The Emperor

I should confess right at the start that I have been the owner of three Mercedes E-Class cars over the past dozen years or so: the 1992 400E that was a long-term test car for Road & Track for the first 50,000 miles of its life; a 1992 500E, the special high-performance model assembled by Porsche across town from the Mercedes factory; and a 2001 E320 station wagon that still graces our garage. To me, the E-Class cars have always been just the right size: capable of carrying four adults when necessary, but not so large that they are unwieldy or difficult to park.
Now that I've fully disclosed my bias about these cars, let's examine the latest iteration, the 2007 E350 Sport. The styling of this sedan was all-new with the 2003 model year, but the new car does have some handsome touches applied to make it look fresh: the headlights and taillights have been redesigned, the grille is new, and the C-pillars now have a sweeping aspect that makes this sedan look more aerodynamic (the drag coefficient is 0.27).

With our test car being the Sport model, it comes with 18-in. 10-spoke wheels, slightly lower ride height (0.5 in.), a deeper rear valance panel with dual exhausts, blue tinted window glass and LED taillamps. The interior of the Sport also features some changes, including brushed chrome surrounds for the instruments and black bird's-eye maple trim pieces around the dash and doors. The Sport package adds nothing to the E350's $50,550 base price.

Options that did add to the out-the-door price of this car were the Iridium Silver paint ($700), the two-tone upholstery of the interior that came in a fetching combination of black and brown ($1540), and the Premium II Package ($4290) that consists of the DVD navigation system, Sirius satellite radio, heated front seats and several other convenience items. One item in the package that is new is the bi-xenon headlamps with Active Curve Illumination — that is, the headlights actually turn with the steering wheel, lighting up the curve ahead and improving road illumination by up to 90 percent, according to the manufacturer.

Mercedes is also bragging about the addition of PRE-SAFE to the E-Class lineup for 2007. This safety system was introduced on the S-Class cars a few years ago, and is one that senses when conditions indicate a crash is near. PRE-SAFE then takes protective measures such as tensioning the seatbelts, adjusting front seats that are too far forward or overly reclined, and closing windows and the sunroof if the car goes into a skid and may roll over. This system also detects oversteer and understeer events through the sensors for electronic stability control (ESP) and reacts to maintain driver control. It all adds up to a safety system that tries its best to protect you.

The 2007 E-Class must surely have one of the most rigid structures ever to come from Stuttgart. While driving the car, there is barely a hint of any creaks or squeaks, and road noise is so successfully muted as to be imperceptible. There is a magnesium crossmember that ties the dash together with all its components, and the dashboard has a soundproof design as well. We were impressed with the car's quiet manners while cruising Southern California's often noisy freeways with grooved pavement.
The driving character of the Sport version is enhanced by the slightly reduced ride height, stiffer shock absorber settings, 18-in. wheels and lower-profile tires (245/40R-18 front, 265/35R-18 rear versus 245/45R-17 all around on the Luxury models). The multilink suspension systems front and rear do a fine job of keeping the Mercedes stable and smooth, and there is the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) to enhance driver control. With Mercedes finally having given up several years ago on recirculating-ball steering, the cars now come with rack-and-pinion systems with fewer turns lock-to-lock than previous models (2.6 versus 3.3) and considerably more precision and feedback, thanks to the speed-sensitive level of assist. During our performance testing of the E350, we learned that it is a brisk and agile sports sedan. The all-aluminum, double-overhead-cam V-6 engine displaces 3.5 liters and produces 268 bhp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. Our acceleration tests showed the 3855-lb. car sped from 0?60 mph in 6.3 seconds, and covered the standing quarter mile in 14.7 sec. at 96.4 mph — not bad at all for what some would perceive as a luxury car. In fact, those numbers are at least a full second quicker than what we recorded in testing the E320 in 2004 (June issue).


The 7-speed automatic transmission is more efficient and quicker-shifting than the previous 5-speed, and is found in all 2-wheel-drive E-Class sedans — the all-wheel-drive sedans and wagons use the 5-speed. Mercedes says the 7-speed has the advantage of a hydronamic torque converter with a lock-up clutch that improves fuel economy by eliminating converter slippage. The 7-speed continues the Mercedes-Benz Touch Shift system that allows the driver to change forward gears by pushing the shift lever left (downshift) or right (upshift) while in the Drive position.


Also, there is a button on the center console that permits the driver to select two different gear-change modes: Comfort or Sport. Comfort is for normal driving, while Sport alters shift points to higher rpm and shifts are crisper. All of these features give the E350 Sport some enthusiast-car attributes, while never straying too far from the Mercedes quality of ride and handling. Not to say that it won't corner with alacrity; after all, the E350 scooted around our skidpad at 0.82g and negotiated the slalom handling test at a respectable 64.2 mph. Braking is handled by vented disc brakes at all four wheels, with ABS. Braking distances in our "panic stops" from 60 and 80 mph were much like the previous-generation E320, at 129 ft. from 60 and 226 ft. from 80.


It's no surprise that the E-Class is one of the biggest-selling product lines for Mercedes-Benz around the world. This is a car with sufficient space to handle a family and luggage, ample performance for getting down any road, highway or Autobahn, and luxury and comfort features that rank at the top of its class. The Sport version has just enough added vim and vigor to make it a bit more fun for the enthusiast driver, and without a surcharge on price. All in all, the 2007 E350 from Mercedes is a most enjoyable car for all occasions.

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cawimmer430

Nice review. The tester basically said it: I love the E-Class since I've owned so many of them.

Also, I've warmed up to the facelfifted E-Class look.

The Emperor

Yep, nice indeed. E class is waaay better today than it was a year ago or so. Kudos to MB for getting their **** together! You cannot mess with such very important product of yours.

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