Farewell to the Mercedes E-Class – Why the Era of Spacious Sedans Has Ended

The vehicle models of taxi operators differ little in many places from those used by platform operators like Uber & Co. If a passenger does not want to take a seat in one of the questionable platform ride service vehicles and instead commendably takes a taxi, they should also receive more for the generally higher price.

A Thing of the Past - The Black Limousine

The Mercedes E-Class was once an inseparable part of the cityscape. In West Germany and West Berlin, passengers were chauffeured through the city in well-maintained limousines, while in East Berlin the robust models of the Russian brand Volga dominated. The appearance changed when the color scheme for taxis was established in 1971: the elegant black gave way to the practical "light ivory"—a color that may evoke many things, but hardly valuable ivory. The regulation was supposedly meant to improve visibility and prevent the vehicles from heating up too much in the summer. 

Even more tragic, however, is what happened later to the fleet. The E-Class, long synonymous with comfortable taxi rides, has now almost disappeared from the business in many cities.

Diesel scandal, environmental aid, and the Toyota wave

A significant turning point was the year 2015. The diesel scandal shook the industry, and the German manufacturers came under pressure. Particularly active at that time was Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), which advocated for stricter emissions standards – and was ironically co-financed by Toyota. The consequences soon became apparent in the taxi industry. Daimler withdrew from the subsidized sale of taxi models, and the E-Class became simply too expensive for business owners. Instead, more and more hybrid vehicles found their way onto the roads – primarily the Toyota Corolla. The once spacious limousines were replaced by vehicles whose interiors not only seem narrower but also more spartan.