Mercedes E-Class review

The driver's seat of the Mercedes E-Class has four-way electric adjustment, unless you go for the top-spec trim. That's the AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus (for brevity we’ll call it the 'AMG Line Premium Plus' from now on), which includes a fully electrically operated seat and steering column with memory settings. Still, the seat is comfortable no matter which version of the car you choose, helped by the fact adjustable lumbar support is standard.

It's a pity, then, that every E-Class has two flaws: a steering wheel that's offset to the left and a bulge in the transmission tunnel. The bulge pushes against your left leg and offsets the pedals to the right. The Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series have offset pedals, too, but they're not as skewed.

Over-the-shoulder visibility isn't as good as it is in the Audi A6, due to the E-Class's more enclosed rear-quarters. However, it's no worse than it is in the BMW 5 Series, and the windscreen pillars are slimmer than the BMW's, so you get a decent forward view.

As a bonus, all versions come with lots of parking aids, including front and rear sensors, a rear-view camera and park assist, which will park the car semi-autonomously. AMG Line Premium trim, which is one of the higher ones but is well priced, adds a 360deg camera. 

All E-Classes come with bright LED headlights, which from the mid-spec AMG Line trim are adaptive. You can leave the headlights on main beam and they'll shape their beams around the cars in front so they don't dazzle other drivers.