Mercedes Benz E250 CDI Avantgarde

After less than four years on the shelves, Mercedes have given the E Class a makeover worthy of its own reality TV cosmetic show, with a dizzying amount of improvements  that could easily be mistaken as a completely new generation. You won’t see any patronizing updates like special badges and amber colored indicator lamps in this model refresh, but rather a radically redesigned body that almost scoffs at its ancestry, and boldly takes it where no Benz has gone before. Asides from the re-sculpted hood and the absence of those ponton-inspired fenders that were launched about 4 years ago, the most dramatic changes that any silver-blooded fan will notice are the absence of the traditional quad lamps that defined the E Class for almost two decades. Although we’ve seen a dramatic interpretation over the years, the iconic look gets the axe in favor of a full LED system that, although extremely welcomed, will take a lot of getting used to for some.   Personally, I couldn’t warm to them despite my fondness for tubular LED running lamps. It is awesome and functional, but I find it a bit too complicated. It is impressive and tries to tie the four-eye look together by using clever lighting, but it’s a strange accent in an otherwise fluent  Mercedes design language. Thankfully the rear end, which also uses full LED, is far less radical and easier on the eyes––but only time will tell if the overall merging of shapes will start sitting well with those loyalists who have only recently accepted the styling of the current generation E Class into the family. But what is not subjective is the engine, safety and performance upgrades, like ATTENTION ASSIST that can detect driver inattention and drowsiness across a wider speed range than ever before and monitor driving time between breaks to control fatigue, as well as numerous other options like DISTRONIC PLUS with steer control, BAS PLUS Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS and the 360° camera.   These are innovations worthy of your attention. And it all starts as soon as you sit in the car and fire it up. Immediately, the Merc ‘cops a feel’ as my sister in law puts it, by performing a systems check of the seat belt pre-tensioners that pulls the belt back and squeezes you into your seat. It is a little unnerving at first, especially for women, but after a few times you not only get used to it but end up feeling comforted by it.   The 2014 E Class comes out of the box with antilock disc brakes, of course, as well as stability control, front and front-side airbags, front pelvic airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag– but rear airbags we’re told, at least on the website, are optional. Also optional are the next generation of Mercedes safety technologies, including a revised front and rear collision-mitigation systems and an updated Driver Assistance package with adaptive cruise control and a "Steering Assist" feature that uses a stereoscopic camera to help keep you in your lane.   The brakes also receive some upgrades, as does the the electronic power steering system, but don’t expect to feel it in regular driving.  It is one of those things you only appreciate once you need it, sort of like a ‘get out of jail free’ card in Monopoly.   But as incredibly safe as it is, the  E class is nothing without comfort, which is why Mercedes have gone all out and thrown obscene amounts of money into this midlife update.  Asides from better seats, interior appointments and engine performance, the E-class delivers an unprecedented ride that shows the moment you floor the throttle, stab on the brakes, tug at the wheel or pull up to the pumps.   With all its kick coming in before the standard wake-up call of 2,000 RPM, plus its start stop technology that switches off the engine during idle and a  clever 7-speed transmission, acceleration is more than satisfying and fuel consumption gratifying; I was able to achieve as much as 17 kilometers per liter in a combined cycle, all while getting the kind of performance that a 3.0 liter gas engine would be envious of. All improvements, however, whether major or minor come together fluidly to deliver one of the most impressive updates you will see in any model refresh . Because  when it comes to the E Class, one thing you can be sure of is that Mercedes have bet the farm on it.   Because while cars like the AMG SLS and the S class get all the love, the truth is, the E Class is what drives it because it gets almost all the goodies first. Sure a 2.1 liter diesel executive saloon is not going to turn heads or raise skirts, but globally, it is Mercedes Benz most important model. Because not just is it a volume model, it is a show case. A template. It is the mechanical expression of everything Mercedes Benz knows right now. Which is a very good thing to know when buying this car. Originally posted in C! Magazine    July 2013 Edition