Compare the2024 Volvo C40 RechargeVS 2023 Mercedes EQE Sedan

Both the C40 Recharge and EQE Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The C40 Recharge Ultimate has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The EQE Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The C40 Recharge has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The EQE Sedan doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the C40 Recharge’s standard Hill Descent Control allow you to creep down safely. The EQE Sedan doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the C40 Recharge and the EQE Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the C40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EQE Sedan has not been tested, yet.

The C40 Recharge’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the EQE Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the C40 Recharge for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EQE Sedan.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 4 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo C40 Recharge electric motors is faster than the EQE 350 4MATIC electric motors:

On the EPA test cycle the C40 Recharge gets better mileage than the EQE Sedan:

The C40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the AMG EQE (257 miles vs. 225 miles).

The Volvo C40 Recharge may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 750 pounds less than the Mercedes EQE Sedan.

The C40 Recharge is 1 foot, 10.1 inches shorter than the EQE Sedan, making the C40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The C40 Recharge is 2 feet, 9.4 inches shorter than the AMG EQE.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the C40 Recharge uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The EQE Sedan doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the C40 Recharge has a standard rear wiper. The EQE Sedan doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The C40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EQE Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the C40 Recharge second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The EQE Sedan isn’t in the top three.

The Volvo C40 Recharge outsold the Mercedes EQE Sedan by 28% during 2023.