1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Review

1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class - Unabashed hot rod.

By: Dan Jedlicka

How fast do you want to go, and/or how much do you want to outdo your neighbors?

If you're the hyper-competitive type with a fairly thick wallet, go for broke and get the $49,900 Mercedes-Benz E420--if you can find a dealer who has this rapid-selling model in stock.

The E420 is an unabashed hot rod, 275-horsepower V-8 version of the popular $43,500 Mercedes E320, which has a smooth-but-smaller 217-horsepower six-cylinder.

The E320 is quick, but the E420 is much faster. The car's double-overhead-camshaft, 32-valve aluminum V-8 propels it from 0-60 m.p.h. in a mere 5.9 seconds--although this is a fairly big, 189.4-inch-long four-door that weighs a hefty 3,770 pounds.

The E420's 4.2-liter (hence the name) V-8 allows effortless merging into fast traffic and no-sweat passing on narrow two-lane roads. This is one of those cars that can make a driver power-hungry.

Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 18 m.p.g. in the city and 25 on highways. But economy isn't a big priority of E420 buyers; if they want more miles per gallon, they can get the E320 with its 3.2-liter six.

The E420 has a standard five-speed automatic transmission, which is more efficient than a conventional four-speed automatic. The five-speed unit enhances both off-the-line acceleration and allows overdrive highway cruising that gives the car a decent driving range. The trick is to resist putting your throttle foot down hard, which is something the E420 encourages.

Steering, handling and braking are top-notch--and are even better if the E420 comes with the $3,900 Sport Package option that my test car had. The option includes such items as beefier wheels and tires.

There's plenty of room for four tall adults in the E420, which has front and side air bags and is loaded with equipment. But the side air bags have made the once-excellent power seat controls harder to use; the controls have been forced to the forward edge of the door panel and are awkwardly angled slightly in toward the dashboard.

The E420 has the same slightly whimsical--and new for formerly somber Mercedes--front-end appearance of the E320. Typical of Mercedes, the car feels rigid--but not quite as substantial as older models. Although the ride and seats are on the firm side, both are less firm than they once were--illustrating the ``softer'' approach Mercedes is taking toward the U.S. market.

Mercedes is out to sell more cars at lower prices in this country, but one wonders if models like the E420 aren't as solid as former Mercedes models because engineers no longer dominate this automaker with a cost-no-object approach, as was the case for decades.

Dan Jedlicka

Dan Jedlicka's Website

Dan Jedlicka joined the Chicago Sun-Times in February 1968 as a business news reporter and was named auto editor later that year. He has reviewed more than 4,000 new vehicles for the Sun-Times--far more than any newspaper auto writer in the country. Jedlicka also reviewed vehicles for Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Autos Internet site from January, 1996, to June, 2008.

Jedlicka remained auto editor at the Sun-Times until October, 2008, and continued writing for the newspaper's AutoTimes section, which he started in 1992, until February, 2009. While continuing his auto writings at the Sun-Times, he served as assistant financial editor of that newspaper from 1970 to 1973, when he began his automotive column.

He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC's "Today," ABC's "20/20" and "The CBS Evening News." He was a host, consultant and writer for Fox-TV Channel 32's 1991 New Car Preview show and that Chicago-based station's 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 Chicago Auto Show Previews.

Jedlicka's auto articles have been printed in national magazines, including Esquire and Harper's. His auto columns have been reprinted in U.S. government publications and economic textbooks and he is profiled in the "World's Greatest Auto Show" history book about the Chicago Auto Show. In late 1975, Jedlicka was host and technical advisor for three one-hour television specials, "Auto Test 76," which aired nationally on PBS and were the first nationally televised auto road test shows.

In 1995, Jedlicka was the recipient of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois Inc.'s Consumer Education Award, given annually to a person who has gained distinction in the field of consumer education. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Media category and inducted into the Legends of Motorsports Guild at the Carquest World of wheels custom car show in Chicago in January, 2006.

Jedlicka was a member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, composed of a select number of auto journalists from throughout the country, from 1995 until 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Consumer Digest magazine's auto experts panel that gave Best Buy new vehicle recommendations.

He is a 1987 graduate of the Bob Bondurant Race Drivers School and later of the BMW "M" and Skip Barber Advanced Driving schools. He was a member of the U.S. team that participated in the 1987 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race/rally in Italy and has been a race winner at the Chicago area's Santa Fe Speedway.

Jedlicka has owned 25 classic cars, including 1950s and 1960s Ferraris and 1950s and 1960s Porsches, a 1965 Corvette, a 1967 Maserati and a 1957 Studebaker supercharged Golden Hawk. Jedlicka resides with his wife, Suzanne, in the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district of Oak Park. They have two children, James and Michele.

For more reviews from Dan, visit Facebook.

1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Review

1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class - Unabashed hot rod.

Dan Jedlicka

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