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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Mercedes-Benz E-Class - What the Auto Press Says

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class ranks 1 out of 13 Luxury Large Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 52 published reviews and test drives of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class held the top spot in our Luxury Large Car rankings for most of 2008 and 2009, but Mercedes has improved it anyway. Entirely redesigned for 2010, the new E-Class has a new sense of style inside and out. It features more athletic road manners than the car it replaces and, incredibly, a lower price. The new E-Class is a must-see for every luxury large car shopper.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class doesn’t make any sense.

It’s a better car than the 2009 E-Class. It has an eye-catching look that’s best seen in person, an opulent interior with an old-world panache that other luxury cars can’t match, a newfound sporty character and a list of safety equipment that boggles the mind. Yet it’s cheaper than the car it replaces. Mercedes improved the E-Class drastically for 2010, then cut its price. A seasoned auto critic with the New York Times writes, “I can’t recall a price cut of this magnitude -- nearly 9 percent -- on any recent car, let alone one that’s been fully redesigned.”

The new car is less-expensive than the old one, but it isn’t cheaply made. The Times continues, “Not only is there no evidence of cost-cutting, but in terms of interior luxury, the E-Class actually moves closer to the flagship S-Class sedan.”
Other Cars to Consider

Still, the Benz won’t be the perfect car for every luxury large car shopper. The BMW 5-Series and Audi A6 are better handlers -- but the E-Class has narrowed the gap, and is now nearly as poised as those cars.

But there may not be a large sedan with a better balance of luxury, style and performance than this one.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan: The Details

Safety-conscious shoppers, in particular, should explore the E-Class. It offers all of the typical safety equipment luxury buyers are accustomed to, but also has a new bag of tricks that no competitor can match, including an Attention Assist system designed to help drowsy drivers stay alert, and a system that automatically dims the highbeam headlights to avoid blinding oncoming cars. It’s enough to make the Volvo S80 duck in shame.

The E-Class is also offered in a coupe body style, but shoppers shouldn’t consider the two interchangeable. The E coupe has the same engine and transmission choices as this car, but it’s built on the C-Class chassis, which gives it very different handling dynamics and interior proportions.

The E-Class sedan is available as a V6-powered E350, which reviewers say is an adequate performer but lacks the punch of similar models from BMW and Audi, or a V8-powered E550, which should easily satisfy speedsters. A 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is optional on both. A hybrid model and a diesel-powered edition are expected to join the E-class stable for the 2011 model year, but neither has yet been made available to the press. The high-performance E63 AMG is covered in a separate review.