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The mid-size E-Class has been a Mercedes staple for decades, offered variously in sedan, wagon, coupe and cabriolet form.
The current range includes the four-cylinder turbo-petrol E200, more powerful E300e plug in-hybrid and the flagship E350.
All are rear-wheel drive, although AWD Mercedes-AMG variants are available - the in-line six-cylinder turbo-petrol E53 and powerhouse 4.0L twin-turbo V8 E63S.
The line-up currently starts at $117,900 for the E-Class E200 (base) and ranges through to $310,369 for the range-topping E-Class E63 S 4Matic+ Final Edition.
There hasn’t been a move by Mercedes-Benz Australia to fix this problem, which is not to say it hasn’t been noted by owners. But, really, a carmaker will only issue a recall for a fault or problem that represents a safety issue, which peeling door cards does not.
Sometimes, a manufacturer will issue what’s called a technical service bulletin which is like a recall but for non-safety related problems. Again, though, a floppy door card is unlikely to elicit that response. If you still have the trim pieces in question, a motor trimmer should be able to reattach them for you in a way that means they won’t come adrift again.
Traditionally, Mercedes-Benz has taken the entirely logical step of printing a legend of the fuses and what circuits they relate to on the inside of the fuse box cover. By referencing this, you can quickly identify what each fuse does while you’re in there checking whether they’re blown or not.
For some reason, however, sometimes Mercedes placed a paper diagram of the fuse layout in the boot with the jack and tools. So check there as well. The owner’s manual should also offer this information in the electrical section. If none of that works, you can Google the make and model and ask for fuse box information.
Don’t forget, either, that there are often two fuse boxes in many modern cars; one under the bonnet and one under the dashboard or inside the glovebox.
At the first sign of a fuel pump that has started to play up, the advice is to replace it as soon as you can. These electric pumps can start to have intermittent faults where they will not pump fast enough or not at all, and then the next time you start the car, they'll work perfectly.
Don't be fooled into thinking it's all okay, however, as the pump will progressively get worse and worse until it won't work at all. Trust us, these things do not fix themselves. And since a fuel pump will leave a modern fuel-injected car absolutely high and dry, you're way better off fixing it now (by replacing the pump) than finding yourself stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has a supremely luxurious and comfortable interior, with all models featuring the Mercedes-Benz ‘MBUX’ dual screen instrument and multimedia arrangement. In the top-spec AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ the dash is dominated by an upright digital display in front of the driver flanked by a large central screen to the left and an additional panel for the front passenger beyond that. Trim elements range from piano black, to highly polished wood veneer, open pore wood trim and carbon-fibre.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is available in seven $0 paint shades - ‘Polar White’, ‘Verde Silver’, Obsidian Black’, Nautic Blue’, ‘Velvet Brown’, ‘Graphite Grey’ and ‘High-tech Silver’. Extra cost ‘Manufaktur’ colours include ‘Opalite White’, ‘Patagonia Red’ and ‘Alpine Grey’.
Standard equipment highlights for all E-Class variants include multi-zone automatic climate control, high-end audio, synthetic and genuine leather upholstery, multi-screen instrument and multimedia displays plus Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also ambient interior lighting, a head-up display, keyless entry and start, augmented reality navigation, a 360-degree virtual top-down camera view, LED exterior lighting and alloy rims.
The E-Class has a boot capacity 540L (VDA) but thanks to the traction battery under its boot floor volume in the Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is restricted to 370 litres.
The Mercedes-Benz E200’s 2.0-litre turbo four produces 150kW/320 and sends drive to the rear wheels via a nine-speed auto transmission. The E300’s 2.0-litre turbo four sends 190kW/400Nm to the rear wheels via a nine-speed auto. The 2.0L E300e plug-in hybrid produces a combined 233kW/320Nm. The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is powered by a 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol, in-line six-cylinder engine working in concert with an electric motor housed within the car’s nine-speed (torque-converter) automatic transmission. Drive goes to all four wheels via an electromechanically-controlled clutch distributing power between the front and rear axles. Overall outputs are 450kW/750Nm.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class and its Mercedes-AMG derivatives are five-seaters. Power-adjustable front seats with memory are standard from the entry E200 model up, with performance-focused front seats offered on the AMG.
The Mercedes-Benz E200 accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 240km/h. The E300 accelerates from 0-100km/h in around 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 250km/h. The E300e plug-in hybrid will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.2 and hit 250km/h. Mercedes-AMG says the E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds and reach a (governed) maximum velocity of 280km/h.
The Mercedes-Benz E200 and E300 both have a claimed combined cycle fuel economy figure of 7.2L/100km, which with a 66-litre tank translates to a theoretical range of 920km. The turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid E300e’s 50-litre tank and 2.5L/100km official consumption figure add up to a theoretical range of around 2000km. The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+’s official fuel consumption figure (1.7L/100km) and 50-litre tank capacity translate to a range approaching 3000km! But to bring that down to earth somewhat, on test CarsGuide saw a (dash indicated) average of 6.4L/100km, which equates to a more realistic, but still lengthy, 780km between fills.