing.

Assuming you can afford it!

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.