Mercedes-Benz E500 Reviews

The Mercedes E-Class is a prestigious medium-large car that’s been reinvented in recent years. Once a conservative model, it has become pretty stylish as the Germans aim for a wider range of buyers.

Mercedes-Benz has improved its E-Class range with a facelift and increased standard equipment.

Nestled amongst a rash of sporty Mercs is a sweet, soft-top stunner called the the Mercedes-Benz E500 cabriolet. While it's no match for an AMG63 Benz the E500 has enough get up and go to put you behind bars pronto. It's an in-betweenie splitting the SLK two seat roadster and the SL sports coupe.VALUEBuilt on a modified Merc' C-Class platform, the E500 cabrio's striking looks are accentuated by an arcing black soft top that gives it a mean, low-rider profile - totally in keeping with the sculpted lines of the sheetmetal. It costs a pretty penny at $186,950 but you get a whole lot of car for the ask and one that easily carries four adults in luxury - and some luggage as a bonus.TECHNOLOGYBetter still, you can retract the roof in the evening and enjoy the stars wafting along to the beat of the rumbling 5.5-litre, naturally aspirated, petrol V8 under the bonnet. Push the 'sport' button and everything changes as the E500 cabrio becomes something of a snarling beast with firm suspension, aggressive gear selection, quick steering and a more urgent voice from under the bonnet. That big V8 is good for a lazy 286kW/530Nm output - enough to push the weighty E500 cab' from 0-100kmh in under 6.0 seconds.EQUIPMENTThe test car was equipped with the AMG sports package that brings steering wheel gear change paddles, sports alloys with big tyres, multi-coloured nappa leather seats and other goodies like drilled front discs and an AMG aero body kit.Precious little is left off the luxe-list with standard fare including high-end satnav, a Harman Kardon audio system with music register, Bluetooth phone and multi-media connectivity. Also fitted is a range of practical stuff like hill start assist, voice ancillary control and 'Distronic' cruise control to keep you well spaced from other cars.The drive car featured two peripheral warning systems, one for cars coming up on each side and one for cars in front. It promotes good driving. Nothing is left off the safety inventory either; seven air bags, reverse camera, stability control and roll over protection featuring prominently.DRIVINGWe had a good crack at the E500 cab' enjoying the experience immensely especially in the early evening mid-summer with the roof down. You can (electrically) drop the top at speeds up to 40kmh. Even when it becomes cooler, the 'Airscarf' blows warm air onto your neck from under the headrests.As you'd expect, the cab' has strong performance but sips frugally considering the size of the engine and the performance potential. We achieved 11.5-litres/100km without paying much attention to economy.The seven-speed auto seamlessly selects gears and aids economy. With the advent of new V8s from Mercedes-Benz, one wonders how long this gorgeous thing will be available in this spec'. As a slick cruiser, it will be hard to better because the E500 cab' is a  right size, stunningly styled, impressive performing drop-top.Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet - E500Price: $186,950Engine: Petrol 8-cylinder, 285kW/530NmTransmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveEconomy: 11l/100km, premium unleaded/95 RON.

Mercedes-Benz has drawn a full house for its E-Class family with the arrival of the soft-top convertible. The final member of the E stable joins the sedan, coupe and wagon to give those who enjoy open-top touring an option that doesn't involve any risk to a loose-fitting toupee.Like the Coupe, the Cabriolet owes a good deal of its DNA to the C-Class platform rather than the larger and newer E-Class underpinnings. However, again like the Coupe, there is little lost in the exchange and in the case of the drop-top much gained by way of new comfort features.The headline technology for the Cabriolet is the all-new Aircap which joins the company's proven Airscarf system to keep occupants snug and unruffled through even the coldest weather. While the Airscarf (unveiled in the SLK a couple of years ago) blows warm air across the back of the neck from vents in the top of the seats, Aircap works by creating a virtual roof with directed airflow from the top of the windscreen over the passenger compartment. This is facilitated by a mini wing which rises 6cm from the top of the windscreen at the touch of a button to ensure cold external air is forced up and over the passenger compartment.An additional benefit is that the less disturbed air flowing through the cabin reduces wind and road noise, making it easier for occupants to carry on a conversation.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says the decision to develop the E-Class Cabriolet with a soft-top rather than the more up-market folding metal roof, pioneered by Mercedes-Benz six years ago and now favoured by many manufacturers, was driven by customers."Customers told us that they wanted a soft-top to differentiate the car more clearly from the Coupe," McCarthy says. "The customers wanted it and we wanted to satisfy those needs."The four-layer roof developed for the E-Class is as good, if not better, than any on the market. Noise insulation is excellent, the styling in no way detracts from the look of the car with smooth flow lines across the roof and an elegant storage solution into its own compartment behind the rear seats that allows a couple of airline roll-on bags and several soft sportsbags to be comfortably stowed in the boot. At 20 seconds to stow or deploy it is not the quickest available but it can be operated up to 40km/h.Across the range the cabriolet is serviced by a brake package that is both strong and durable. A run through Victoria's twisting alpine roads showed that even in the nose-heavy V8 the last application of the brakes was as effective as the first.The speed sensitive rack and pinion steering in both cars has a nice meatiness and a comforting directness that transmits input from the driver to the wheels in as timely a manner as feedback is sent in the other direction. It is not as sharp as the BMWs but more than adequate for what will mostly be a boulevard cruiser.On the safety front the Cabriolet wants for nothing with a full suite of active and passive acronyms. There are nine airbags, electronic stability control, brake assist, adaptive brake lights (which glow brighter in an emergency stop), Pre-Safe (which prepares the car for a collision when sensors deem one unavoidable), adaptive high beams and distronic plus cruise control.Not a personal gripe, but some drivers with smaller hands may find the steering wheel a bit chunky.Mercedes will launch the E-Class Cabriolet in Australia with two models, the 285kW and 530Nm 5.5-litre V8 E500 ($186,950) and the 200kW and 350Nm 3.5-litre V6 E350 ($139,950). A 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol version, the 150kW and 310Nm E250 CGi will arrive in May for $105,950 while a 150kW and 500Nm 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel completes the engine linup when it arrives in July."Demand for the diesel engines is definitely growing," McCarthy says. "In the SUV models diesel makes up the majority of sales while for the passenger vehicles it is up to almost a quarter of all cars sold."At the first Australian drive of the Cabriolet in Melbourne this week the Cabriolet's new comfort technology was given a stern test on a cold and wet Victorian morning. It passed with flying colours. There is a noticeable decrease in wind buffeting within the cockpit with the window-mounted deflector deployed and a consequent improvement in the ability to hold a conversation. It is not quiet, but it is quieter.While the comfort factor of the roofless E-Class is the wow factor being pushed by Mercedes, the driving synamics of the car are being allowed to slip quietly through ... and that's a mistake because this is one of the best examples of just how to make a convertible behave like a coupe.A coupe-like construction philosophy for the body — strength and more strength with a traditional b-pillar construction up to the waistline of the car, extra stiffening of the windscreen frame to rollover standard — which works in concert with the pop-up rollbars behind the passengers, and stronger chassis cross-bracing all culminate in an ability to toss the E-Class freely into corners without fear of body or chassis torque threatening to unload the wheels.The only engines on hand for test this week were the V6 and V8, of which the eight is certainly the pick for any with a need for power and deep pockets to match. The seven-speed automatic box is a good match to both engines, for differing reasons.In the V8 fat torque curve means that maximum attack is never too far away and the ability to dump a couple of ratios quickly gives the cabriolet a lightness of being that belies its rather hefty 1840kg kerb weight. In the V6 the call to action is not as immediate but the ability to cruise effortlessly in the higher gearing does mean the hit at the bowser is not as severe with an average combined economy of 9.8 litres per 100km seemingly very achievable.

The latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio comes with two nifty devices both designed to keep you snuggly warm on top-down winter nights.As if its patented Airscarf was not enough — and capable of blowing warm air over your neck — Benz now also has the Aircap as part of the standard equipment on the fresh-air E when they arrive in Australia in April to replace the superseded CLK droptop.The system works as a windbreaker to cut drafts into the cabin for both front and rear passengers. It uses a wind deflector that raises six centimetres above the leading edge of the windscreen to deflect the air flow and a net between the rear seats to reduce turbulence in the cabin. The system is so high-tech, using 211 individual components, that Mercedes has taken out 20 patents on the device.The chief engineer of the E-Class coupe and convertible, Christian Fruh, describes the system as ‘an isle of calm in the middle of a hurricane’. "It quite literally takes wind out of your hair," he says. And the Aircap also cuts noise in the cabin, as well as working with the automatic aircon — which knows when when the roof is up or down to adjust the heating or cooling to compensate.Apart from the draught stopper, the cabrio also gains a wealth of Mercedes-Benz safety knowhow. The company’s passive safety chief, Kai Visel, says it is as safe as the coupe.  "The rollover performance in an accident is the same as the coupe,” he says.To achieve that, the cabrio uses high-tensile steel, a traditional B-pillar construction, and heavily reinforced body structure that includes more robust A-pillars and twin rollover protection bars that automatically deploy for rear seat passengers. Visel says the car’s torsional rigidity is almost the same as the flagship two-seater SL.But there is more to the E Cabrio, with four new models for Australia — the first-up petrol V6 and V8 ahead of two four-cylinder models later in the year. First up is the E350 V6 and range topping E500 V8 in April to be followed by the E250 CGI petrol around June and E250 CDI turbodiesel arriving in July.The V6 cabrio will cost $139,950 while the E500 is $186,950, both a $12,450 increase over the E-Class coupe already on sale. The E250 CGI is tipped to be around $105,000 and the E 250 CDI around $135,000. But Benz says the higher prices for the E350 and E500 including $12,555 and $18,627 more value over the outgoing CLK droptop.Despite its higher price, the E-Class cabrio is likely to be shopping against the Audi A5 cabriolet and BMW’s 3 Series cabrio. Mercedes did well with the previous cabrio, as 39 per cent of CLK buyers chose the cabrio."We expect a similar level of interest for the new cabrio,” says Peter Fadeyev, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia.Like the E coupe, the E350 cabrio gets a 170kW/540Nm 3.0-litre V6 and the E500 a 285kW/530Nm 5.5-litre V8. The E500 hits 100km/h in 5.3 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h with economy of 11.0L/100km.The E250 CGI has a 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine that pumps out 150kW/310Nm, delivering 7.8l/100km. The E250 CDI gets a 2.2-litre four-cylinder with 150kW/500Nm with 5.6l/100km. All four-cylinder models get a five-speed automatic while Mercedes' latest’ 7G-tronic seven-speed automatic will be standard on the petrol V6 and V8.Fadeyev expects the E350 to be the most popular model. However, after the experience with the E-Class sedan in Australia, he believes buyers could be swayed to the new petrol and turbodiesel fours."We’ll have to wait and see, but our customers are really warming to the new four-cylinder engines because they deliver plenty of performance without sacrificing fuel economy. The E250CGI could be the dark horse," Fadeyev says.Benz also claims coupe levels of cabin quietness and integrity. The four-layer acoustic soft-top helps reduce noise. The hydraulic roof is fully automatic, taking 20 seconds to raise or lower at speeds up to 40km/h. It lowers flush with the boot gets its own stowage compartment, with a retractable cover to separate it from the luggage area. With the roof closed the cover can be slid forward to increase capacity by 90 litres to 390 litres. There is also a ski-port for loading long items.Firstly, forget strong performance and that solid-as-a-rock Mercedes build quality. The talk is all about the E-Class cabrio's new-found feel good factor, thanks to Aircap and the potential for year-round open top enjoyment. It is so effective that it will allow top down motoring even in the darkest days of winter because it significantly cuts any turbulent air swirling around the cabin.The device works a treat. It doesn't entirely eliminate the wind-in-the-hair feel but makes cold weather driving a treat. Throw in the heated seats and Airscarf — which will remain an option for Australia — and the cabrio could lure coupe buyers who have never considered a softtop. Because it is changing the cabrio's aerodynamics slightly, the Aircap does eat a little into fuel economy but Mercedes engineers say it is a modest increase.As with the E-Class sedan and coupe, the cabrio is packed with safety and technology to justify the steep price tag. The four-layer roof is technological work of art. With the roof closed the cabin is as quiet as the coupe.After driving both the E250 CGI and E500, the V8 is the pick if you have the cash to splash because it works so well with the new seven-speed automatic and has a rorty exhaust note with the top down. But the turbocharged 1.8-litre four is certainly not embarrassed; it's quiet with a strong mid-range for overtaking and the five-speed auto's ratios are perfectly matched to extract the performance from the engine.The ride and handling in both the four and V8 is perhaps not as sharp as BMW 3-Series cabrio but slicker than the A5 cabrio. It can still double as a boulevard cruiser or swift mountain touring car.Thanks to the extra chassis stiffening, the cabrio resists scuttle shake and there is very little flexing over even the roughest roads.The cabrio has a slightly longer wheelbase than the CLK which liberates more cabin room, so both front seat occupants are spoilt for space and legroom. In the back, though, the stronger body meant moving the rear seats inboard so shoulder space is best described as snug. The rear seatback is also quite vertical but this means rear seat passengers sit slightly higher and have a better view out front.Visually the cabrio styling looks far more resolved and more youthful than the sedan thanks to the coupe-esque roof and short boot.

Elegance has evolved into elan in the E-Class range. The conservative creases on the outgoing model have been resculpted into contemporary curves that make Mercedes-Benz midrange models genuinely sexy.The E has always enjoyed the moral high ground; brilliantly built, prestige transporters with a focus on safety and occupant comfort. The staid styling, though, has seen younger professionals head to BMW and Audi. That should stop with this model, particularly when the adrenaline-added AMG models arrive later this year.For now the E500 sedan and coupe share top billing. The 5.5-litre V8 engines are carried over, but there's nothing wrong with sticking to 285kW and 530Nm.Mate that performance to a seven-speed auto and you have awesome midrange acceleration and a top end best tested on a track. Bury the right foot and the V8 emits enough of a growl to intrude into the cabin. With less urgency the Merc is virtually silent ... all the better to hear the startled inhalations from first-time passengers as the coupe hooks in to a hairpin.The E-Class is built on the C-Class platform, so it's not surprising the Merc handles like a more compact car. What is surprising is how tenaciously it hangs on with the suspension set to Sport, giving just a touch of understeer to warn when momentum is close to overtaking mechanical grip.Press on from there and the software safety suite kicks in with a flicker of amber lights on the dash, as the inside wheels are automatically slowed to get you around the corner.The Merc points where you want it to, but doesn't offer the same feel through the wheel of its German rivals — it's more insulated, but no more insecure.Take-off is the only time you'll find the classy coupe lagging. There's relatively little go until the engine has wound up so you won't be winning the launch off the lights. It does, however, make dawdling in traffic and car parks a much easier proposition, so I suspect it's an engineered effect.The interior has all the fruit you'd expect for $175,000, packaged in a layout that is as practical as it is polished. Every control is logical; most are intuitive. Press the buttons on the radio, for example, and the station change is instant; twist the dial and it scrolls through the frequencies. Nice.Boot space is cavernous and access to the rear seats is pretty straightforward. Lift a lever on the side of the seats and the motors roll it forward, so 180cm passengers can enter and exit without being gymnasts. They may, however, be a bit cramped once they're in: the sloping coupe roof on the coupe does limit headroom.If you're a genuinely enthusiastic driver, hold fire until the AMG arrives here early next year with the promise of a truly dynamic drive. Most people, however, will find the E500 more than a match for their driving, with luxury that you'd expect from a top-of-the-range S-Class. 

Dull design has been banished from the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range. While the E-Class always has been one of the standards for mid-sized prestige sedans, there’s also always been a strong streak of staidness in the styling. Forget all that. The new eighth-generation E-Class looks as good as it feels.The lines of the iconic Pontoon from about 60 years ago have been used to give the new wedge shape an arresting side contour and wheel arches, with a longer and lower stance. But there’s more than just skin-deep beauty. The new range of sedans and coupes arrives with a raft of safety and convenience technology and some new engines on the way.And it’s also undergone one of the most intensive testing programs of any Stuttgart model, with 36 million kilometres of test driving, and 150 crash tests of real metal supported with more than 17,000 of computer-modelled ones.The E-Class will appear on showroom floors in both sedan and coupe body styles this month with two initial petrol engines — both carried over from the current range — the 200kW/350Nm V6 E350 and the 285kW/530Nm V8 E500, and both mated to a column-mounted seven-speed G-tronic sequential automatic transmission.While those looking for the AMG badge will have to wait until the arrival of the E63 early in 2010, later this year we’ll see what promises to be a stonking engine in the V6 E350 Cdi turbodiesel, which boasts 540Nm but a fuel economy of jusy 6.8l/100km.However, even this fairly frugal consumption is likely to be outshone by the accompanying uber-economical four-cylinder BlueEfficiency engines, with the range being plumped out by the E250 direct-injected turbocharged petrol and E220 Cdi and twin-turbo E250 Cdi diesels.Mercedes-Benz expects a great buyer response to the more economical versions, especially the diesel, with the public’s increasing search for better and greener solutions. “But diesel by itself is not the whole answer to the future fuel issue,” says Merc’s managing director, Horst von Sanden. “We believe there is not one single answer, but that the success of engines in the future will rely on an intelligent mix — diesel, hybrid, super-efficient petrol — all of these will be improved.”Prices will start from $80,900 for the E220 CDi sedan and $94,500 for the E250 CGi coupe, while the E350 will start from $128,900 and the E500 V8 from $178,900.The equipment list is long and pretty comprehensive, with the usual safety and comfort features being joined by the Attention Assist system that monitors your driving behaviour and inputs and sends alerts if it senses you are getting drowsy, nine air bags, repeater LED indicators in the side mirrors, lane keep and blind spot assist systems and ambient lighting. There is also speed-sensitive direct control steering and three-mode — Comfort, Sports or Airmatic — direct control suspension in the top spec.Options include night view assist for low-light driving, adaptive intelligent lights that adjust the spread and automatically dip when they sense oncoming traffice, and radar-controlled active cruise control that lock on and keeps a safe distance from cars in front. Unfortunately we miss out on the European system that reads speeds signs, as our signs are a different shape, while the stop-go technology is available — for now — only on the four-cylinder manual variant that will not arrive here.The E350 and E500 can be a bit sneaky, if you’re not careful. Both cabins are so quiet that there’s little sensation of speed, and you tend to creep the needle up the dial without even noticing. Neither of the engines are unwilling, but the V8 copes much better with the weighty body that is the unavoidable consequence of racks of technology being added to already hefty strengthened metal. While the column mount takes a bit of getting used to, the seven-speed transmission is smooth and snappy, and there’s no question it gets enough out of either engine to please most buyers.But these two sit somewhere in the middle of the market — they’re not all-out fire-breathers expected of the hero and AMG versions when they arrive, but nor are they the modest and more frugal end of the spectrum that the BlueEfficiency engines will cater for. Rather, this pair will offer some extra urge for those moments when you want to stir up just a bit more, but generally encourage you to cruise around in supreme ease and comfort most of the time.The interior fit-out is superb, and with the quality of materials married to the extra technology, the E-Class is starting to get closer to the S-Class that has always been held up as the technology standard for Mercedes-Benz. The S-Class is the car that gets all the goodies first, and then sees them trickle down to the rest of the range — but the E-Class had us wondering if there was any need to spend the extra money.

The good folk at Sindelfingen have looked to the past to give us the future. One look at the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan shows that the design team has taken some cues from the famous 1950s Pontoon models.The E-Class shares that car's bulging rear wheel arches, incorporated into the ninth-generation car's 21st century design. Apart from a passing nod to the Pontoon, the newest Merc gains a modern interpretation of the E-Class's quad headlight treatment wrapped around an entirely new body.As expected, it bristles with safety and technology. Mercedes boldly describes it as the safest car in the world.Prices have been trimmed on some models and there is more equipment across the range, while service intervals have been lifted to 25,000km.The range initially kicks off with the $128,900 E350 V6 and $178,900 E500 V8 with four other models arriving in two months. Both carry over the same engines with no change in performance. The E350 develops 200kW/350Nm while the E500 ups the ante with 285kW/530Nm.From September - two four-cylinder CDI turbo-diesels, a V6 CDI and a four cylinder CGI direction injection petrol engine join the lineup. These engines are all part of the company's Blue Efficiency technologies designed to improve aerodynamics, fuel consumption and emissions.The latest generation turbo-diesels and petrol CGI engines show just how far engine technology has come, delivering more power and torque from smaller capacity units. The 2.1-litre E220 CDI develops 125kW/400Nm, the 1.8-litre E250 CGI has 150kW/310Nm, the E250 CDI develops 150kW/500Nm and the E350 CDI develops 170kW/540Nm.The arrival of an entry level turbo-diesel is a marked departure for the brand, according to Mercedes-Benz Australia managing director, passenger cars, Horst von Sanden. It also becomes the first four-cylinder diesel E-Class to be sold here.Von Sanden says the E220 CDI reflects the growing acceptance of modern diesel technology by Australian customers. He says adding more gear into the cars was also a direct reaction to market demands. The luxury segment had become more price sensitive, he says. "We saw that with the runout of the old car," he says. "Even luxury buyers are expecting more."The entry car will be the $80,900 E220 CDI diesel four, $93,900 E250 CGI petrol four, $96,900 E 250 CDI diesel four and $131,900 E350 CDI V6. The new E350 costs $2965 less than the outgoing model, yet gets more than $10,000 in additional standard equipment. The E500 sedan is $11,232 more expensive but gets about $21,000 worth of additional standard equipment.Buyers can also specify the $5700 AMG sports pack which adds 18-inch AMG alloys, body kit, firmer suspension, sports seats, three-spoke steering wheel and brushed alloy pedals.The E350 gets front and rear parking sensors with parking guidance, 7-speed G-tronic automatic, lane keeping package with blind-spot alarm, attention assist, 18-inch alloys, bi-Xenon headlights with adaptive highbeam assist, cruise control, split/fold rear seats, cupholders, cable for the iPod input, multi-contour front seats and multi-zone climate control air-conditioning.The E500 ups the ante with keyless entry and go, more luxurious front seats, alarm and sunblinds in the rear and side rear seats.The ninth-generation sedan has grown slightly in all directions except height. At 2874mm, the wheelbase is 20mm longer, which has helped liberate more interior room. The sedan's boot capacity remains at 540-litres but it has been redesigned to improve accessibility so it can take four golfbags. Every E-Class now also gets a split fold rear seat to increase luggage room.Those looking for more punch will have to wait until November when the hotter 6.3-litre V8 E63 AMG model arrives.Mercedes has clearly improved every area of the sedan. It's stronger, quieter, beautifully finished and there is enough room and lashings of leather to please all occupants front and rear.The twin headlight front remains but the front is squarer and more upright around the familiar Mercedes grille. The overall look is mature but from some angles not as resolved as the previous generation. Time will tell how well the design will wear. At the back, the lines are more conservative with wide and bold LED tail-lights.Buyers initially have the choice of the E350 3.0-litre V6 petrol along with the E500 5.5-litre V8. Both engines carry over from the previous model. But once the newer CDI models arrive, even Mercedes admits that these powerplants have the potential to be volume sellers. With the imminent arrival of some of the impressive turbo-diesels from September, the petrol 3.0-litre V6 might just be overtaken in the performance stakes.Both the E350 and E500 have gained a bit of weight, but the benefit is added safety and a quieter car. However, with 200kW and 350Nm on tap it is a lot to ask the V6 to propel the hefty E350 1711kg sedan.On paper, Mercedes quotes a zero to 100km/h sprint of 6.3 seconds for the V6 and 5.2 seconds for the V8. On the road though both engines do not feel particularly brisk but it may have been because the cabin is so quiet that you do not get any urgency or sense of speed. Both models just go about their business without fuss.The cabin takes its cues from the S-Class and both the driver and passengers are cosetted and pampered. The ride overall in the V6 is composed, the direct control steering works well and the impressive seats set a benchmark for other brands in comfort and support.The E500 gets the lastest-generation air suspension with adaptive dampers. It delivers a plush ride on the comfort setting but feels best on the firmer setting, which adds some precision without losing ride comfort. That said, the E500 is probably best described as a luxury point-to-point tourer than an outright performance machine. It's about cocooning the occupants.There are no complaints about the seven-speed automatics in either car. Changes are slick and seamless but the V6 requires a hefty shove of the accelerator when overtaking. It is already clear that on paper at least, the 150kW/500Nm 2.1-litre E250 CDI and 170kW/540Nm V6 E350 CDI may well be the pick of the E-Class bunch.The V6 and V8 are adequate but we can't wait to drive the diesels.

Zoom along the centre lane on the autobahn out of Stuttgart in Mercedes new coupe and glance at the clinical LCD speedo in disbelief.It’s telling you 140km/h as you wind up the speed to overtake the crazy man in a Smart. They let anyone on an autobahn. Yet the tachometer is at 2100rpm and there’s simply no noise — nothing from the wind and nothing from the engine.That’s remarkable in itself but the sealer is that this E-Class Coupe is a diesel and the engine is a four-cylinder of only 2.1 litres.This is the world’s most aerodynamic production car with a co-efficient of drag (cD) of 0.24 in a motoring world of averages in the low 0.30s. The lower, the better.It has an awesome 500Nm of torque that seamlessly slingshots the car forward through the gears. It saw 200km/h with ease on the unrestricted zone of the autobahn and when switched off two hours later, showed a mere 6.4 litres/100km on the trip computer.The E250 CDI is one of five engines slotted into the muscular E-Class Coupe for its Australian debut in July. In fact, two models — the E350 diesel and E500 petrol — come in July. And the others: E350 petrol and E250 petrol and diesel, get here in September.The four-cylinder models have five-speed automatic transmissions and the six and eight cylinder versions have seven-speed autos.The new coupe ostensibly replaces the CLK. But a quiet chat to Mercedes reps and it seems the CLK — which was basically made of parts from a few different models — may reappear to be sandwiched between the E Coupe and the cheaper CLC.The E Coupe is based heavily on the E-Class sedan with about 100mm sliced out of the wheelbase. It shares some interior features — but not items such as the two-door’s superb seats — and no external panels.Engines and transmissions are identical, though its lighter weight means the Coupe can boast fuel savings of up to 17 per cent over the outgoing CLK.An example is the E250 CDI that officially is rated at 5.1 l/100km yet accelerates from rest to 100km/h in a brisk 7.4 seconds.The E350 CDI drinks at 6.8 l/100km and sprints to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds and the new direct petrol-injection E350 CGI posts 8.5 l/100km and 6.5 seconds.It may be substantially more economical and quicker than its predecessor, but Mercedes-Benz sees its latest coupe’s allure as being its captivating style.It is tailored specifically to lure buyers with its sleek, rounded tapered lines much in the same way as the feminine curves of the CLK made it a top seller.Project manager of the E Coupe, Rainer Tiefenbacher, says the appeal of the styling was balanced by the sophistication of the engineering.“When we asked groups of people what, for them, defined driving pleasure, 80 per cent answered it was a car’s comfort,” he says.“Only 10 per cent felt driving pleasure when going fast. So the E Coupe focuses on the look, the features and the comfort.“But,” he says with a smile, “we would never compromise performance.”The E Coupe gets a sophisticated Agility Control suspension system as standard. This has variable shock absorbers to provide the comfort or sporty handling depending on road conditions.But for the more enthusiastic owner, options include either a sports suspension system or a dynamic handling package. The latter has electronic shocks, two-mode ride levels and automatically sharpens throttle and gearshift responses.The bucket seats for the front occupants are beautifully sculptured and perfectly bolstered for the Coupes varied roles. Optional is seat air pumps to modify the cushions to suit varying body shapes.There is seating for two (not tall) adults in the rear and extended front seat travel to make easy entry and egress to the back seats.The E Coupe gets a surprisingly large boot, fold down rear seat backs and — for the Australian market — a full-size spare tyre. Incidentally, Mercedes Australia has specified a full-size spare for its E-Class sedan and S-Class range on the basis that it considers them safer than space-saver spares.Buyers can request AMG updates but these do not include engine enhancements. Mercedes has yet to officially reject a full-blown AMG Coupe — there was one in the CLK but it appears it won’t happen. It may be the future CLK reincarnate that will become the AMG model.Pricing is yet to be finalised though don’t expect much of a change from the CLK prices. The E250 diesel and petrol models, for example, will likely to be the same price which makes the diesel a low-cost entry to the brand.

The florid Yank leaned forward to emphasise his point, no mean feat given his girth."BMWs are fur the fellah whose makin' his money. Mercedes, on t'other hand, are fur the fellah whose made his money," he leered.This good ol' - and no doubt oil-rich - boy was how a certain Merc buyer was described (well, more or less) by a marketing bloke when I asked him to define the marque's demographic.Funny, because only the previous week in Brisbane, a limo driver said much the same thing, except he was talking of oil rich boys from the Middle East."Nah, mate," he said when asked if he'd consider a 7 Series or Audi's A8 to cart his clientele."When they're in town, it's Mercs or nothin'. Same with the Chinese."Stuggart cars remain those sought by the conspicuously status conscious; from those desperately seeking it (the rag trade tsarina double parking her C-Class outside a Surry Hills garment shop) to those who have long since acquired it (the Fortune 500 company CEO in his S 65 AMG).Some things change, but despite Merc's divergence into quaint urban shopping carts, the owner's statement of intent does not. Nor, to a vast extent, has the E Class, the Merc range which begins at a price point that excludes try-hards.The midlife facelift afforded this series of saloons (that's “sedans” to youse and me) and estates (and that's “wagons”) is much in the manner of the cosmetic procedure undergone by a likely owner. The E Class has been uplifted in some places, tightened in others and given a tasteful nose job nose.None of these will frighten the horses. Or the horsey for that matter ...Actually, it's in the equine department that the most significant additions of the claimed 2000 new or revisited E Class parts have been made. Enhanced engine outputs now range from 135kW for the previously anodyne E200K to 378kW for the barbarous E 63 AMG.Eleven variants have segued into showrooms - six saloons and five Estates - for the most varied model range in the executive segment.The most evident and successful gambits are the newly V-shaped grille, and sporty side skirts and bumpers on the Avantgarde (as opposed to Elegance) variants.Where vehicles of this rarefied strata are of most interest to us plebs is in terms of safety - the sort of measures that start in the rarefied reaches of the auto atmosphere and descends to cars we can afford.First of these in the revised E Class is Pre-Safe, a system which responds before an impending collision by activating front seatbelt tensioners and preparing airbag deployment. The second is Neck-Pro, a rear impact anticipator in which the sensors move head restraints forward to protect vulnerable upper spinal columns.May you never need either. What you will have more recourse to is the extra horses now summonable at a tap of the right foot.We drove the E 200K saloon, E 280 diesel saloon, E 350 Estate, E 500 Estate and the mighty E 63 AMG saloon - a back to back experience that reinforced each E Class iterant is entirely different and that there's surely one for all tastes.We'll revisit these soon and stick for now to the entrant E and the top of the conventional range.Driven through a five speed auto (the rest of the range of the sport uber smooth seven speeders), the 135kW/250Nm now in the E 200 K Classic makes the difference between a shetland and - if not a stallion - then a nicely behaved saddle pony.Supercharged or not, a 1.8 inline petrol four is only going to do so much with a 1.6 tonne car, but on a 100km drive at highway speeds (or what passes for them under fascist rule) from Melbourne into the boonies, it recorded an acceptable 7.7 litres.This car does not rock. It's not meant to. For $84,500, it does get you into the E Class without you feeling as though you've lobbed to a white tie event in hired evening wear.Altogether madder, the E 500 now hosts the 5.5-litre V8 from the S-Class - a thumping up-provement from the previous 5.0. With an output of 285kW and 530 Isaacs, it's capable of getting the 1.78 tonne saloon (the estate's 100kg heavier) to 100kmh from standing in a claimed 5.3 seconds.That's 0.7 seconds faster than the previous E 500 and feels every tenth of it.Driving the $166,300 estate (the saloon is $6K less) on narrow downhill twisties, was to wonder quite how something of such heft remains so pliant. Even with eight pots between your feet and the big E's newly nipped nose, the reconfigured suspension sees that you're seldom dogged by understeer. Hard cornering is almost an act of neutrality.Newly standard Direct Control increases the steering ratio by a claimed 10 per cent.Certainly, the steering is not overimbued with feel, but it is accurate, allowing hands to remain where they should and engine braking to be enacted via the AMG-derived wheel-mounted levers.Sure, it's all grand touring rather than sportingly incisive in the BMW or Audi manner, but the main thing is that the E makes you look "money".FAST FACTSMERCEDES-BENZ E 200 KOMPRESSOR SaloonEngine: 4-cylinders/in-line, 4 valves per cylinderOutput: 135 kW/ 184hp at 5500 rpmTorque: 250 Nm at 3500-4000 rpmSuspension: Front axle Four-link suspension, anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser. Rear axle Multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser.Braking system: Disc brakes all-round, internally ventilated at the front and solid at the rear, drum-type parking brake at the rear, ABS, Brake Assist, ESP.Gross vehicle weight: 2105kgAcceleration: 0-100 km/h in 9.1sMaximum speed: 210km/hrMERCEDES-BENZ E 280  Saloon/Estate Engine: V6, 4 valves per cylinderOutput: 170kW/231hp at 6000 rpmTorque: 300Nm at 2500-5000 rpmSuspension: Front axle Four-link suspension, anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser. Rear axle Multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser.Braking system: Internally ventilated disc brakes all-round, drum-type parking brake at rear, ABS, Brake Assist, ESP.Gross vehicle weight: 2185kg/2360kg.Acceleration: 0-100 km/h s 7.3/8.1.Maximum speed:210km/hrMERCEDES-BENZ E 350 Saloon/EstateEngine: V6, 4 valves per cylinderOutput: 200kW/272hp at 6000 rpmTorque: 350Nm at 2400-5000 rpmSuspension: Front axle Four-link suspension, anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser. Rear axle Multi-link independent suspension, anti-squat and anti-dive, coil springs, gas-pressure shock absorbers, stabiliser.Braking system: Internally ventilated disc brakes all-round, drum-type parking brake at rear, ABS, Brake Assist, ESP.Gross vehicle weight: 2215kg/2385kgAcceleration: 0-100 km/h in 6.9s**/7.1s**Maximum speed: 210 km/h**if equipped with the optional Sports package, the 0-100 km/h acceleration time in manual shift mode is shortened by 0.2 s.Gross vehicle weight: 2310kg/2485kgMERCEDES-BENZ E 500  Saloon/EstateEngine: V8, 4 valves per cylinderOutput: 285kW/388hp at 6000 rpmTorque: 530Nm at 2800-4800 rpmSuspension: Front axle Four-link suspension, full-support AIRMATIC DC air suspension with level control, anti-dive. Rear axle Multi-link independent suspension, full-support AIRMATIC DC air suspension with level control, anti-squat and anti-dive.Braking system: Internally ventilated disc brakes all-round, drum-type parking brake at rear, ABS, Brake Assist, ESP.Gross vehicle weight: 2310kg/2460kgAcceleration: 0-100 km/h 5.3s** 5.4s**Maximum speed: 210 km/hr ** if equipped with the optional Sports package, the 0-100 km/h acceleration time in manual shift mode is shortened by 0.2 s.MERCEDES-BENZ E 63 AMG Sedan/Estate Engine: V8, 4 valves per cylinderOutput: 378kW at 6800 rpmTorque: 630Nm at 5200 rpmSuspension: Front axle Four-link suspension, AIRMATIC DC full air suspension system with self-levelling control, anti-dive device, anti-roll bar. Rear axle Multi-link independent suspension, AIRMATIC DC full air suspension system with self-levelling control, anti-squat and anti-lift device, anti-roll barBraking system: Internally ventilated disc brakes all-round, drum-type parking brake at rear, ABS, Brake Assist, ESP.Gross vehicle weight: 2365kg/2460kgAcceleration: 0-100 km/h in 4.5sMaximum speed: 250km/hr Paul Pottinger is a senior roadtester on the CARSguide team, and also editor of the Sunday Telegraph CARSguide. A version of this review, as well as other news, reviews and analysis will appear in the Sunday Telegraph.