2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive Rather frequently in the car business we encounter new cars that aren't bad, but aren't especially engaging, either. That's more or less how we characterized the last E-Class, a car with a nice interior, a somewhat controversial exterior, good engines, and not a lot of personality. The new car is still somewhat polarizing on the outside, but it's finally showing signs of life. I refer mostly to the chassis, easily the most improved aspect of the car from the driver's seat. We chided the old E-Class for a soft suspension that didn't handle bumps well, and its heavy, numb steering. The folks in Stuttgart apparently came to the same conclusion, because the updated chassis is much better. The ride is firm in a characteristically German way, but impacts are muted to a dull thud. The steering walks a fine line between luxury car and sport sedan: slightly light and a little numb, but quick and responsive.
It's much the same story in the new E400 (non-hybrid). No, the twin-turbo V-6 isn't as quick as the twin-turbo V-8, and that's to be expected, given that it's down 63 horsepower and 88 lb-ft. It is quicker, though, than its 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft suggest. The little turbos spool quickly and produce a mostly flat power curve that seems to rise just slightly as you approach redline. Lag is negligible and torque delivery is nearly instant, but it comes on smoothly rather than punching you in the back like the V-8. If there's anywhere it falls down, it's in the same places as the little diesel: It sends more vibration into the cabin than you'd expect, and it's a little loud. Moreover, it doesn't sound good. In fact, it sounds as though a Nissan VQ V-6 engine's balls have dropped. It gets a little better if you really wring it out, but overall it's not a great sound and certainly no replacement for the V-8's motorboat grumble. Matched to all of them is Mercedes' seven-speed, wet-clutch automatic transmission and optional all-wheel drive. Both are refinements of existing systems with the transmission showing the most change. It shifts more smoothly than in the past and the Sport mode makes more of an effort to keep revs up. It's still not especially good at predicting when you'll want a downshift, but it at least downshifts quickly when you put your foot in it at corner exit. On the other side of the coin, braking was strong and consistent with linear progression in braking force as you get into the pedal. The other hot story is all the new safety technology. It's got cameras and radar galore, all designed to keep you in your lane and out of trouble. While the car's ability to move gently back into your lane to avoid a head-on collision impressed in the high-speed demo, the underlying lane departure warning system seemed hyperactive and quickly became a nuisance on the narrow Spanish roads, constantly vibrating the steering wheel if we strayed too close to a line for its taste. Unfortunately, one of the neater technologies, which allows the headlights to bend their beams around oncoming cars and cars ahead of you, won't be coming to America because our laws don't allow it. Similarly, we won't be getting Mercedes' latest gasoline-burning turbo four-cylinder because our gas has too much sulfur in it. If there's one aspect of the car that seems left behind, it's the interior. Small revisions to the center stack and a new steering wheel are the only readily apparent changes, making it all look a bit old. To be fair, though, it's still a nice environment, and the new trim looks even richer than before. The optional active seats in our test cars were comfortable and allow you to dial in all the support you want when tackling a good road. Altogether, the new E-Class is a strong step forward. Effective updates and a cleaner, more organic design easily outshine a few missed opportunities for improvement. The overall car is better to drive, more engaging, and more compelling. Call it what you want, but it's certainly not dull anymore.
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive
 |
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive |
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive
 |
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive |
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class First Drive
It works well with the new suspension tuning, which allows the body to roll like you might expect in a big sedan, but do so in a smooth and controlled fashion. Once leaned, it takes a set and the car becomes neutral and confident. I found that a big enough mid-corner bump could get the car to seesaw a bit, but it was otherwise unaffected. The real story is the way it grips the road. As noted, the handling behavior is very neutral, not prone to either over- or understeer unless pushed exceptionally hard. Likewise, it handled sharp transitions with smooth, controlled body movements. Even the base car's Continental ContiSportContact3 summer tires (Pirelli P Zeros optional) proved difficult to faze. No amount of hard canyon driving provoked the stability control and there was barely a howl from the tires. It's not a sports car, but no longer is it a laggard in the corners. You can have some genuine fun with this car. Providing the motivation for that fun are two new engines and three carryovers. With the 3.5-liter V-6, 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8, and 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid unchanged for 2014, our drive focused on the new 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, which replaces the old 3.0-liter V-6 diesel, and the new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, which will replace the V-8 in one year's time. That's right, the E550 and its twin-turbo V-8 is a one-year model, so if that's your huckleberry, get it now. While engine downsizing sounds regressive, check the stats. The new four-cylinder diesel makes 195 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, 15 and 31 fewer than the six-cylinder, respectively. Neither is an especially large drop, and on the road you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference. While no drag racer, the four-cylinder E250 diesel has plenty of pep and happily gets the car out of its own way. I did not want for power in town; I found it acceptably quick entering the highway; and I had no issue passing at freeway speed. People who buy base-engine cars aren't going to complain about its power, thanks in large part to the plains-flat torque curve that comes on immediately. If there is room to complain, it's in what comes into the cabin, which is a bit more noise and vibration than the old six-cylinder.
It's much the same story in the new E400 (non-hybrid). No, the twin-turbo V-6 isn't as quick as the twin-turbo V-8, and that's to be expected, given that it's down 63 horsepower and 88 lb-ft. It is quicker, though, than its 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft suggest. The little turbos spool quickly and produce a mostly flat power curve that seems to rise just slightly as you approach redline. Lag is negligible and torque delivery is nearly instant, but it comes on smoothly rather than punching you in the back like the V-8. If there's anywhere it falls down, it's in the same places as the little diesel: It sends more vibration into the cabin than you'd expect, and it's a little loud. Moreover, it doesn't sound good. In fact, it sounds as though a Nissan VQ V-6 engine's balls have dropped. It gets a little better if you really wring it out, but overall it's not a great sound and certainly no replacement for the V-8's motorboat grumble. Matched to all of them is Mercedes' seven-speed, wet-clutch automatic transmission and optional all-wheel drive. Both are refinements of existing systems with the transmission showing the most change. It shifts more smoothly than in the past and the Sport mode makes more of an effort to keep revs up. It's still not especially good at predicting when you'll want a downshift, but it at least downshifts quickly when you put your foot in it at corner exit. On the other side of the coin, braking was strong and consistent with linear progression in braking force as you get into the pedal. The other hot story is all the new safety technology. It's got cameras and radar galore, all designed to keep you in your lane and out of trouble. While the car's ability to move gently back into your lane to avoid a head-on collision impressed in the high-speed demo, the underlying lane departure warning system seemed hyperactive and quickly became a nuisance on the narrow Spanish roads, constantly vibrating the steering wheel if we strayed too close to a line for its taste. Unfortunately, one of the neater technologies, which allows the headlights to bend their beams around oncoming cars and cars ahead of you, won't be coming to America because our laws don't allow it. Similarly, we won't be getting Mercedes' latest gasoline-burning turbo four-cylinder because our gas has too much sulfur in it. If there's one aspect of the car that seems left behind, it's the interior. Small revisions to the center stack and a new steering wheel are the only readily apparent changes, making it all look a bit old. To be fair, though, it's still a nice environment, and the new trim looks even richer than before. The optional active seats in our test cars were comfortable and allow you to dial in all the support you want when tackling a good road. Altogether, the new E-Class is a strong step forward. Effective updates and a cleaner, more organic design easily outshine a few missed opportunities for improvement. The overall car is better to drive, more engaging, and more compelling. Call it what you want, but it's certainly not dull anymore.
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Base price $52,000-$62,000 (est)
Vehicle layout Front-engine, RWD/AWD, 5-pass, 4-door, sedan/wagon
Engine(s) 2.1L/195-hp/369-lb-ft turbocharged diesel DOHC 16-valve 4-cyl; 3.5L/302-hp/273 lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6; 302-hp/273 lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 plus 27-hp/184-lb-ft electric motor; 3.0L/329-hp/354-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 (est)
Transmission(s) 7-speed automatic
Curb weight 4000 lb (MT est)
Wheelbase 113.1 in
Length x width x height 192.1 x 73.0 x 58.0 in
0-60 mph 6.0-7.5 sec (MT est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ 16-24/24-35 mpg (MT est)
Energy consumption, city/hwy 140-211/96-140 kW-hrs/100 miles (MT est)
CO2 emissions 0.69-1.03 lb/mile (MT est)
On sale in U.S. May 2013
