Louth Motors: BMW i4 vs Merc EQE - Eclectic, Executive, Electric, Encounters

It used to be quite easy. You got a job, made good career progression, rose up the corporate ladder and accumulated a few bob along the way. You then felt the need / pressure to get a car in keeping with your status. Once you made the decision to buy an executive car, that’s you after all, the choice was quite simple. Choose one of the three German marques, or the equivalent from Volvo or Lexus.

Now it's not so easy. First you've to decide on the fuel which if you are considering an executive car today you’ll feel the pressure to go all-electric. And that’s where the difficulty arises. We now have to add in Tesla, Polestar and the two wonderful offerings from Kia and Hyundai, the EV6 and the Ionic5 respectively.

But let’s suppose you are a traditionalist and lean towards Germany. Then you haven’t got a clear choice. Audi don't have an all-electric sedan concentrating on SUV’s. That leaves BMW and Mercedes.

In the BMW corner we have the i4 and from Mercedes the EQE. Mercedes have kept with an E in the name for their all-electric car (that’s about all) and BMW are sticking with their numbers - in this case 4. Both drive the rear wheels only, of course. But a 4 series and an E Class are not directly comparable so there is even more difficulty in making a decision.

The i4 is an electrified 4 series with the EQE an all new, all-electric car. It’s actually built on the same platform, shortened a bit, as the EQS the electric S Class which is incredible as that’s always held as the paramount offering from Mercedes. So a great start. BMW seems to be hedging their bets by electrifying the 4 series.

Looks wise, the cars are trying to retain the expected look of a car in this sector but with a few electric idiosyncrasies.

The EQE has that vent free grille which screams electric car whereas the i4 has the familiar ever enlarging twin kidney grille, now being called Bucky Beaver in less complimenting circles, that again is vent free. For some reason in photos it doesn't work but up close in the flesh it doesn't look as divisive. The drooping front on the EQE and sleek sides and rear demonstrates an OCD fetish for the avoidance of a straight line/crease.

So I’ll summarise my likes and dislikes for both cars next. I like the range, space, looks, quietness and comfortable ride in the EQE, no so much the price premium, brakes and boot access. In the EQS it's a hatchback which would be perfect here and at around town speeds the brakes have very little feel.

The i4 has presence, pace, a driver centric control system but only the driver and front seat passenger are spoiled. Rear passenger space is poor with not enough legroom and the brakes are that bit too severe at low speed.

The boot size is bigger in the i4 by 40 litres at 470 litres which may explain the rear legroom deficit. But it doesn't explain one of the expected benefits of an electric car, namely a frunk as there’s none in either.

In a head to head race the EQE will take 7.3s whereas the i4 will, unsurprisingly, beat it at 5.7s. The EQE is for refined comfort, as is the i4, but the i4 has the sporty requirement too which is borne out by the performance figures.

I’ll explain the differences in both cars thus. I drove the EQE as if I had a bomb in the back and anything sudden would set it off because that’s the way it would be driven most of the time savouring the comfort and finesse on offer. I was not so restrained in the i4 which lulled me into pushing it harder which I confess, I did. It’s now firmly vying for the mantle to be the electric drivers drivers car, a mouthful indeed.

Materials in both cars are good but I’d have to record that the quality hasn't moved on by an amount you’d expect in a new car from both companies.

Both of these cars are not exact competitors but they are currently the go-to saloon offerings from Germany. The entry price difference between the two cars is significant with the EQE starting at €85,295 and the i4 tipping the scales at €60,825. Start adding in the goodies and those prices will seem keen for either model.

The all-electric 5 series, when and if it comes, will be a proper head to head so picking one over the other is a tad unfair. Range in the EQE is a claimed 662 kms with 589 km the claim for the i4. Now do you see how real world the ranges have become even if the prices are becoming other worldly? I managed to put the EQE on a fast charger when I was at 30% and the kWs going in were 128kW, it can take 170kW, which meant a quick stop for a coffee had me back to 80% in jig time. The i4 will give you 100kMs after 4 mins on a similar charger so “refilling” is getting quicker at the right charger.More of these please.

If I was to pick one of these cars I’d be drawn to the EQE. It is a more complete package and designed from the outset to be. The i4 applies electric technology to an existing car, a very good one, and somehow maintains that distinct BMW driving feel.

It seems like the more things change the more they stay the same and executives seeking a move to an electric car and value driving excellence and heritage will still be knocking on the doors of BMW and Mercedes.