108 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE
T
he W213 Mercedes E-Class
may well be the most
sophisticated, complicated piece
of rolling digital technology ever.
Great. But as a car, is it any good?
We’re in the base-model
135kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol
E200, priced at $92,600. The
E220d, with a 143kW 2.1-litre
turbodiesel, is $95,600 and the
E350d, with a 210kW 3.0-litre V6
turbodiesel, is $136,700 and E450
4Matic, with a 270kW 3.0-litre
twin-turbopetrol V6, is $144,800.
The faux SUV all-wheel drive
E220d All-Terrain is $111,200.
The E350e plug-in hybrid,
which can run for up to 30km
on battery power, is $133,400,
while the 320kW 3.0-litre twin
turbo, all-wheel drive AMG E53
4Matic is $168,200.
The 420kW 4.0-litre twin turbo
V8 AMG E 63 4Matic is $211,400
and the 450kW E 63 S is $240,900.
Coupe variants start at $97,900
for the E 220d and cabriolets
start at $125,300 for the E300.
The E Class cabin is dominated
by the beautiful widescreen dash,
two upright, hi-res LCD screens
bonded together to create a
customisable instrument and
infotainment display that’s dazzling
in its clarity and sophistication.
A luxurious, heavily bolstered
driver’s seat has ample
adjustment for any physique.
Vinyl upholstery is still standard.
The back seat is similarly
spacious and shaped to
comfortably fi t two big Germans.
Mercedes’ Drive Pilot semi-
autonomous technology debuts
in the E-Class, and while the true
driverless car is still decades
away, Drive Pilot is a brave start.
The car will automatically
slow down, speed up, or come
to a stop altogether to maintain
a safe separation between you
and the vehicles in front.
If you want to change lanes,
you hold the indicator wand for
a couple of seconds and if the
car decides it’s safe, it will steer
itself into the lane.
The E-Class will also self-
steer for a period of up to one
minute, at which point an alarmsounds and you have to grasp
the wheel to reactivate the
system. If you don’t, the car
assumes you’re unconscious
and will then automatically
coast to a stop in its lane and
switch on the hazard lights.
Drive Pilot uses cameras
and radar to guide the car, so
it needs clear road shoulder
and lane markings as reference
points. It works fi ne on major
arterial roads and freeways, but
it won’t negotiate roundabouts,
can steer only through long,
gentle curves and is uncertain
in the dark.
So you have to be just as vigilant
in the E-Class as you would be
when driving a normal car.
Mercedes’ long-stroke 2.0-litre
turbopetrol is refi ned, quiet and
has plenty of accessible, fl exible
grunt on tap.
The nine-speed works in
Germany, but ninth gear isn’t
engaged until 120km/h-plus — so
it’s completely irrelevant here.Still, fuel effi ciency is
outstanding for a big, heavy car.
You’ll get 11–13L/100km in town
and 6–7L/100km on the highway.
This E-Class is lighter
and more agile than its
predecessors, but it can also
become nervous and uncertain
in choppy corners because the
suspension lacks control.
An E-Class used to glide over
rough Australian country roads
with regal grace. This one doesn’t.
The ride is supple on smooth
surfaces but becomes fussy
and harsh when driving on
ragged bitumen, so the adaptive
suspension option on the base
E200/E220 is worth taking.
In standard trim, BMW’s 5
Series is a better car.MERCEDES E-CLASS FROM $92,600 S
Safety
Not yet tested
PerformanceHandlingQuality and reliabilityComfort and refi nementValue for moneyOverallSTARS
THINGS WE LIKE
Widescreen dash makes every
other car’s look obsolete
If it’s not the safest car in the world
I’d like to know what is
Spacious cabin fi nished in high-
quality materials
Comfortable seats
Fuel-effi cient 2.0-litre turbopetrol
Agile handling and a supple ride on
smooth bitumen
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE
Suspension lacks control and
the ride deteriorates on rough
country roads
Drive Pilot isn’t perfect, does a
few weird things and can’t be
relied upon
Complex, slow infotainment system
No spare
Short warranty
Plastic upholstery
SPEX (E200)
Made in Germany
2.0-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol/
nine-speed automatic/rear-wheel
drive
135kW of power at 5500rpm/300Nm
of torque from 1200–4000rpm
0–100km/h in 7.7 seconds (claimed)
5.3L/100km highway; 8.2L/100km
city; 95 octane premium; CO 2
emissions are 144g/km
Warranty: Three years/unlimited
kilometres
Standard: Nine airbags, stability
control, Drive Pilot, Active Brake
Assist, Evasive Steering Assist,
Pre-Safe, 360 degree cameras,
automatic parking, Apple and
Android smartphone connectivity,
digital radio, voice control, 18-inch
alloy wheels, dual-zone air, Artico
vinyl upholstery
Redbook future values: 3yr: 46%;
5yr: 33%compare with ...
Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF,
Lexus GS, Volvo S90