The Ioniq 6 is a genuinely impressive efficiency champion, real-world 300+ miles on the big battery, 18-minute fast charging, and a ride quality that punches above its used-market price of $24-29k. The deal-breaker you must accept: the ICCU can fail without warning and strand you completely, even on 2025-2026 models, despite Hyundai's extended warranty covering the repair itself. The warranty means you won't pay for the fix, but it won't prevent the tow truck. Buy this if you have backup transportation or work from home; skip it if you're a single-car household or can't afford an unexpected stranding.
This is Mercedes doing what it does best: building a highway cruiser that wraps you in a quiet, refined cocoon while the miles disappear. The inline-six in the E450 delivers the silken power this chassis deserves, and owners who maintain them properly report 200k+ miles without drama. But if you're shopping used, generation matters enormously. Diesel models across multiple eras suffer AdBlue injector failures that clog systems and trigger check engine lights. Older examples need diligent maintenance or they'll punish your wallet, and the four-cylinder E350 feels like the wrong engine in this car. The current W214 generation earned genuine acclaim (Car and Driver's perfect 10/10, MotorTrend's 2025 Car of the Year), but you're still paying luxury repair bills to keep any E-Class running right. Buy the six-cylinder, keep up with services, and you get a car that genuinely elevates highway driving above the BMW and Audi alternatives.