Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £29,324 to £68,409
Lovely engine, sharp brakes, estate's practicality
Looming obsolescence, high price, saloon's looks
The estate makes more sense than the saloon
The E-Class is one of those cars that is always a safe, if not entirely thrilling, bet, and the estate version is an obvious option in this market sector. But stick a 354 bhp 5.5-litre V8 engine under the bonnet, tune the suspension, fit ultra-low profile tyres on 18-inch alloy wheels, and install race-developed brakes, and things suddenly look more interesting. The AMG badge shows that this E-class has been tweaked by Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach, builders of bespoke high-performance vehicles, aftermarket upgrades and motorsport engines, now part-owned by Mercedes-Benz, and signifies the ultimate E-class option. The E-Class range as a whole may be due for renewal - the next-generation models are launched in spring 2002 - but the E55 AMG will help the current range to go out on a high note.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Estate
wrote on 05 10 2007