Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloon full 9 point review
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Performance
Three new diesel engines and a couple of direct-injection petrol turbos provide the bread and butter, while V6 and V8 petrols and a V6 diesel are the jam. Despite the emissions clean-up campaign they are more than adequately powerful, with the mid-range 168bhp diesel in the E220 CDI – the big seller – particularly impressive.
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Ride & Handling
You'll need to pick your car carefully, because there are three different suspension systems (one for the SE, a lowered version for Avantgarde and Sport models, and air-sprung on the V8-engined E500) plus a variety of wheel-and-tyre combinations. Based on the Avantgarde with 17-inch wheels we've driven, the ride is pliant and supple, high-speed stability is rock-solid and clever shock absorbing contributes towards tidy if unexciting handling.
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Refinement
Bad news first: there's some wind flutter along the sides at motorway speed, road noise on coarse surfaces is rather too high and the most powerful four-cylinder diesel in the E250 CDI is gruff when accelerating hard. That aside, the E-Class is a model of refinement and smoothness with a cabin that is a haven of peace.
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Buying & Owning
The Mercedes E-Class is competitively priced when compared with its rivals, while its emissions-cutting Blue Efficiency technology will make it a lot cheaper to fuel and will also lower company car tax. Blue Efficiency is the name Mercedes gives to its fuel-saving, CO2-reducing measures. The technology has helped to slash consumption by up to 23%.
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Quality & Reliability
Mercedes is clawing its way back after a spell when it was criticised for dumbing down on both quality and reliability testing. Mercedes says that the E-Class covered more development miles than any of its previous models, while the materials in the cabin are a decided step back towards top form, with squishy plastics and slick switchgear. Only the lower seat bases and door trims - the areas most likely to be scuffed - are hard and unyielding.
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Safety & Security
A driver-drowsiness detector, nine airbags and a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in collisions are all standard on the E-Class, while Avantgarde and Sport models have headlights that automatically switch between main and dipped beam to match the flow of oncoming traffic. Lane-change and blind-spot warning systems are available, as is a night-vision camera.
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Behind The Wheel
The interior style of the E-Class echoes that of the bigger S-Class to some extent, with a central control unit to operate many functions. The seats offer excellent comfort and can be combined with massagers and automatic side bolsters that hold you tighter when cornering. The trouble is, the more extras you order the busier the interior becomes: there can be more than 60 buttons and switches around the driver.
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Space & Practicality
The E-Class's five seats offer decent head-, leg- and shoulder room, with rear-seat passengers especially well catered for. The boot floor is square, but it is a little shallow, and it can be quite a stretch to reach luggage that has been pushed right to the back.
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Equipment
As usual with Mercedes-Benz, the spec meets expectations for a car of this class without going the extra mile, but there's an options list as long as your arm to let you tailor the car to just how you want it. Three spec levels are available – SE aimed at corporate fleets, Avantgarde for buyers seeking a bit of modern luxury, and the self-explanatory Sport versions.
E-Class rivals
E-Class used car reviews
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Saloon E220 CDI BlueEFF. SE 4dr
With a competitive price and a highly efficient diesel engine, the E220 CDI makes a refined and capable business car.
Read review
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