Mercedes E-Class returns to form,
Responsive, quiet and packed with extras, it’s also priced competitively
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic sedan is a welcome return to form by the world’s oldest luxury brand.
The five-seat midsize sedan emphasizes comfort, quiet and luxury and mixes in some very advanced driver-assistance features for a taste of the autonomous vehicles yet to come.
The E300 sedan is the least expensive — and destined to be the best-selling — car in the E-class family, which includes a coupe, convertible, station wagon and performance models from Mercedes’ AMG engineering group.
E300 prices start at $52,150 for a rear-wheel-drive sedan and $54,650 for the all-wheel-drive E300 4Matic, plus the destination charge of $925.
All E300s have a 241-horsepower turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder engine and a slick 9-speed automatic transmission.
I tested a nicely equipped E300 4Matic with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind spot alert, automatic braking, steering assist to avoid collisions, adaptive high beams, navigation, voice recognition, head-up display, five-spoke 18-inch wheels, Burmeister audio and more. It stickered at $67,780.
The E300 4Matic competes with all-wheel-drive 4-cylinder midsize luxury sedans such as the Audi A6 Quattro, BMW 530i xDrive, Cadillac CTS 2-liter turbo AWD, Infiniti Q50 2.0t AWD and Jaguar XF 20d AWD diesel. E300 4Matic prices are at the high end of the group.
The E300 uses a new architecture that shed 320 pounds compared with the previous E350 4Matic. The architecture also underpins Mercedes’ C-class compact cars and GLC SUV. It was optimized for the E-class, and that shows in the E300’s quiet and comfortable ride.
The 2-liter turbocharged engine’s 241 horsepower is less powerful than the Audi, BMW and Cadillac but higher than the Infiniti and Jaguar.
The E300 accelerated confidently on the highway and around town. Its claimed zero- to-60-mph time of 6.3 seconds is not outstanding, but it’s quicker than the more powerful but heavier V-6-powered E350 it replaces. The EPA rates the E300 4Matic at 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg combined. The key combined figure matches the Cadillac and Infiniti but trails the Audi by 1 mpg, BMW by 3 mpg and the efficient but much less powerful diesel Jag by 10 mpg. The E300’s steering feels quick, light and responsive at all speeds. The sedan is very quiet on the highway. The suspension erases the punishment of rough roads. The accommodating interior of my car had comfortable sport seats trimmed with Mercedes’ MB-Tex material. The buttons and controls look and feel like they were made out of real metal, with labels etched into their surfaces.
The instrument panel of my test car featured two 12.3-inch screens for a big, brilliant display. One presented an instrument package that can be configured in several ways, while the other displayed navigation, audio and other controls.
The displays are among the best-looking on wheels, but they’d work better if one were a touchscreen to control the Eclass’ many systems. The rotary controller and touch pad on the center console are cumbersome and distracting compared with the better touchscreens. The popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone interfaces would also work better with a touchscreen.
Despite those shortcomings, the E300 is a rewarding vehicle. Its driver-assistance systems should guard against some mistakes common to tired and distracted drivers, and its handling will surprise drivers who think a smooth, quiet ride precludes sporty response.