Mercedes-Benz E250 Reviews

Mercedes has carried out an extensive redesign of its mid-sized E-Class coupe and cabriolet and at the same time has introduced an impressive all-new turbocharged V6 engine.Mercedes-Benz Australia offers an E-Class coupe for under $80,000 (plus on-road costs). The most expensive model in the range is the E 400 cabriolet with a recommended retail of $142,900. The E 250 carries a tag of $96,400 as a coupe, and $106,400 in open-top format.All E-Class models set up for Australia are very well equipped and we feel most buyers will find the car suits their tastes without any real need to tick many, if any, options boxes.We tested the E 250 after our enjoyable 300+ km behind the biturbo V6 engine and feel that many buyers will be happy with the output of this smaller capacity unit. We are yet to get behind the wheel of an E 200.Biggest news in the E-Class is the introduction of a new V6 engine in the model called the E 400. In keeping with Mercedes’ downsizing policy – to reduce emissions and trim fuel consumption – the company’s new 400 series engine displaces just 3.0 litres, but achieves V8-like performance thanks to the use to twin turbochargers.With up to 245 kW of power, with an amazing 480 Nm of torque through most of its rev range - that peak being maintained all the way from 1400 to 4000 rpm – the Mercedes E 400 engine can move the big coupe from zero to 100 km/h in only 5.2 seconds, yet the fuel consumption is officially measured at just 7.4 litres per hundred kilometres.So impressed is Mercedes-Benz Australia with this new E 400 that it plans to concentrate on it in place of the V8 unit currently used as the topline powerplant. Though some buyers may feel they need they image of a V8, a test drive of this high-tech V6 is likely to convince them otherwise. That, and the savings of around $50,000 when they opt for the high-performance biturbo six.More realistically for Australia, the biturbo engine provides the safety of effortless overtaking on tight country roads.Also on offer in Australia will be four-cylinder turbo petrol engines in the E 200 and E 250. For the first time,Though the overall shape of the about to be superseded E-Class was very good, the frontal appearance was regarded as being overly complex by many critics. The new look is significantly neater and more attractive. We spent some time chatting to the chief designer, Robert Lesnik, during the global media launch in Germany and Denmark, where he explained how he had done this work without interfering with the impressively low coefficient of drag; just  0.24.Sporty looks are a feature of the latest Mercedes models, no more so than in the new E-Class coupe and cabriolet thanks to their large three-dimension grille centred around the iconic three-pointed star. So great is the alteration to the appearance that it’s hard to believe the bonnet and front guards remain as before. By doing so body change costs having been minimised, thus leaving more in the budget to be spent in other areas.Inside, the latest E-Class retains the same overall design theme as the original, but detail changes to the colours and finish of the materials work well and increase the feeling of luxurious sportiness.Cabin room is better than anticipated and we managed a couple of hundred kilometres in a cabriolet with a fair sized bloke in the rear. We moved the front passenger seat forward to share legroom and all three occupants enjoyed decent space.Safety is of increasing importance to Australian drivers and these mid-sized Mercedes have many crash avoidance features designed for the much more expensive S-Class. Thus we see monitoring of all potential dangers for 360 degrees around the car; lane keeping; radar cruise control; automatic braking and pedestrian collision protection.If you should still be caught up in a serious collision the E-Class will do its very best to minimise injuries.Most of our driving time in the revised E-Class sporty models was done behind the wheel of the all-new biturbo V6 and we loved the effortless surge of torque as we took it over the high side of 200 km/h on several occasions on the famed unrestricted sections of an autobahn.Ride comfort proved excellent on the European roads, which are generally in better condition than those in Australia. Tyre noise doesn’t intrude to any real extent, even in the cabriolet when the roof is closed. Should you open the roof – and we must admit that with the temperature generally round the 12 to 14 degree mark we didn’t do a lot of topless motoring – you can still enjoy some comfort thanks to the heated seats and optionally-fitted Airscarf. The latter blows heated air onto your shoulders.Handling is good due to the low centre of gravity and the balance offered by the front-engine rear-drive layout and by the dynamic precision built into these sporting machines.

With two fewer doors and one less seat than the sedan on which it's based, the E Class coupe or cabriolet is always more about subjective choice than sensible decision.With the new (or at least massively revised) range, however there are seriously sound reasons to sacrifice the grimly practical for the madly stylish. For the first time in relevant history the E Class coupe starts under $80,000 and the cabrio for less than $90K.Here in August, two months after the new E sedan and wagon, all two door variants now represent better value. And, without being at all subjective, whether its lid is nailed on or droppable, it looks cooler.VALUEIt's slightly disconcerting to realise the lack of real rivals for this long standing line of grand tourer. Only Audi with its A5/S5 range can match each variant, but while the merits of these vary wildly, all are notable for lacking a Tristar emblem. And now it's the perceptibly less desirable marque that wants for value.The entry Es, on the other hand, want for little. It is only the 10 grand extra on top of the coupe's $79,900 sticker for the cabrio that seems a little rich.Both entrants, hard and soft top, run the wholly adequate 2.0-litre turbo petrol four, ride on 18-inch alloys and come standard with COMAND multi-media system with reversing camera, blind spot indicator and leather.It's the whole package, one likely to draw first timers to this lush part of  the Benz catalogue. Indeed this duo is priced in such a way as to have them leap over from C-Class or to not bother waiting for BMW's forthcoming 4 Series.Those returning to these pastures will gravitate to the E250, which in petrol form is $96,400 and $106,400. Only the 250 coupe comes also as a diesel ($98,900).No one wanted that scent and sound mingling with open air motoring, so the diesel cabrio goes. All 250s get 19-inch artwork for wheels, Drive Assist active safety package and LED lighting. At a price slightly down on the cars they replace, they are reckoned to contain some $15,000 in added value.No more V8. No need. The bi-turbo V6 of the E400 runs all of 0.1 second slower to 100km/h, much leaner and some $50,000 cheaper at $128,900 for the coupe and a cheeky $142,900 in the cabrio.Standard is digital radio (as hard to do without when you've become used to it as on demand cable TV) 360 degree camera and, in the coupe, full length sun roof. So do you really need to drop the extra on the drop top?Various option packages can be had, though rightfully only the top model should be seen sporting AMG kit - a $7100 ask that brings enhanced dynamics to match the visual bling. The cabrio's key addition remains Airscarf, which with the top down, blows warm air around your neck as the seat heaters send it to where the sun don't shine.TECHNOLOGYEven in its mildest E200 form the turbo four is mighty impressive. In full fat 155kW and 350Nm mode it consigns naturally breathing V6s to the dustbin. Only at 110 miles per hour, not our legal limit of 110km/h, does it begin to run out of accelerative puff. Not really an issue away from the open roads of the first world then.It's long way up, price and performance wise, to the E400. Scaling that dizzy height rewards with 245kW/480Nm, a 5.2 second 0-100kmh run time yet as little as 7.4L/100km in premium petrol use.Benz's seven speed autos are similarly hard to fault, especially this familiar torque converter unit, which suits the E250's grand touring remit better than the racier and more abrupt twin clutch of the A-Class and Benz's hotter models lines.All engines are turbo charged and all attain Euro 6 emission standards. The ultra low slung new CLA coupe is only Benz that punches through the air with less resistance.Selective damping and powertrain response are, like the shifting paddles, there because they're supposed to be. You could go many a moon without touching any of these.DESIGNA new, cleaner, meaner front end is about all there is to tell it externally from the 2009 vintage. But does it make a difference. LEDs and daytime running lamps ablaze, air vents agape, the two door E looks properly serious.Within the mildest application of chrome lifts an interior that verged on the funereal. Without singling Audi out for slapping, the perceived superiority of its interiors is now surely that - perception. A highlight is the cabrio's rear shelf, cooly colour matched to the exterior shade. It looks the goods in ice white.SAFETYThe boast that autonomous driving has become one step closer is not one some of us greet with joy. Apart from its implications for an already questionable standard of urban driver awareness, removing more responsibility from our shoulders seems not unlike removing someone's foot and saying they're a step away from being able bodied.That said, the so-called Intelligent Drive systems are sophistication embodied. Of these Distronic Plus with Steering Assist is possibly the best indication of the future. In typically sardined urban driving its sensors all but keep you in your own lane and can follow the vehicle in front.If somehow the immense battery of accident prevention devices fails you, or rather you fail them, the E-Class is rated a five star crasher.DRIVINGWhile the wares of BMW are being diluted by the brand's own uncertainty about what it is and who it's for, the E-Class is what it's always been. That is a grand tourer of loping rather than frantic pace, one that takes corners with wafting serenity rather than apex hunting eagerness.Nope, there's still not many more cosseting ways of getting across vast stretches of bitumen. On some of the few expanses of patchwork bitumen in northern Germany, the E250 cabrio pretty much canters in the unruffled way it does on the snooker table smooth autobahn, making light of its hefty 1765kg kerb weight.Want something more substantial under the bonnet? Well, you surely don't need it. This peach of a compact engine lacks only a nice note. Indeed, no soft top has any right to ride this quietly. Aside from almost ambient wind rush, it's pin drop silent. That's lid up.This Carsguide reporter's singular record of attracting rain when and wherever he's driven any sort of open top car makes him suspect he's a mass of positive ions. It poured. The top stayed up.The elements are not an issue in the coupe. Nor is much of anything, except the need for passengers to clamber into the back. A backseat, however, is what all other considerations take when the E400's exceptional bi-turbo V6 is front of you.What a thing it is, a lagless leaper off the mark, pouring on the torque with the least throttle opening, barely bothering to kick down a gear. Seldom will the right foot meet the floor. The note is nicely imitative of the V8 with which you'd no longer bother.If you're all interested in what's beneath the bonnet, this surging but refined powerplant is among world's best practice.VERDICTNo real rivals. If you want the refinement and effortless ability of the E-Class in a classy, cool shape (and who the hell doesn't?) it's never been better value.Mercedes-Benz E250 ConvertiblePrice: from $106,400Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol; 155kW/350NmTransmission: 7-speed auto; RWDThirst: 6.2L/100kmMercedes-Benz E400 CoupePrice: $128,900Engine: 3.0 litre biturbo V6; 245kW/480NmTransmission: 7-speed auto; RWDThirst: 7.4L/100km

Playing it safe has always been a Mercedes-Benz hallmark but the German carmaker is breaking with tradition by installing its updated mid-sized E-Class as the occupant-protection pioneer. It is part-acknowledgement that technology evolves too quickly to delay innovations for the new flagship S-Class due late this year and partly a reflection of the fact the E is now a more important vehicle for Benz as sales of large limousines continue to decline. Either way, it’s a win for E-Class buyers when the car goes on sale in Australia in August.Pricing for Australia hasn’t been confirmed but company spokesman David McCarthy says an “assertive” strategy will mean minimal changes to the existing numbers, which start at $80,000 for the petrol-powered E200 four-cylinder car.  “We’re still finalising specifications for the range,” McCarthy says. “Expect the E-Class to lead the way on pricing and features.” Holding the prices in check will be a big achievement for a car that has had 2000 new components.There will be a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines in the sedan. The highlights are a bi-turbo V6 petrol E400 that will give Mercedes a vehicle to rival BMW’s 535i and a diesel hybrid that uses just 4.1 litres over 100km. Wagon buyers will have the option of a four-cylinder diesel or the bi-turbo V6.There are 11 new or updated safety systems in the E-Class, headed by automatic braking to prevent rear-end crashes and a system that detects pedestrians or crossing traffic at an intersection and hits the stoppers to avoid them. A single windscreen-mounted camera has been replaced by dual cameras linked to radar sensors to provide a virtual 3D field of vision that constantly monitors a 50m space around the car for potential hazards.Unlike the new Volvo V40, Australian E-Classes won’t read speed signs. Put that down to rural signs often being used for target practice by gun and 4WD owners and the fact many of our major cities have such a gaggle of signs that it is almost pointless to try and monitor them. “Like all our safety features, until it works perfectly every time, we won’t implement it,” McCarthy says.The basic structure of the E-Class hasn’t changed but just about everything else has. The headlamps are now a single unit with a pair of daytime running lights in a tick layout. The lamps are housed in a new front end that still comes in two guises - the traditional “Elegance” design with a bonnet-mounted three-pointed star and three-strake grille and the sportier-looking “Avantgarde” style that uses a larger Mercedes roundel mounted in a two-band grille.The interior updates are more subtle but reflect the move to improve refinement. It’s a sum-of-the-parts equation: touches like a new “split view” seven-inch screen that can project one display for the driver and another for the passenger and an analogue clock nestled between the redesigned vents aren’t instantly obvious but in combination make a big difference to the cabin ambience.Mercedes is still assessing which features will go into which cars, but the range-topping regular model, the bi-turbo V6 E400 will pick up everything. That includes adaptive cruise control with “steering assist”, which uses the dual cameras to keep the E-Class in the centre of the lane. A lane-keeping assist function also scans the road for solid and broken lines.It automatically brakes a wheel to avoid crossing solid lines and alerts the driver with a vibration in the steering wheel if they are veering over a broken line. If the system detects oncoming traffic in that situation, it also brakes a corner to bring the Mercedes back into its lane. A five-star rating from ANCAP is pretty much guaranteed.The four-cylinder models are expected to account for the vast majority of E-Class sales and the performance from the lightweight engines is more than acceptable. The pair of 250 engines - the entry level E200petrol wasn’t available at the international launch in Spain - pull the 0-100km/h sprint in around 7.5 seconds.The E220 CDI is the diesel price-leader to take on BMW's 520d, which heads 5 Series sales. The E250 diesel is the pick, courtesy of an expected $95,000 price backed by 500Nm that gives a decent shove in the seat at any speed.Step up to the hybrid and the reward comes in even less fuel use. The diesel-electric system adds around 100kg but still uses just 4.1 litres over 100km. That weight can be felt in the wagon over badly broken roads, where there’s a muted bang over seriously big bumps. We’re reserving judgment on that until we can try the car on local roads but around town the behaviour is impeccable.The E400 is a weapon and it’s only the sound from the bi-turbo V6 that gives away you’re not in a V8. The electric steering now has more weight at speed without sacrificing feel and makes the mid-sized car a lively vehicle when the road starts to wind.

Heads up because the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class touches down in Australia in six months. And, while it does not look or feel radically different from the current model, you get the feeling there has been a changing of the guard.The V8 powered E500, previously the top of the E-Class tree, has been unceremoniously dumped - consigned to an earlier time when fuel consumption and/or its detrimental effects on the environment were not the priority they are these days. To hammer home the point, the E-Class line up will also include a hybrid for the first time - and not just any old hybrid . . . but a diesel one.Benz hasn't revealed any prices yet. That won't happen until closer to the Australian launch in August. But expect prices to be "assertive'' to use their words, which in some cases might mean cheaper than the model it replaces.Benz is keen to deliver more E-Class sales and the way to do this is to kit out the car with better engines, more tech and a longer list of standard equipment. Prices for the current range start at just under $80,000 - expect the new E-Class to be close if not slightly less than this figure.Safety features are something the company is loathe to skimp on and automatic braking, to prevent costly rear-enders in traffic - is sure to be standard.One of the biggest changes has been the consolidation of the twin front lights into a single headlight cluster. It has been a hallmark of the car for three generations and was the subject of much discussion prior to its introduction.Suffice to say Benz has managed to create a twin light effect, using LED technology to separate the one light into two distinct groups instead. You wait until you see it.The other big change is the adoption of two front facias, just like Benz has done with the smaller C-Class - Elegance and Avantgarde. There's no prizes for guessing which style will be most popular with Aussies, where Avantgarde outsells the more conservative Elegance look with its raised Benz three-pointed star at a rate of almost 10 to 1.Five stars for sure. Benz wrote the safety book when it comes to technology. It doesn't get any safer than this, with the usual fare, including multiple airbags and electronic traction and stability control - plus a long list of standard/optional safety features.They include the aforementioned steering assist, high beam assist and rear ender prevention. The latter detects the presence of pedestrians up to a speed of 50km/h, at which point it will stop the car automatically and quicker than you could ever hope to do so yourself.The chance of injury continues to be lessened up to a speed of 72km/h - after which you're on your own. The high-beam assist system is so new Benz it hasn't even been seen in the S-Class yet, and the company is faced with the daunting task of having to talk the Government into it - there's just no rules to accommodate it.The system is able to dip the all-LED head lights, but only in a narrow gap around an on-coming car - not completely (maintaing the driver's view of the road ahead). Also a combination of radar/cameras and ultra-sonic sensors create a 360 degree safety envelope, 50 metres around the car which can even warn of traffic entering the path of the car from either side.We'll be getting three petrol, two diesel and one hybrid model. There's the E200 four cylinder petrol model, the entry to the range with 135kW of power, 300Nm of torque and fuel consumption of 6.0 litres/100km, the E250 four cylinder petrol with 155kW/350Nm/6.1 litres/100km, and the new E400 Bi-Turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 with 245kW/480Nm/7.7 litres/100km.The entry level diesel is the four cylinder 250CDI, with 150kW/500Nm/5.2 litres/100km, the V6 E350 Bluetec with 185kW/620Nm/5.7 litres/100km and the four cylinder E300 Bluetec Hybrid, with 170kW/750Nm/4.4 litres/100km.The latter is basically the same engine as the E250 CDI with the addition of an electric motor to give it some extra oomph and to reduce fuel consumption. The wagon will be available withe the E250 CDI diesel, as well as the E400 Bi-Turbo V6 - but the jury is still out on whether there will be an AMG version of the wagon - Benz only sold five last year.Details of the coupe and cabriolet will not be revealed until closer to launch later in the year. All are hooked up to a 7-speed automatic in Australia and all are fitted with fuel-saving stop/start technology.We got to drive three of the models at the international launch of the E-Class this week in Spain. The E250 CDI diesel is expected to be the biggest seller in the range again and deservedly so with 500Nm of torque, for most people all you'll need.The Hybrid with its extra power and lower fuel consumption figures could be a sleeper, providing the same kind of performance, if a little smoother - depending of course on the price. The E400 Bi-Turbo petrol V6 while not quite as quick off the line as the V8, at 5.3 versus 4.9 seconds for the 0-100km/h dash is pretty damn good and will go head-to-head with BMW's twin turbo six - something that has been lacking until now.It won't be anywhere near as expensive either - but it's still a big hop, step and a jump up to an AMG for a V8. Benz says the percentage of diesels it sells is now close to 50 percent in E-Class, but drive the Bi-Turbo V6, with its satisfying snarl and rapid throttle response and you won't want to give it back - trust me.

Mercedes-Benz E 250 convertible is a classic Benz soft-top with styling that looks great whether the top is up or down. VALUEThe E250 convertible is all class with quality leather finishes, an elegant and understated dash arrangement. Power seat settings are on switches on the doors, easy to find and use compared to those unseen switches on the side of the seat in other marques.The satellite navigation works well, although we found the voice commands didn’t always work, probably due to the extra road and wind noise entering through the soft top.TECHNOLOGYWhile the ‘250’ in the name might suggest otherwise, the engine is a 1.8-litre four cylinder unit that’s turbocharged to add a lot more grunt than you probably expect. Naturally there’s some turbo lag but it’s minimised by clever engineering.Get the engine on song and over 2000 rpm and the E250 really takes off. Acceleration from rest to 100 km/h is in the high seven-second range. More importantly, the in-gear acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h lets you overtake safely in a minimum distance.The use of a seven-speed automatic transmission aids in the engine’s ability to deliver, providing low gearing for around town and to get the engine revs up when overtaking, then slipping into high gears for lazy highway cruising. The tall gearing also help reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.Most owners will find the big convertible using about seven to eight litres per hundred kilometres on the open road, a figure that will rise to a still reasonable eight to eleven litres around town.DESIGNWe like the swooping bonnet and prominent grille and the rear end is set off by a subtle ‘ponton’ bulge over the rear wheel arches.The E 250 is a four seater with each seat tailored to individual passenger comfort. The front seats are spacious and have multiple adjustments that provide exactly the sort of pampering we love in a car of this class. Immediately you sit in the front seat the E 250 seat belts are delivered just next to your shoulder via an extension arm.The back seats aren’t too bad for legroom though there is usually the need to compromise with those in the front. Entry to and from the back seats isn’t easy - not an unusual problem in this class of vehicle, but we have experienced worse.Head room in the back is low enough to cause hassles for those on the tall side but is great for kids - probably the main occupants in a car like this so that’s seldom going to be a problem. These comments are for the E 250 with the roof closed - with it open the sky is the limit in headroom.Boot space isn’t too bad with the top up, naturally some space is lost when the top is down. Check for yourself before buying, but a sensible choice of luggage makes the E 250 more practical than you might anticipate.SAFETYThis big Merc convertible has a five-star ANCAP crash rating. It has no fewer than nine airbags, including a pair of headbags in the front seats.Roll-over protection includes two bars behind the rear seat backrests. If the crash detection electronics sense danger the bars are rapidly deployed upwards to proved head protection. The sturdy windscreen pillar can also absorb a lot of crash loading.VERDICTCombining elegant class with the prestige of a Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star and you get a practical convertible for not a lot over $100,000 - a good price for this class of car.RANGEE250 CGI 1.8-litre petrol two-door convertible: from $107,850 (automatic)E350 3.5-litre petrol two-door convertible: from $131,600 (automatic)E500 5.5-litre V8 petrol two-door convertible: from $188,635 (automatic)E250 CDI 2.2-litre diesel two-door convertible: from $111,450 (automatic)Mercedes-Benz E250 Convertible Price: from $107,850Engine: 1.8-litre 4 cylinder turbo, 150kW/310NmTransmission: 7-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 7.1L/100km

Not surprisingly, there's price resistance to cars above the 60 grand Luxury Car Tax trigger price. Most dinkum Aussies want to dodge it, and if they can, they love it.Logical really because the LCT is an onerous and ill-conceived tax partly on new safety systems among other things. So called luxury cars lead in the adoption of new safety equipment.But there's an LCT loophole governed by how much fuel a car uses. Under 7.0-litres/100km and the LCT comes right down - often by thousands of dollars.One wonders how long it will take the Federal Government to lower the rating to 6.0-litres/100km because more and more "luxury" cars are coming in under the 7.0 mark due to clever technology.The Mercedes-Benz E250 is a good example and the beneficiary of perhaps a $5000 tax break due to its ability to sip petrol at a mere 6.6-litres/100km. It's a "green" carbon minimisation machine. It's a very low figure for a large car the size of the E-Class.How does Benz do it? Well, they call on their century plus experience at making automobiles and get a small capacity engine to do the work (easily) of a large capacity unit with attendant fuel savings.You may think a 1.8-litre four cylinder is the province of a Corolla but when Benz produces one for its E-Class, it delivers power and torque commensurate with a 3.5-litre V6. How does 150kW and 310Nm grab you? Bit better than a Corolla. Performance is enhanced with the seven-speed automatic hooked up to the rear wheels and a variable geometry turbo force feeding the engine which also scores direct injection and variable cam timing. It produces excellent acceleration across the entire engine rev' range and is almost imperceptible inside the cabin - or outside for that matter.This is middle of the E-Class range at under $100K and a pragmatist wouldn't need anything else. It's comprehensively equipped with luxury kit upgradable with an extensive array of options. There's plenty of room for five and a large boot. It puts away long distances with ease and has light controls with a well modulated ride. Oh, looks good too...

It's been around for a few years now but the E-Class Benz remains a favourite because of its looks, size, style and what's on offer. WHAT IS IT? The E-Class is a rear wheel drive "saloon" offering plenty of interior room for five and a large boot. The styling is distinctively Mercedes-Benz and probably rates as the

I HAVE this uncomfortable feeling that in my dotage, I will be seen in a Mercedes coupe. On my way to someone's funeral. Sure, it's the mark of success, of luxury and of state-of-the-art automotive technology. It's just that I equate Mercedes-Benz coupes with old people.  But I'm having second thoughts. So

Summer means top-down motoring. For those who can afford it, that in turn means the Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet. It's the trendy way to shop in the trendy streets and a stylish item in its own right.And in the E-Class, even Melbourne's fickle summer weather can be tolerated with the soft-top down. Unlike the SLK, it can also cope with four adults in comfort.Audi and BMW are both switched on to the whole topless thing. They just don't fight in exactly the same space as the mid-sized Merc. BMW jumps from the smaller 3 Series drop-tops to the to-die-for 6 Series that is almost $90,000 dearer.Audi comes closer with the A5 cabrio - and it has all-wheel-drive reassurance - but it doesn't have the style of the three-pointed-star. And that's like having the body without the tan. The base Merc is still loaded with a seven-inch colour display, 6Gb hard drive for storing music, 17-inch alloys and leather seats front and back.It is hard to argue with a car that feels this solid but is powered by a 1.8-litre engine and still manages a sub-8 second sprint to 100km/h. It's like arguing with your younger sibling when they know martial arts ... not advisable.  The Merc has bi-xenon headlights with adaptive lighting and memory front seats for those rare occasions when you let someone else behind the wheel.The Mercedes is well-proportioned with the soft top up. Drop it and it makes me look good. That's because people tend to look at the angular lines of the car and ignore the obviously pretentious middle-aged bloke behind the wheel. The interior is smart but not spectacular. It is more refined than the outside but still exudes more class than I'd otherwise be capable of.A body shell that's tougher than your primary school vice-principal is matched with enough software to save a lemming from the cliff face and nine airbags for those that accidentally get pushed off. No surprise then that it earns five stars. Do something insane enough to roll the car and the hoop-bars will punch up behind the rear seats to protect the back seat passengers, who did nothing wrong in the first place.Pop the windows down on the E250 and the coiffed hairdo may get a natural touch-up. Leave them up, though, and there's little to critisize about the way it runs. We're not talking sports car performance here but cabrio owners shouldn't delude themselves they can take on a C63 AMG.We are talking style and there's not much to argue with here. The Merc copes with speed humps and stares with equal aplomb and this is a boulevard cruiser that few this side of a Maserati can match.

WE turn the spotlight on automotive's newest and brightest stars, as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. Ultimately, however, there is only one question that really needs answering would you buy one? What is it? This is Mercedes-Benz's entry level petrol E-Class sedan with plenty of BlueEfficiency