2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC Review – Making the EV Future Look Good

Leave to a luxury car that’s priced beyond the reach of most of us to provide the EV future we want.

Enough range to avoid sweating, a smooth ride, an actually well-designed screen-intensive interior, and just enough fun-to-drive factor to keep you amused.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan has few flaws – but then again, you get what you pay for. And for this car, you’ll pay a lot.

You’ll also get a lot. For starters, you’ll get dual electric motors, one at each axle, combing for a total of 516 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque. This also means you have all-wheel drive, of course.

The EQS is hefty at a curb weight of 5,888 pounds, so that torque is asked to do a lot, but there’s still a smooth swiftness to it. Passing and merging is a breeze, and like with most EVs, all that torque is readily available from a standing start. This is no insane drag car, thanks to all that weight, but that’s not the mission. I rarely delved deep into the accelerator to summon all that twist – but it was there when I needed it.

Microsoft Word’s thesaurus is going to get a workout as I look for synonyms for smooth – that word seems to encompass the entire EQS driving experience. Smooth acceleration, smooth ride, smooth handling. The controls operate smoothly.

I wouldn’t push this car hard in a corner too often, but it’s capable of basic competence when hustled. Mercedes offers better-handling cars, but the EQS is good enough to satisfy. Rear axle steering of up to 10 percent is part of the setup.

I keep coming back to its ride, though. Buttery without being soft, velvety without being overly cushy. Built for road trips and easy commuting. Credit goes to the air suspension with adaptive damping.

Inside, the dash is screen heavy, but despite all the issues we all have with screens – concerns about the cost of out-of-warranty repair, fingerprints dirtying them up, too much distracting menu diving – MB makes it work well enough that you forget about those concerns. It’s not perfect – a few functions do require a bit too much fiddling – but it’s one of the better screen-only setups I’ve used. The bar is low, though, to be sure.

It doesn’t hurt that the haptic-touch buttons on the steering wheel also work well – which is never a given with these systems. A certain other German automaker could learn from how MB does it.

Even the MBUX infotainment system’s voice commands seem to work without being too fussy. There is still some lag and some failed attempts, but it’s better than most other competing systems. Again, it’s a low bar, but MB clears it. At the very least, it all works well enough that it doesn’t frustrate and rarely annoys.

As befits a six-figure luxury sedan that comes without the noise of an internal-combustion engine, the EQS is whisper-quiet. Road and tire noise is well filtered, too. Quiet and comfort are selling points here – not only does this car offer up silent transport, but the seats are friendly to one’s back. Headroom and legroom are plentiful upfront and rear-seat comfort is good, too.

What really stuck out to me, though, was the range. The claimed range is 340 miles, I got my tester with about 320 miles remaining. That was plenty for a trip to my parents' house and then Wisconsin and back. Even with traffic jams, I didn’t have to sweat being stranded, though I did charge for a few hours on my final day with the car just so it could get back to where it came from.

There’s a 9.6 kW onboard charger for the lithium-ion battery. Mercedes-Benz claims a 240-volt charge time of a little over 11 hours from 10 percent to 100 percent, and a DC fast charge time of 31 minutes from 10 to 80 percent. You can use up to 200 kW for fast charging. You can use steering-wheel paddles to adjust the regenerative braking.

For the base price of $125,900, the features list includes the MBUX infotainment system with EV-specific routing options, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, navigation, Burmester audio, ambient lighting, heated and cooled front seats, LED headlamps, and a panoramic sunroof.

Active-driving assist systems include active distance assist with active steering assist, active blind-spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, adaptive assist, and active parking assist with a surround-view system.

Options on my test unit included 21-inch wheels, laminated glass, a rear-seat package that included massaging rear seats and wireless device charging, an AMG interior appearance package that included a flat-bottom steering wheel, and another comfort package that included heated and cooled rear seats, massaging front seats, and four-zone climate control.

Someday, perhaps someday soon, 300 miles of range for an EV won’t be a big deal. Someday, perhaps someday soon, screen-heavy displays will work better than they do now and won’t make us miss knobs and buttons. Until then, however, if you have the scratch, Mercedes has a large sedan with your name on it.

What’s New for 2022

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS is all new.

Who Should Buy It

The EV buyer with lots of cash and a need for lots of range; those who want a flagship luxury sedan experience.

[Images © 2023 Tim Healey/TTAC]

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