The Mercedes E-Class: A new era

There is a lot of publicity given to the Volkswagen Golf, which is celebrating 50 years in production. Fair dues to them. I have memories of the first Golfs appearing on the roads when I was a teenager. What Mercedes has kept as a closely guarded secret is that their saloon has been in production since 1953, although it was not always known as an E-Class. The car has been evolving ever since – the link is obvious if you were to see sequential photographs of all the models.

Major upgrade

This week’s test car is the latest incarnation. It is a direct replacement for our own family vehicle, an E200, known internally as W212. And I have to say the difference is massive. Although the S-Class has been the leader with technological innovations (first with a driver’s airbag, first with a reliable anti-lock braking system, a padded steering wheel, the list goes on) the E-Class always follows closely behind.

Now the upgraded E-Class, the W124, has an interior that closely resembles the current S-Class. Although its dimensions are similar to the outgoing model, it manages to look bigger and, judging by the careful redesign of the interior, it is catching up to the S-Class for interior space.

Features

Mercedes prices have gone up, but they are promising an increase in quality. They are also reducing sales targets. Anyway, my previous car, the E200, is no longer available. Although the old car has 134bhp, enough for most needs, you’d know it was struggling if you had four adults and were trying to overtake going uphill on a motorway. Now the E220D has 197bhp with 440Nm of torque, with the now-standard mild hybrid adding 23bhp and 205Nm of torque. And, with the much-praised aluminium diesel engine, it is a lot quieter. An automatic gearbox is standard (manual E and C-Class were sales proof – don’t ever buy one) and is now an extremely smooth nine-speed. Upgrades from the previous model include, amongst others, folding back seats (very welcome), memory electric seats (ditto), folding door mirrors, LED headlights, and navigation via the multimedia interface. And it has a 360-degree camera.

The Mercedes badge has reappeared on the end of the bonnet. But with increasing safety, and with the slight bow shape of the bonnet for pedestrian safety, the mascot now appears like a setting sun at the end of the bonnet.

I have had issues before with Mercedes’ navigation. Using their interactive commands, similar to Alexa and Siri, the car can be addressed by just saying “Hey Mercedes”. I asked if it could navigate to Drogheda? No. It was sending me to the UK. I tried using the ‘what3words’ system. That didn’t work either. At times I felt I would need the diction of a BBC newsreader for it to understand me. And yet other times it will change the air con settings, close the electric windows, or adjust the radio volume without question. It may well be a learning curve thing.

Although the multimedia screen is large, it is discreet. The screen is placed low and tilted forwards, which is much better than the vertical positioning in other cars. It is also available as a full-width screen, called Superscreen (Hyperscreen is for the S-Class), which allows passengers to watch films and surf the Internet while someone else drives and wonders what they’re laughing at.

Performance

To me, the single biggest improvement was the engine. Not only does it produce more power and operate more quietly, but it is also very economical.

My wife is a harsh critic of any new car. She did not like the new E-Class, saying it was noisier than her car. I blamed the wheels and tyres. Normally, when we opt for tyres in our household, we will buy Michelin, based on driving a previous Punto which was remarkably sensitive to tyre choice and road noise. In our locality, we have quite a number of road surfaces covered in a mix of tarmac and stone, the type of abrasive material that would send shivers up the spine of a motorcyclist if he were to think of sliding along it. And it is noisy. The E-Class was shod with the optional 19-inch wheels and Pirelli tyres, which are fine on smooth motorways. They are also great for roadholding. But not on the back roads around Drogheda. And, in my opinion, I don’t think 19-inch wheels are really necessary on a comfortable executive saloon.

Car prices have risen, both new and used. I know people who have bought Mercedes with monotonous regularity over the years and previously received discounts. They have been told over the last couple of years: “No discount.” So, is it worth 50 per cent more than it was nine years ago? Considering the level of equipment, the performance, and the economy, a 50 per cent rise in price is not surprising. The E220d can be yours from €81,000, or the petrol plug-in hybrid from €79,000. And if it is anything like the car we have, you might well be keeping it for quite a while.