Category: Executive 
Price Range: £29,324 to £68,409
Comfort, road behaviour, safety, intelligently thought-out, overall quality, spacious load bay.
Styling a little dull, rear room a little tight, irritating brake pump noise, expensive options, not the most dynamic drive in its class.
A complete car, but an expensive one, and not without minor irritants.
Given the diversity of Mercedes' model range, it's easy to forget that Mercedes was once all about big saloons and nothing else. The saloon that started the marque on its path towards global desirability was the 1953 190 Ponton, a solidly built saloon that was aspired to by well-to-do Germans and taxi drivers alike. This E-Class, six generations on, is a direct descendant of that car and its unique reputation means that it can play the lowly cab, while still remaining the transport of choice for the world's senior managers.
The elegant estate version has long been the default second-car choice of affluent families; since its launch in 1978, it still treads the perfect balance between style and practicality. Though always up-to-date technically, past generations of this car have rarely been technological trailblazers.
This latest E is different, packed with features such as seats that swell to support you through corners, electro-hydraulic brakes, computer-controlled air suspension, an adaptive accelerator pedal that 'learns' to give an appropriate throttle response, and a mass of information systems.
The engine line-up comprises the supercharged E200K, normally aspirated E240, E350, E500, and supercharged E55 AMG petrol versions, or E220 CDI, E270 CDI and E320 CDI diesels.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Estate
wrote on 05 10 2007