I'm old enough to remember when Mercedes used the tagline "engineered like no other car in the world," and no one questioned it. When the 1986 W124 E-Class was introduced, Car & Driver called it simply "the best car in the world."

In the quarter-century since, Mercedes' position in the automotive pecking order has become less certain. Lexus came out of nowhere, and BMW has managed to successfully expand upward from the 3-Series and to become a provider of luxury as well as sport. 

Does the completely redesigned 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 re-establish the make's pre-eminence? What advantages does it have over the competition? I took one for a test drive to find out.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Styling

The styling of the 1986 W124 E-Class was timeless. But Mercedes felt something more distinctive and eye-catching was needed to counter Lexus and the other German makes. The solution with the W210: a foursome of round headlights. Initially people couldn't stop talking about those headlights--they were a big deal at the time--but ultimately they must have been seen as a misstep. When the E-Class was next redesigned, for the 2003 model year, the W211's styling was exceptionally clean and devoid of trendy details.

I personally like clean, nicely proportioned designs. But most people don't notice them. Especially after the introduction of the 2007 S-Class, the W211 E-Class looked plain and, in its general timelessness, paradoxically dated. In the era defined by ex-BMW designer Chris Bangle, car exteriors without trendy details appear dated.

And so the W212 is a return to trendy styling for the E-Class. Nothing crazy, mind you. Not even a huge Audiesque grille. But the flowing lines of the W211 have been replaced by a chunkier shape with a slight bulge around the rear wheel opening and four rectangular headlights. Is it beautiful? Not to my eye. Does it have more road presence than the W211, and seem more worthy of a premium price? Absolutely.

One exterior styling quirk: the hood wraps over into the fenders, and is intentionally a bit wider than said fenders. But from some angles, and especially in light colors, it looks as if the hood is out of adjustment.

The restyled E-Class interior resembles that of the current C-Class. The shapes are blocky rather than flowing and organic, and might appear overly basic or even cheap if not for the evident quality of the materials and subtle detailing. It is clearly the interior of a German car.

The transmission shift is an electronic stalk on the steering column, leaving the center console free for an iDrive-like controller. While I suppose a console-mounted shifter no longer makes much sense, a car does seem less sporty without one. BMW did leave the shifter on the console in the latest 5-Series, probably for this reason.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Accommodations

I've generally preferred the driving positions in Mercedes to those in BMW, since you usually sit higher relative to the instrument panel and feel less buried in the car. The new E-Class continues this fine tradition.

The front seats continue another Mercedes tradition: they're much firmer than those in a Volvo or Lexus. They're shaped well for support, even for lateral support, but lack the plush feeling many people will expect in a luxury sedan. A "Drive Dynamic" driver's seat with automatic power-adjusting side bolsters and a massage feature is optional. I'd personally opt for it, but for most buyers of this car it's likely unnecessary. A friend along for the test drive thought that the controls for the multi-adjustable seat, which are inset into one of the cushion bolsters, looked tacked-on and cheap.

The W212 E-Class's rear seat is an improvement over that in the W211, but continues to lag those in the BMW 5-Series and Infiniti M. Like the front seats, it's very firm and well-shaped, but a bit low to the floor and a bit short on space. The thinking at Mercedes-Benz seems to be that those seeking a roomy rear seat should spring for the S-Class.

The trunk is fairly roomy and usefully shaped. Unlike in Japanese competitors, a rear seat that folds to expand the trunk is optional.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Performance

The 2010 E-Class is currently available with a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and a 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8. A 500+ horsepower AMG variant is on the way, and a diesel should also be joining the family. With any engine, your transmission choice is limited to a seven-speed automatic.

The great majority of buyers in the United States will opt for the base engine, and for good reason: it's more than adequate. You can get just as much power in an Accord these days, and some competing sixes offer 300+ horsepower. But the fact of the matter is that most drivers won't come close to tapping out the E350's power potential in 99 percent of their driving. This wouldn't be the case with an old-style four-speed automatic, but when there are seven ratios to select from the engine is always in its powerband.

The first few times I drove a Mercedes with this seven-speed automatic, the transmission often couldn't decide which gear it ought to be in and many shifts were jerky. The salespeople blamed the adaptive shift programming, which allegedly can be confused by multiple drivers. Well, the transmission in the 2010 E-Class behaves well. Shifts are not overly frequent, and are smooth. Perhaps a bit slow to respond sometimes, but generally in tune with the driving style of the typical luxury sedan driver.

The chassis behaves well, with good balance, admirable composure over rough patches, and minimal lean in hard turns. Through the seat of one's pants, the car feels tight and precise. Then there's the steering. In a word, it's dead. Weighting varies from overly light to artificial. Road feel is absent. The suspension might be excellent, but this steering dashes any chance of a driver connecting with this car.

The E-Class's ride is neither as firm as in a BMW 5-Series nor as absorbant as in a Lexus GS. It doesn't feel cushy, but there's no harshness. Nor are there any of the untoward, indecisive jiggles that occasionally mar the ride of the upstart Hyundai Genesis. The solid, planted feel Mercedes has traditionally been known for is certainly present in this car. As in just about any luxury sedan these days (with the notable exception of the Audi A6), noise levels are low.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Price Comparisons

The redesigned 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has a base price that's $5,000 lower than the 2009 car's. Even if you adjust for the fact that the Harman/Kardon audio system and rear airbags are now options rather than standard, the new car's price is considerably lower. This despite a weak dollar. How can Mercedes afford to price the car this way? Beats me. You'll pay much more for the same car in Europe.

Comparing the price of the new E-Class to that of the BMW 5-Series is tricky. The E350's performance falls between that of the 528i and that of the 535i, but is closer to the former. The 528i lists for about $3,000 less, but the Mercedes includes about $2,500 in additional features. The 535i lists for about $2,200 more than the Mercedes, and adjusting for feature differences widens the gap to about $3,700. Performance-minded buyers will want the 535i. For others, the decision isn't going to come down to the difference in sticker price.

The E350's $48,925 base price is only about $3,000 more than that for the Lexus GS. But the Lexus includes far more standard features. Equip the two cars similar and adjust for remaining feature differences, and even after its price reduction the Mercedes lists for about $6,300 more. Suddenly it's clearer why they had to reduce the price.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, TrueDelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the E-Class:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/E-Class.php

Last Words

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class looks and feels solid and expensive. But, aside from this strengh, it's not clear why people should buy this car over another. A Lexus, Infiniti (non-Sport), or even a Hyundai Genesis has cushier seats and a softer ride. A BMW or even an Audi provides a better driving experience. So the Mercedes excels as neither a luxury sedan nor a sports sedan. Instead, it's stuck somewhere between the two. My advice: cushier seats for the luxury crowd, and better steering for everyone.

A Note on Mercedes-Benz E-Class Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've been collecting my own data. Results are posted to TrueDelta.com, with updates every three months. Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy a Mercedes-Benz E-Class rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats.

To report results, TrueDelta needs reliability data on all cars--not just the Mercedes-Benz E-Class--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants pay an access fee.

Details here:

http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php

Alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Amount Paid (US$): 53,000