I drove Mercedes-Benz’s $141,000 Tesla rival. I loved its luxurious interior and extra-long battery life, but it’s not perfect.

• I drove the Mercedes-Benz challenger to the Tesla Model S.
• The six-figure EQS offers impressive range, flashy technology and a plush interior fit for royalty.
• Mercedes lent me a well-optioned EQS 580 that came in at $141,000.

Mercedes-Benz has seen the success of Elon Musk. And that’s enough.

The German brand recently launched the EQS, a luxury electric sedan that takes direct aim at Tesla’s long-running Model S. I recently rode a $141,000 EQS 580, the top dog in the EQS line. And while I loved its plush interior and extra-long reach, it also has a few flaws.

Pros: Super luxurious interior

Tim Levin / Insider

Lock yourself into the EQS and you’re instantly isolated from the chaotic outside world. Its plush seats, premium finishes, ambient lighting, and solid build quality all combine to create a sleek interior that makes you wonder: Is Goldman hiring?

You don’t need to lift a finger in the EQS, which essentially serves as your personal butler. Ask him to activate your massaging seat, and he dutifully complies.

Advantage: Comfortable and silky-smooth ride

Tim Levin / Insider

Even inexpensive electric cars are quite quiet and smooth to drive compared to typical gas-powered vehicles. But the EQS is a cut above. It glides over the road like a hovercraft, completely oblivious to bumps and cracks in the pavement.

Disadvantage: weird and soft brakes

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Like all electric vehicles, the EQS slows down when you release the accelerator using regenerative braking, a process that captures energy from a car’s motors and transmits it to its battery. But Mercedes hasn’t quite nailed the interaction between regeneration and the brake pedal.

Stopping the car, especially on short notice, can be nerve-wracking, as you often have to stomp harder and further than intended.

Advantage: rear wheel steering

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The EQS is a big car, but it doesn’t act like one. This is thanks to a steering system integrated into the rear wheels which helps it make tighter turns.

It’s actually so effective that it caught me completely off guard the first time I saw it rolling around in a parking lot. With the optional upgraded rear-wheel steering assembly, my EQS 580 swerved into parking spots like a Fiat.

Advantage: Autonomy adapted to road trips

Tim Levin / Insider

If you’re spending $100,000+ on an electric car, it better offer what EV buyers crave most: range. The all-wheel-drive EQS 580 offers a generous 340 miles of range, according to estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency. The rear-drive EQS 450+ promises up to 350. (That base model costs just over $100,000.)

Pros: Lots of flashy tech, if you like that

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The EQS is a tech heaven, with not one, not two, but three separate screens up front if you select the optional “Hyperscreen” add-on. Go to four if you count the head-up display, which projects important driving information such as speed and turn-by-turn directions onto the windscreen. That’s five, including the tablet that rear passengers get as part of the “Executive Rear Seating” package.

As you approach a turn, a forward-facing camera view appears with a blue arrow indicating where to turn or which exit to take. And on the highway, Mercedes’ advanced cruise control quickly changes lanes when you flick the turn signal.

There’s even a fingerprint reader that customers can use to access their preferred ride settings.

Cons: Lots of distracting tech, if you’re not as into it

Tim Levin / Insider

The more tech-averse may find all those colorful screens – and the lack of regular buttons – a bit too much to handle.

Disadvantage: No front trunk

Tim Levin / Insider

The EQS has plenty of space in the back, but if you’re buying an electric car hoping to have a front trunk as well, look elsewhere. Competitors like the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan put extra storage up front where an engine would normally be.

But in the Mercedes, your bric-a-brac will have to go in the trunk.