If the year 2010 is the "year of giving," then car enthusiasts can be thankful for Mercedes-Benz providing us with the all-new E-Class, a gorgeous five-passenger sedan that reinvents itself in the image of pure luxury.
My Mercedes-Benz E-Class tester was the E550, a lush sedan sporting a fabulous Palladium Silver metallic coat. This hue set the sophisticated tone for the entire sedan and its all-new exterior.
The noticeable creases running the length of the E-Class help accentuate the long hood. The front grille, featuring a sharp chromed surround, still plays to the acclaimed twin-headlamp face and the overall elegance that starts at the front and stretches to the rear. I really love the way the headlights seem to be chiseled right into the front quarters. It feels fast, yet refined.
As you eye the flow of the roofline your track is interrupted by a new sweeping line that stretches over the rear wheel arches, where a muscular attitude seems ready to roar.
The 2010 E-Class offers a choice of sedan, wagon and coupe, luxury or sport style and rear- or all-wheel drive with gasoline or diesel engines. You would be hard pressed to not find a perfect combination for your personal needs, political views or "greenness."
Mercedes also offers 10 gorgeous exterior paint finishes, eight different upholstery color combos and a choice of either burl walnut or black walnut interior trim accents.
Inside the cabin of the E-Class, old-world luxury is a term used a lot by Mercedes officials and it is one phrase that fits. My tester had a natural beige leather interior, wonderful pleated leather door panels with a high contrasting black ash polished wood trim. You will not be able to ignore the attention to detail, the outstanding fit and finish, and overall ambience created in the E-Class.
I really enjoyed the huge panoramic moon roof; it opened up the cabin and made it feel larger than it is - which not is small by any standards. Head and legroom was generous; seating surfaces were firm and comfortable during long rides.
There is no shortage of high-tech electronics, and the COMAND climate/entertainment control system is a good example of high form meeting function. It took a couple days to get accustomed to the COMAND system, but once I did it was intuitive.
Mercedes-Benz has always touted its goals in setting the standard in safety; this sedan has intelligent body shell technology with up to 30 percent greater stiffness. A newly developed suspension system has automatically adjusting shock absorbers that vary for different driving settings.
The E-Class sedan has two gasoline engines and a 3.0-liter BlueTEC diesel, which Mercedes claims is the world's cleanest diesel engine.
A 3.5-liter V-6 offering 268 horsepower, found in the E350, and a 5.5-liter V-8 that delivers 382 horsepower with 391 pound-feet of torque, found in the E550, will feed any cravings drivers may have for speed and acceleration. Both engines are mated to a seven-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission that was nothing short of spectacular.
I found driving and ride characteristics to be comfortable and responsive. This is a Mercedes and I anticipated a lush cruiser feel - and that's what I got. Options are not necessarily the first thing you think of with the Mercedes line, but my tester had several, including Parktronic, driver dynamic multi-contour seat with massage, metallic exterior paint (a must) as well as the premium package, sport package and driver assistance package to round out one heck of a luxury sedan.
Base priced at $56,300, my tester with all those options pushed the final sticker to more than $69,000. Relatively speaking, in the luxury class of sedans with this kind of safety and technology buyers are ensured one thing - a fine ride and a classy companion.
2010 MERCEDES-BENZ E550ENGINE: 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V-8
TRANSMISSION: seven-speed automatic
DRIVETRAIN: rear-wheel drive
FUEL ECONOMY: 16 city/24 highway
BASE PRICE: $56,300
AS TESTED: $69,625
WEB SITE: www.MBUSA.com