Category: Executive 
Price Range: £29,324 to £68,409
Roomy, refined, beautifully built and blessed with fine V6/V8 engines and an exceptional diesel, the E-Class also holds value very well.
But it's pricey, some variants are poorly specified for the money, and the four cylinder petrol engines aren't great.
A wise choice, if not always an exciting one.
Fuel costs are competitive, and when you consider the traditional Mercedes residual values, the E-Class should be a cheap car to run long term. Bear in mind, however, that diesel apart, it's the smallest engined models that hold their value the best. This model is experiencing some drastic resale-value changes as the effect of UK customers buying abroad hits dealers, although turbodiesels and estates continue to do well. These are uncertain times for what was previously a dependable used buy. As a long term bet the durable, value-retaining E-class is good value for money, although this is less true of the bigger-engined models. The range is notably better equipped now, though you could never call an E-Class a bargain.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Estate
wrote on 05 10 2007