By Philip Ruth–
“Damn, nice car!” a mover called out as I slipped past his truck in this installment’s $111,760 electric Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+.
It’s been said that the EQS looks like a well-used soap bar (fair point) while not matching the elegance of the traditional S-Class sedan (debatable). Up close in the city is another story; this EQS 450+ had a striking sleekness that transcended those takes, which was affirmed by the hunky mover. It is not hard to see the benefits there, especially if you’re single.
Another electric car I drove was a $60,215 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS AWD, and its front end apes the savage-looking Silverado pickup, which appears to be opening its maw to devour its prey.
Combine that stylized aggression with the Blazer EV’s 78-inch width—only three inches less than the Cadillac Escalade, and about two inches wider than the Blazer EV—and it became clear why a mid-sized Toyota truck stopped and reversed as I rolled downhill to the Caselli Mansion intersection. It’s tight there, and the other driver instinctively backed off when the imposing Blazer EV approached.
Of course, you’d want to measure your garage before buying. Sort that out, and you’d be free to appreciate the Blazer EV’s palatial interior. Gaping shoulder room, cushy seats, and clear sightlines makes this Chevrolet one for the open road.
The Blazer EV’s instrument panel evokes the look of a premium computer video card, with lots of gloss black and shiny round vents. The quality is decent throughout, and the gaming-chair red accents can be dialed back to black on the order form.
The EQS 450+’s innards are this Blazer EV’s opposite, as you step from the arcade into a rooftop restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef. The wood trim is muted and boldly contoured; the plastics are supple; and the creamy leather holds you in a contoured embrace.
The main dish in the Mercedes-Benz’s interior is its MBUX dashboard, which is ladled with 55 inches total of vivid and dazzling screens.
Hold on; I see you wincing. I’m also not a fan of screens, especially when physical buttons are inherently simpler to operate. And, the EQS 450+’s center display can initially seem like a massive distraction as its finely-detailed map spins its orientation as corners are turned.
It normalizes the more you drive. I’d still like more physical buttons in both these EVs, but both do a fine job of integrating enormous amounts of tech into workable graphics and menus.
Over the road, both of these EVs were nimble beyond their 5,000-pound-plus curb weights, with the Chevrolet’s surprisingly sharp responses contrasting the sensation of comfortably and controllably wafting along in the Mercedes-Benz. Official electric ranges are 352 miles for the rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ and 279 miles for the all-wheel-drive Blazer EV, with similar energy consumption rates.
One note on the EQS 450+: I’d wait for the 2025 model, which adds a stand-up hood ornament. It’s a tasteful touch of tradition on a car aimed directly toward tomorrow.
Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.
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Published on August 22, 2024
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