With so much at stake after the embarrassment of the 2002 E-Class, Mercedes could not afford to fail with this one. And it hasn't. By MICHAEL McALEER, Motoring Editor
THE E-CLASS may have long symbolised success in Irish society, but to me its image has also been sullied by the inordinate number of chancers and members of the brown-envelope brigade who were attracted to it.
While most owners weren’t involved in any of the financial antics of the 1970s and 1980s, the car became more associated with success than quality. That’s not the fault of Mercedes: it’s just these people saw only the badge on the bonnet, not what was underneath. It could have been powered by the motor from a vacuum cleaner with the road-handling prowess of a Temple Bar tourist at 3am, but if the pointed star was sparkling it was the best car in the world.
It’s a shame, for the Mercedes family saloon has always been at the cutting edge of new technology and innovations. The problem was that from the 1980s, rivals like the BMW 5-Series started to leave it standing when it came to driving pleasure. They were more sporting to drive, more supple in ride and handling, and better finished.
While Mercedes has long been the undisputed king of the luxury class – with the S-Class the runaway winner in its category – the E-Class was increasingly forced to play second fiddle to its Bavarian counterpart.
The last edition was the final straw. When it was launched in 2002, the car had a host of embarrassing teething problems that let the likes of Audi, BMW and Lexus capitalise from disgruntled owners. Back at headquarters there were severe repercussions. A mid-life revamp resulted in an E-Class that is one of the most reliable under the Mercedes badge, but by then quite a bit of damage had been done to the reputation of the model range and the brand.
Now comes a car that, with so much pride at stake, cannot fail. First impressions were good and after two different test drives and more than a week in the car, it was clear Mercedes had put up the greatest challenge yet in its effort to retake the crown for the premium family car.
The new E-Class scores high on several levels. For a start the design is sharper, with more defined lines. The car resembles an S-Class, something any owner will be delighted to hear. It’s the most distinctive E-Class since the W123.
Inside, the layout also takes several styling cues from the S-Class, though the main control buttons let the car down. Nevertheless, the overall impression is one of a proper premium car. The same has to be said of the seating and general comfort.
The big news in terms of powertrains is the introduction of Mercedes’s BlueEfficiency engines to the Irish market. Soon to feature on all new Mercedes models, these are lower emission, cleaner, diesel engines. Several adjustments to improve fuel economy have resulted in an average consumption on the E220 CDI automatic of just 6.0 L/100km and an emissions rating of 139g/km for manual and 159g/km for automatic.
That means even the most highly equipped automatic E-Class diesel comes with an annual tax bill of just €302. Opt for manual transmission and that drops to just €156 a year – the same as a 1.2-litre Renault Clio or Hyundai i10. It’s incredible when you consider the size of this car. Part of this frugal economy is down to the car’s design: Mercedes has managed a pretty incredible feat of aerodynamics.
The diesel engine range is made up of several power variants of this new 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, starting with the 136bhp for the E200 CDI and moving up to 170bhp for the E220 CDI and 204bhp for the E250 CDI. While the E200 will undoubtedly be Ireland’s biggest seller, the E220 CDI is perhaps the best balance between power and frugality. The emissions are the same and that extra punch pays off when you shoot out to overtake.
Typically for a premium class car, there’s a vast array of options you can fit on the car and you could spend as much on this as the car itself, but it’s not that hard to get the choices right. The private buyer must follow a simple rule: E-Class owners, buying new or used, will appreciate an automatic transmission, leather seats and parking sensors. These three features will add comfort and protect resale value.
On the road, the new E-Class excels where its predecessors could only keep up with rivals. While bigger engine variants make the car a little nose heavy, the 2.2-litre diesel seems the ideal fit for the car in terms of balance: the right amount of power on tap and it’s delivered smoothly. It’s all very controlled, as you’d expect and hope for from a premium executive car. The steering is surprisingly well-weighted, again not something we’d previously associated with the E-Class range. There’s not the disengagement at high speeds that previous models suffered from and even when you push the car on, the steering tightens up so you always feel in control. It all adds up to a car that devours the miles without any stress to those inside, while coping with the usual array of twists, turns and cavernous potholes that make up the average Irish rural road.
Buyers in this market have been spoiled for choice lately. While its arch-rival remains the BMW 5 Series, the recent arrival of the gorgeous Jaguar XF is certain to steal some sales, while the Lexus GS has garnered a strong reputation for build quality and looks, even if the engine range sorely lacks a competitively priced diesel offering. Audi’s A6 may have lost much of its lustre by now, but it’s well-priced, even if it can’t cope with this E-Class in either the image or ability.
The Mercedes can hold its own against any of these. The Jaguar is perhaps the most alluring, but its bigger diesel engine pushes it outside the price range of many aspiring E-Class owners. It’s incredible how far the price of the E-Class has fallen on the back of the tax changes and even among those who have older models to trade-in, the cost of change should still come out the same for them.
You could now drive away in an E-Class 220 CDI for €43,600 and pay annual motor tax of €156. Mercedes clearly knows how to work the current emissions system to their advantage. It leaves you wondering why anyone would bother with a C-Class, except in situations where the E-Class may be too big.
The E-Class’s space, luxury finish, powerful engine and impressive handling all combine with its price to make it one of the most attractive buys out there at present. And that’s not something that could be said of its predecessors.
Factfile: Mercedes E220 CDI Auto Avantgarde
Engine: All new 2,143cc four-cylinder turbocharged diesel putting out 170bhp in the E220 CDI @ 2,000rpm, 135bhp in the E200 CDI and 200bhp in the E250 CDI. Torque in the test car (E220 CDI) is 400Nm from 1,400rpm. It comes with either six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. V6 and V8 petrol engines come with seven-speed auto transmission.
Specification: A host of new safety features join the usual array of front, side and window airbags, ESP stability control and ABS. You now get an active bonnet that pops up upon impact to reduce injury to pedestrians or cyclists; Pre-Safe system using sensors to detect potential impact and automatically prepares the car for impact, even applying brakes. Two higher levels on offer: Elegance (est. €4,000) and Avantgarde (est. €5,000).
L/100km (mpg):urban – 8.1 (35); extra-urban – 4.7 (60); combined – 6.0 (47)
CO2: 159 g/km (139 manual)
Price: €50,600 (prices start at €43,600)