Cincinnati.com's view

This week I found myself doing the Circle Freeway loop around Cincinnati just for kicks, rather like my cattle dog roaring around the house after a bath – pure exuberance. The source of the psychic stimulus was a sample of the all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It’s the most important series of the M-B line, because it’s their mid-range car, though it still runs with the rich kids. It accounts for about 25 percent of sales worldwide. The first question people ask when I have a car with a rather heavy sticker is, “Is it worth it?”

Actually only the buyer can answer that in terms of his/her own needs and resources, but let’s assume a “qualified” buyer (no first-born children involved).

No use trying to build suspense here – the answer in the case of the new E-Class is emphatically YES. This is truly a wondrous car, itself enough to justify the awe in which the three-pointed star has always been held.

Start with the exterior styling. There was nothing wrong with the preceding E-Class except the boring, appliance-like face it presented to the world. Apparently Mercedes agreed, because the stylists really worked over the outer shell to produce a distinctive, elegant look that stands apart like a $2,000 suit – quietly impressive.

The most striking thing the designers did was make this reasonably capacious four-door (just a teensy bit larger than its predecessor) look as sharp as a coupe, with its lowered front and sharply-upsweeping side aspect. The ovoid headlamp treatment, a controversial element on the old car, has been retained and the peepers are tilted back even more radically than before.

The main decision a prospect has to make is between the 6- and 8-cylinder variants. Mercedes makes it a bit easier by pricing them nearly $8,000 apart. (I should mention at this point that both are available in wagon form, too, although those have not yet been reworked.) The short answer is, no, you do not need to pick the E500 8-cylinder over the E320 V-6. Most of the comfort and dynamic items that come standard on the E500 can be added to the E320 – you can lay on another 10 grand easily, given the attractiveness of the options. In stock form though, it’s still a well-appointed car.

Factoring in the luxury-class aspect, the E320 power is sufficient for the conditions here in the States – you won’t be blown off by many domestic sedans. It’s governed to 130 mph here, for heaven’s sake.

I eventually learned the rear-drive machine well enough to propel it to 60 from a standing start in a tick over 7 seconds. In ordinary driving it felt peppy and responsive, merging onto freeways with aplomb.

The V-6 is pretty much carried over from last year. It is equipped with a balance shaft for smoothness. Output is 221 hp (at 5,700 rpm) and 232 foot-pounds of torque over a range extending from 3,000 to 4,800 rpm. Corresponding power numbers for the 8-holer are 302/339. With that, you could g o up against many a “performance” coupe. (The V-8 has been enlarged – last year it was only 4.3 liters.)

M-B uses an unusual three valves per cylinder, and employs the extra space for a second spark plug, for efficiency and emissions reasons.

These spirited steeds like premium, of course, and use it, according to EPA, at the rate of 19 mpg city, 27 highway. My tally was 24.3. The impressively low 0.27 coefficient of drag no doubt contributed.

The interior of the E is rich and inviting, with Armagnac-colored wood inlays and first-rate materials throughout.

The cars come only with a 5-speed automatic transmission.

On my car, that was the weakest link. It managed fine in typical situations, but when asked for a forced downshift, or faced with a rapid throttle on-off test, it got addled. It adapts to driving style, so perhaps it was “thinking” too much and got confused when the pattern was suddenly changed.

It can be operated manually, too, by sliding the console-mounted shift lever to the left from the Drive position. Further tilts to the left go down the gears, while a poke to the right upshifts (all under the watchful eye of a computer, of course, so you can’t do anything too stupid).

Computers? This car seems like a showcase for the electronics industry.

Neither the accelerator nor the brakes are real. The actuation is governed by a computer which makes inferences about what you want, from how fast or hard you’re pushing. What your foot is pushing actually is a simulator.

I found the system allows excellent, precise throttle control.

The electronic brakes are a new thing in E-land. The pedal feels normal enough, but as you push harder, the braking force seems to increase in a non-linear way. Antilock is standard and it’s interesting that now, in panic stops, one feels no pulsation in the pedal. M-B says most folks let up on the brakes when they feel ordinary ABS kick in, so this arrangement buys several feet of stopping distance.

The silicon overseer deals with all four wheels, applying different pressures to each wheel, if required. For instance, if one is braking on a curve, the outside wheels get a little more braking force because some of the car’s weight shifts to them.

After I got used to the brakes, I put them to the test and they were superb. I couldn’t discern anything in a braking turn, but stopping distances were quite short for a 3,600-pound machine.

The tester also had M-B’s highly touted Distronic system.

It has a front radar unit which scans the road ahead for other vehicles; it works in conjunction with cruise control.

The driver can set a cruising speed and even a range of distances from the vehicle ahead within which Distronic comes into play (subject to the boss computer’s knowledge of stopping distance vs. speed.)

Initially, if the car ahead is slowing a bit and thus getting closer, the system can apply up to 20 percent of braking force to increase the distance back to what’s desired. If the rate of closing is greater, an alarm sounds and one flashes amid the instruments, telling the driver it’s time for her to get involved.

I gave it a try on the freeway and it functioned quite nicely, although it would sound its alarm if a jerk pulled in front of me too closely. That’s often not cause for alarm. Disclaimer: I don’t even like cruise control, mainly because it lessens the driver’s attention to the road. Distronic is downright spooky; happily it’s an option that can be declined.

The federal folks who run cars into a barrier at 35 mph have not yet tested a new E-Class, but they say they plan to.

Same story from the insurance industry’s smashers: coming soon.

For what it’s worth, the preceding series got top marks in every category of occ upant protection, so M-B has a good handle on such, as if anyone ever doubted.

Smart air bags up front sense how heavy the passenger is and deploy accordingly. They are augmented by side-mounted and head protection bags, front and rear.

The standard stereo is a 10-speaker AM/FM/CD/cassette rig. Tuner sensitivity was very good and overall tonality was good. But, oh, the interface – many functions have to be done through an LED screen, although some are replicated on the steering wheel.

It looks so slick, but it’s hard to beat the old knobs for volume and tuning, especially since they don’t make the driver change focus.

Instrumentation is white-on-black, highly legible, However, I think secondary indicators (like Distronic’s) should use color, just as the high-beam indicator does. I found the trip computer display hard to read amid the clutter.

Interesting sidelight: The E-Class is filled with synthetic oil, which is mandatory. Mercedes says most folks will go 10,000 to 20,000 miles before a change is required.Yet another computer and sensor array computes the change interval from driving style.

Quite an endorsement for synthetic oil, since M-B has to pay if the car breaks.

Base price on the E320 is $46,950. The tester had special “pewter silver” paint for $655 extra; a Motorola V60 cell phone with help arrangements similar to GM’s OnStar, $1,595; Distronic, $2,950; the Panorama or double sliding moonroof, $1,500; 4-zone climate control, $550; a headlamp washing system plus xenon high and low beams, $1,150, and a heated steering wheel and front seats, $875. Total, with freight, was $56,890. Worth it? Oh yeah. It’s one fine touring car, but those who like a somewhat greater feeling of control should compare it with the BMW 5 Series. Edmunds.com says folks are managing to get a few hundred knocked off, so it doesn’t hurt to try.