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IT WAS A day of heavy traffic, but there was no strain. I was driving the 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320, the perfect treatment for high blood pressure on congested roads.

The idea was not to have a schedule. I wanted to enjoy this trip on I-95. I settled into the comfortable elegance of the E320’s interior. This was made easier by the car’s extensive redesign. The new E320 has more head and shoulder room than its predecessor, and it has an instrument panel that finally makes sense, as evidenced by the improved air conditioner and heating controls.

Gone are those ludicrous spin-wheels, dials and confusing air-flow directional signals. The new system is as straightforward as anything in a General Motors car. That’s progress.

When traffic moved, the E320 moved. Lord it moved! Four-wheeled lightning. The car was midnight black. And it had chrome wheels and four round headlamps. Real pretty.

Anyway I arrived relaxed. But I still followed my doctor’s orders. I took a pill, did a chill, passed up the malt and dumped the salt. High blood pressure ain’t no joke. And though I’ll drive almost anywhere anytime, especially if the car is right, I’m not a total fool.

Background: It figures that Michael Jackson would have some effect on Mercedes-Benz. That’s Michael Jackson, the veteran auto salesman, the first American to hold an influential position within the German car company.

Jackson is vice president of marketing, service and sales for Mercedes-Benz of North America. He’s a car nut who figures that if you round a little metal here, bend some there, beef up the suspension and offer better value, you might come up with a hip Mercedes-Benz that has widespread market appeal.

That’s what Jackson and other Mercedes-Benz officials advised, and that’s what Mercedes-Benz did with its new E-Class cars, plus a whole lot more. Traditionalists might not like it, but those folks do not a big market make. Mercedes-Benz sold 62,500 cars in the United States in 1993. The company wants to double that number by 1998. To do that, it’s gotta sell sex.

The new E320 is sexy, certainly sexier than the I-am-rich, vault like Mercedes-Benz models of the past. There’s a flirtatious flippancy about that rounded front end, a kind of joy. Yet the car remains unmistakably Mercedes-Benz. To wit:

* Safety: patented crumple zones to reduce the amount of crash energy transmitted to the passenger cabin; standard dual-front and side-impact air bags (mounted in the interior door panels) for front passengers; automatically tensioning seat belts; power four-wheel disc brakes with standard anti-lock backup; standard electronic traction system to limit wheel spin on slippery roads.

* Suspension: standard four-wheel independent suspension system incorporating upper and lower control arms, stabilizer bar, coil springs and gas-pressurized shocks up front. A five-link suspension with coil springs, gas shock s and stabilizer bar is in the rear.

* Engine: very Mercedes-Benz. The E320 comes with a standard cast-iron block, aluminum head, 24-valve, inline-six rated 217 horsepower at 5,500 rpm with maximum torque set at 229 pound-feet at 3,750 rpm.

* Layout: again, very Mercedes-Benz — rear-wheel-drive, which the company believes provides the best balance of handling and ride comfort. The E320 seats five people. It runs with a standard four-speed automatic transmission.

Complaints: The parking brake release cable didn’t work properly on the test car. The problem turned out to be a thick lubricant on the cable, which slowed its retraction in cold weather. The lubricant was changed. The cable then worked perfectly.

Praise: Just a damned fine car.

Head-turning quotient: Marlene Dietrich as Tina Turner. Sexy, sexy, sexy.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Triple aces — no ifs, ands or buts. Zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. Terrific lane-change competenc . Hugs curves like a good lover. Braking was excellent.

Mileage: About 23 miles per gallon (17.2-gallon tank, estimated 380-mile range on usable volume of recommended premium unleaded), running combined city-highway with one to five occupants and light cargo.

Sound system: Optional eight-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette with compact disc and six-disc CD changer. Bose speakers. Excellent.

Price: Base price for the tested E320 is $43,500, the same as the less-equipped, old-style 1995 model. Estimated dealer invoice is $40,000. Price as tested is $46,930, including $2,835 in options and a $595 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Compare with BMW 3-series and 5-series, Lexus LS400, Cadillac Seville STS, Oldsmobile Aurora, Audi A6, Acura 3.2TL and Mazda Millenia. IT WAS A day of heavy traffic, but there was no strain. I was driving the 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320, the perfect treatment for high blood pressure on congested roads.

The idea was not to have a schedule. I wanted to enjoy this trip on I-95. I settled into the comfortable elegance of the E320’s interior. This was made easier by the car’s extensive redesign. The new E320 has more head and shoulder room than its predecessor, and it has an instrument panel that finally makes sense, as evidenced by the improved air conditioner and heating controls.

Gone are those ludicrous spin-wheels, dials and confusing air-flow directional signals. The new system is as straightforward as anything in a General Motors car. That’s progress.

When traffic moved, the E320 moved. Lord it moved! Four-wheeled lightning. The car was midnight black. And it had chrome wheels and four round headlamps. Real pretty.

Anyway I arrived relaxed. But I still followed my doctor’s orders. I took a pill, did a chill, passed up the malt and dumped the salt. High blood pressure ain’t no joke. And though I’ll drive almost anywhere anytime, especially if the car is right, I’m not a total fool.

Background: It figures that Michael Jackson would have some effect on Mercedes-Benz. That’s Michael Jackson, the veteran auto salesman, the first American to hold an influential position within the German car company.

Jackson is vice president of marketing, service and sales for Mercedes-Benz of North America. He’s a car nut who figures that if you round a little metal here, bend some there, beef up the suspension and offer better value, you might come up with a hip Mercedes-Benz that has widespread market appeal.

That’s what Jackson and other Mercedes-Benz officials advised, and that’s what Mercedes-Benz did with its new E-Class cars, plus a whole lot more. Traditionalists might not like it, but those folks do not a big market make. Mercedes-Benz sold 62,500 cars in the United States in 1993. The company wants to double that number by 1998. To do that, it’s gotta sell sex.

The new E320 is sexy, certainly sexier than the I-am-rich, vault like Mercedes-Benz models of the past. There’s a flirtatious flippancy about that rounded front end, a kind of joy. Yet the car remains unmistakably Mercedes-Benz. To wit:

* Safety: patented crumple zones to reduce the amount of crash energy transmitted to the passenger cabin; standard dual-front and side-impact air bags (mounted in the interior door panels) for front passengers; automatically tensioning seat belts; power four-wheel disc brakes with standard anti-lock backup; standard electronic traction system to limit wheel spin on slippery roads.

* Suspension: standard four-wheel independent suspension system incorporating upper and lower control arms, stabilizer bar, coil springs and gas-pressurized shocks up front. A five-link suspension with coil springs, gas shocks and stabilizer bar is in the rear.

* Engine: very Mercedes-Benz. The E320 comes with a standard cast-iron block, aluminum head, 24-valve, inline-six rated 217 horsepower t 5,500 rpm with maximum torque set at 229 pound-feet at 3,750 rpm.

* Layout: again, very Mercedes-Benz — rear-wheel-drive, which the company believes provides the best balance of handling and ride comfort. The E320 seats five people. It runs with a standard four-speed automatic transmission.

Complaints: The parking brake release cable didn’t work properly on the test car. The problem turned out to be a thick lubricant on the cable, which slowed its retraction in cold weather. The lubricant was changed. The cable then worked perfectly.

Praise: Just a damned fine car.

Head-turning quotient: Marlene Dietrich as Tina Turner. Sexy, sexy, sexy.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Triple aces — no ifs, ands or buts. Zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. Terrific lane-change competence. Hugs curves like a good lover. Braking was excellent.

Mileage: About 23 miles per gallon (17.2-gallon tank, estimated 380-mile range on usable volume of recommended premium unleaded), running combined city-highway with one to five occupants and light cargo.

Sound system: Optional eight-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette with compact disc and six-disc CD changer. Bose speakers. Excellent.

Price: Base price for the tested E320 is $43,500, the same as the less-equipped, old-style 1995 model. Estimated dealer invoice is $40,000. Price as tested is $46,930, including $2,835 in options and a $595 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Compare with BMW 3-series and 5-series, Lexus LS400, Cadillac Seville STS, Oldsmobile Aurora, Audi A6, Acura 3.2TL and Mazda Millenia.