Mercedes E-Class (2006-) Review

On the road

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Many of the changes Mercedes has made to the E-Class have been designed to improve the driving experience - and the company does seem to have upped its game to meet the challenges from its rivals.

Fully adjustable electric seats and reach/rake adjustment on the steering column mean that few will fail to find a comfortable driving position.

The COMAND system (Cockpit Management and Navigation Display), despite being a fairly pricey option at £1,990, is useful and practical, combining multi-changer CD, DVD (when parked - there's only a screen on the console) and straightforward sat nav functions. A new four-spoke steering wheel also contains thumb-operated buttons covering a wide range of functions, removing the need to spend too much time reaching for - and looking at - the console.

A new adaptive brake function has overcome some of the criticisms of the previous version, using electronic control of the hydraulic dual-circuit brakes. There's also a hold feature that holds the car in place when the brake pedal is pressed after the car has come to a stop and obviates the need to use the parking brake in stop-start traffic. Also new is a hill holder that holds the car on brakes to prevent it rolling backwards as the driver's foot moves from brake to throttle.

Visibility is still fairly good for what remains a thick-pillared car, plus the new E-Class also comes with Parktronic parking distance sensors as an option - especially useful for the estate version, which is a shade under five metres long.

Apart from the base models (E 200 Kompressor and E 220 CDI), which have a six-speed manual gearbox, the range comes with the seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic box that does a solid job of finding a suitable gear quickly.

A new package of measures designed to enhance driving dynamics has also been introduced to improve the driving experience of the E-Class, which previously wasn't quite as engaging as some of its rivals.

The new E-Class has a range of eight engines - three diesel and five petrol - many of which are new.

The diesel engines comprise the 220, 280 and 320 CDI power plants, although the last two are essentially the same 3-litre V6 unit with different set-ups and are largely unchanged. The 220 CDI has received a power boost of 20bhp to 170bhp, with peak torque increased by 45lb-ft to 295lb-ft at 2,000rpm. These changes have knocked a second off the 0-62mph time (8.4secs for the saloon and 9.1secs for the estate) and increased top speed (141 and 135mph), while still making a slight improvement to the fuel economy (44.8 and 39.8mpg).

All the diesels are impressive, offering a good balance of power, economy and excellent refinement: so it's unsurprising that Mercedes reckons diesels will account for 75-80% of the market in the UK.

At the bottom of the range of petrol engines, the E 200 Kompressor four-cylinder unit has a modified engine management system, a new supercharger and new pistons, which have added 21bhp to the power output, lopped half a second off the 0-62mph time (9.1 secs for the saloon and 9.5 for the estate) and increased top speed (147 and 140mph).

While the 280 and 350 petrol units are unchanged, at the top of the range, the E 500 engine is a newly developed 5.5-litre V8 that also features in the S-Class. Mercedes claims that this 388bhp, 390lb-ft unit is one of the most powerful in its class, reaching 62mph from a standing start in 5.3secs, while still turning in fuel consumption of 24.6mpg for the saloon and 23.9mpg for the estate.

Then there's the E 63 AMG, a new naturally aspirated V8 engine from Mercedes's tuning arm that delivers 514bhp and peak torque of 464lb-ft, resulting in 0-62mph in 4.5secs (4.6 for the estate). The performance is highly impressive, the throaty roar of the engine so pleasing to the ear that you find yourself using the throttle for too long before catching sight of the speedo, requiring you to rein it in using the internally ventilated disc brakes.