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The Detroit News's view

The original Mercedes-Benz E-class, introduced in 1986, was the blueprint for a whole new generation of luxury cars — in particular, the benchmark for Toyota’s new Lexus brand, launched in 1989.

Now entering its third generation, the latest E-class remains a beautiful, desirable automobile, but its looks and cachet have been compromised by a heavy-handed and expensive dose of advanced technology.

The 2003 E500 sedan that we tested carried a breathtaking sticker price of $65,285 — about the starting price for the larger S-class flagship just four years ago.

She: The Germans are up to some interesting stuff lately. There’s the new “merciless bed” created by a Munich student. It dumps the sleeper on the floor to wake them up. And then there’s the dream desk. It comes with an air bag which inflates from the walnut top and makes a pillow for daytime executive naps. And now, fresh from the autobahn, comes the new Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan. Frankly, I’m overwhelmed by the technology on the darned thing. I feel like your Grandma Lienert who couldn’t adjust to losing her private buggy horse when the automotive age came to Nebraska in 1906. But is it so terrible to long for simplicity? Or easy-to-understand gadgets and gizmos?

He: Hey, I still haven’t figured out how to program our VCR or how to retrieve messages on my cell phone. My philosophy is, if it doesn’t make my life easier, I’m not interested, and I really don’t have the time to learn. That’s my biggest problem with this new Mercedes — well, that and the 65-grand window sticker. I look at the center display in the E500 and all the buttons there — I counted more than 50 clustered on the console — and my general feeling is that this is no better a solution than that goofy I-drive in the BMW 7-series. And do I really need all this technology, particularly stuff that doesn’t seem to work really well?

She: I never did understand how the so-called adaptive accelerator pedal, which is supposed to sense your driving style, was supposed to change things for the better. On our car, you’d press the throttle and there would be a noticeable — and annoying — lag before the engine would respond. On the plus side, the five-speed automatic transmission provides seamless shifts, and is equipped with a “touch-shift” control for manual shifting, if you’re into that kind of stuff.

He: Mercedes made some significant changes to the suspension system. On the new E-class, the ride is quite smooth, and the car feels pretty nimble, considering it weighs nearly 2 tons. And once the throttle kicks in, the 5.0-liter V-8 is potent. It makes more than 300 horsepower, but the fuel economy is mediocre — so much so that you have to pay a $1,000 gas-guzzler tax, which seems ironic in an era where energy conservation is well down the list of national priorities.

She: Mercedes-Benz says it wants to attract women, minorities and y ounger people to the new E-class, which is a hint sexier than the older model. But it’s not a Britney Spears, navel-baring makeover. The E-class is still grounded in the country club. The cabin is library-like, with striking wood trim that sweeps into a double curve on the dash. The CD player is now in the instrument panel, instead of the trunk, and on our upscale E500 model, we had standard four-zone climate control, for both front and back passengers. Still, the cabin is not perfect. My hand kept hitting the cruise-control lever, thinking it was the turn indicator. The center console is confusing, and the gauges aren’t as good as the ones on a cheaper product like the 2003 Honda Accord. The rear seat is cramped, although there are indentations molded into the backs of the front seats to provide a bit of knee room.

He: In the midst of all this whiz-bang technology, I found it comforting to know that the E500 has one of the best standard safety packages on the road. It comes with side air curtains, plus side air bags for front and rear passengers. It also has antilock brakes and electronic stability program. I supposed you could consider the Distronic system to be a safety device, since it’s supposed to keep your vehicle a set distance behind another vehicle, and automatically brakes the car if you’re getting too close. The problem is, the system doesn’t feel fully finished; it kept trying to slow me down even if there was no other vehicle ahead of me. Our air-bag warning light also came on inexplicably at 2,800 miles to tell us the whole supplemental-restraint system was defective — a rather unnerving message on a vehicle with such low mileage. Don’t you think $65,000 should at least buy you piece of mind?

She: That, plus it shouldn’t be so hard to change channels on the radio.

2003 Mercedes-Benz E500

Anita’s rating: (above average)

Paul’s rating: (above average)

Likes: Outstanding safety features, including front and rear side air bags, side air curtains, electronic stability program. Smooth ride. Powerful engine. Comfortable seats. Optional heated steering wheel bundled with heated seats. Valets will treat you – and the car – with reverence (Anita).

Dislikes: Breathtakingly expensive for a mid-size luxury sedan. Front seats more cramped than on predecessor. Annoying throttle lag. Overly complex and non-intuitive controls for too many gadgets. Expensive ($2,950) Distronic adaptive cruise control doesn’t always work as billed. Warning lamp for air-bag defect came on at 2,800 miles. $1,000 gas-guzzler tax. Taillamps look like they were lifted from a Ford Taurus.

Type: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, five-passenger sedan.

Price: Base, $54,850; as tested, $65,285 (inc. $665 destination charge and $1,000 gas guzzler tax).

Engine: 5.0-liter V-8; 302-hp; 339 lb-ft torque. EPA fuel economy: 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

12-month insurance cost, estimated by AAA Michigan: $2,396 (Rates may be higher or lower, depending on coverage and driving record.)

Where built: Germany