2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class vs 2021 Toyota Prius

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was a testament to the brand's commitment to luxury and elegance. It featured a design evolution from its predecessors, adopting a more fluid and curvier form reminiscent of the S-Class and C-Class models. The exterior updates included squinted headlights and an inverted trapezoid grille, giving it a slightly edgier appearance. Despite these changes, the E-Class maintained its reputation as a reserved and conservative vehicle, with a cabin that was a showcase of decadent materials and exuberant style. The interior boasted rich woods, aluminum, and carbon fiber accents, along with advanced features like two 12-inch screens and a digital display, making it a lavish and modern space.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Prius retained its iconic boomerang-shaped hood and roofline, a design choice that had become synonymous with the model's identity. While the styling was not universally praised, the Prius continued to prioritize efficiency over aesthetics. Inside, the Prius featured a unique layout with a central strip of displays and a toggle lever for transmission controls. The interior was functional, offering comfortable seating for five, but the design choices, such as the gloss-black trim, were prone to attracting dust and fingerprints. Despite its unconventional appearance, the Prius remained a practical choice for those seeking a fuel-efficient vehicle.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class offered a range of powertrains, with the E450 model transitioning to an electrified inline-six engine. This hybrid setup, featuring a 48-volt electrical system, provided additional power and torque for brief moments, enhancing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. The E450 delivered 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, while the AMG E53 variant added a second turbo, boosting output to 429 hp and 384 lb-ft. The AMG E63 S, with its hand-built 4.0-liter V8 engine, produced an impressive 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, making it a performance powerhouse. Despite its power, the E-Class maintained a comfortable ride, with fuel economy ratings ranging from 18 to 26 mpg combined, depending on the model.

The 2021 Toyota Prius, on the other hand, focused on fuel efficiency, with the L Eco version achieving an impressive 56 mpg in combined driving. Other front-drive models earned a 52 mpg rating, while the AWD-e versions managed 49 mpg. The Prius was powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a 53-kilowatt electric motor, producing a total of 121 horsepower. While not particularly powerful, the Prius offered a lively feel off the line and electric-only driving capability at low speeds. The TNGA platform provided a lower center of gravity, enhancing handling on curvy roads, though the driving experience was more about maximizing efficiency than performance.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class provided a spacious and luxurious cabin, accommodating four adults comfortably. The interior featured redesigned infotainment systems and touchpads, making everyday tasks more intuitive. The E-Class offered ample headroom and legroom, with supportive cushions and thoughtful design elements like knee cutouts and a scalloped roof. Cargo space varied across models, with the sedan offering 13 cubic feet, the coupe 10 cubic feet, and the wagon providing up to 64 cubic feet with seats folded. The E-Class All-Terrain wagon added versatility with increased ground clearance and additional cargo space.

The 2021 Toyota Prius surprised with its interior space, comfortably seating five passengers. The test vehicle included an eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. While the SofTex synthetic leather upholstery was soft, it tended to trap sweat, making ventilated seats a desirable addition. The rear seats offered adequate room for adults, though the lack of air-conditioning vents was a drawback. Cargo capacity ranged from 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 47.9 to 50.7 cubic feet with the seats folded, providing ample storage for a vehicle of its size.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class featured the MBUX infotainment system, offering a touchscreen interface with improved organization and functionality. The system included natural voice processing, online searches, and gesture controls, enhancing user experience. Optional features like massaging seats and seat kinetics added to the luxury feel. While Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, they were not wireless, and over-the-air updates were unavailable. The E-Class also offered advanced driving assists, capable of limited autonomous driving, though driver engagement was always recommended.

The 2021 Toyota Prius came equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring stereo-volume and tuning knobs, as well as shortcut buttons for main functions. Standard features included Bluetooth, SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The Limited trim offered a 10-speaker JBL sound system and an 11.6-inch touchscreen, though it lacked Android Auto. The digital instrumentation, housed in a strip at the top of the dashboard, appeared dated with basic graphics, but provided essential information.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was recognized for its safety, earning a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" from the IIHS for the sedan and wagon models. The E-Class featured innovative safety technologies, such as Pre-Safe Sound and side bolster inflation during collisions. Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking, driver-attention monitoring, and blind-spot monitoring, with additional driver-assist features available as options.

The 2021 Toyota Prius was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, standard across all trims. This suite included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and more. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. While the NHTSA did not rate the 2021 Prius, the IIHS provided favorable marks, though it did not achieve a Top Safety Pick designation. Safety Connect services were also standard, offering emergency assistance and collision notification.