For: Solid construction, fuel economy, spacious, comfortable accommodation Against: Fussy styling, lack of a sixth auto gear, occasionally intrusive engine noise Mercedes-Benz says this new car is its toughest E-class yet. Which is quite a claim, given that Mercedes’ executive saloon can trace its direct predecessors (if not the ‘E’ nomenclature) right back to 1947 and that the lineage has provided some of the world’s most trustworthy and durable vehicles. More than 10 million executive saloons from this family have been sold, and many still have an enthusiastic following. There was a time when Mercedes’ advertising blurb claimed its cars were engineered like no other, and in the case of vehicles like the W124 it was probably true. Those are the days and that is the image that Mercedes would like to evoke with this latest incarnation of the E-class. Keen to increase its share of the executive saloon market, Mercedes claims to have cut prices by five per cent and bolstered the equipment. Ninety per cent of E-classes sold in the UK are powered by diesel engines, so our test car is too. It’s a 250 CDI, featuring a four-cylinder diesel engine, mated to an automatic gearbox and in SE trim. VERDICT: Full Story: Autocar - Mercedes E-class E250 CDI SE M
