Daimler is no longer associated with Chrysler and it can now concentrate on what it does best: building lavish and elegant sedans, coupes, roadsters, wagons and SUVs under the Mercedes-Benz badge. From its flagship S Class to its blazing and sexy SLR, some 15 Mercedes vehicles will be offered by Daimler in 2008. Among those is their mid-size E350, a sedan with exterior style and interior plushness that speaks to what has made Mercedes an automotive icon for decades – luxury.
In 1977, the first E-Class cars began to appear, with the letter "E" standing for "einspritz" (German for "injection") on the 280E. But it wasn’t until 1994 that Mercedes officially created the E-Class, putting the “E” before engine-size delineation, hence my test vehicle, the E350 is powered by a 3.5-liter engine, and the E550 is propelled by a 5.5-liter engine.
My E350 test vehicle also has another demarcation, that of being a 4Matic. 4Matic is the 4-wheel-drive system developed by Mercedes-Benz. The name comes from a joining of “4-wheel-drive” and “automatic,” as the vehicle has full-time 4WD capability that automatically engages via a double-clutch system and automatically employs the ABS braking system to supply extra traction when needed.
The E350 gets its power from a 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine that pumps out 268 hp and 258 lbs-ft of torque. The factory claims zero-to-60 acceleration in 6.5 seconds under perfect conditions and extreme fine-tuning. My test vehicle ran the test in 6.8 seconds en route to a sub-16-second quarter-mile, prepared just as you would drive it off the car lot and onto a local strip. I found slight hesitation when the pedal is mashed, but passing gear acceleration under most normal circumstances is swift and steady.
New 2008 EPA estimates are 16mpg in city driving and 22mpg on the highway, which translates to about 18/25 under the old test system and I managed an average of about 19.7mpg driving the highways and towns of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The E 350 can operate either on premium unleaded or diesel fuel.
The fashionable E-car is a study in fluid design at 191 inches long, 71.7 inches wide and 58.4 inches high on a 112.4-inch wheelbase with 4.1 inches of ground clearance. It stands solidly and moves confidently with a curb weight of 3740 lbs.
Dependable handling is assured by a 4-wheel-drive/4-ETS system, double-wishbone 4Matic front suspension with anti-dive geometry, gas shocks, stabilizer bar, 5-link independent rear suspension, electronic stability system and rack-and-pinion speed-sensitive hydraulic-assist steering.
The base price for the ’08 E350 is $52,400 and my test ride stickered out at $61,595 with the following options: Barolo Red paint ($710) – Barolo is a dry red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy; Cashmere leather interior ($1550); Burl Walnut interior trim ($300); Panorama sunroof ($1010); Electronic trunk closer ($530); Premium II package – DVD navigation, Sirius Satellite radio, heated front seats, power rear-window sunshade, hands-free communication system, keyless start, Bi-xenon headlamps with active curve illumination, headlamp washing system and cornering fog lamps ($4320) and destination and delivery charges of $775.
The sport package option was a no-cost add-on that included matte chrome surrounding a white-gauged instrument cluster, 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels covered with Continental tires (a holdover to its Chrysler association), sport rear bumper and dual exhaust pipes.
Safety is a Mercedes-Benz benchmark, and the E350 has been awarded high marks by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – five-star crash test ratings in side crash and rollover tests, and four-stars in frontal crash tests. Some safety features include the M-B Tele Aid system, 24-hour roadside assistance, a steel reinforced cabin with front and rear crumple zones, front dual-stage airbags, front and rear side window airbags, front and rear side airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brake assist, roll-over sensor, anti-theft alarm with engine immobilizer, panic button remote key, emergency trunk release inside cargo area and tire pressure monitoring system. Also on board is the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Safe system that tensions seatbelts, adjusts the seats and cushions, closes the sunroof and side windows and fine-tunes brakes, steering angles, oversteer and understeer, yaw and lateral acceleration if the car senses an impending collision.
Mercedes interior luxury envelopes driver and passengers with Burl Walnut wood trim, a glass sunroof with tilt and one-touch open and close, Harmon/Kardon Logic 7 digital surround sound system with 6-CD changer and COMAND system, AM/FM/WB/CD player. Other interior amenities include leather upholstery, auxiliary input in the glove box for MP3 and iPod devices, multifunction steering wheel, 10-way power adjustable front seats with position memory for seats and mirrors, power switches on the door, dual-zone climate control, electronic cruise control, remote central locking with smart key, power windows with express up and down feature, autodimming driver and rearview mirrors, electric adjustable tilt and telescoping steering column, integrated garage door opener and intermittent wipers with rain sensor.
Interior space measures out in average mid-size dimensions of 39.1 inches of headroom, 41.9 inches of legroom and 56.4 inches of shoulder room.
The “E” in the Mercedes-Benz E350 may not officially stand for elegance, but it could, as this is one elegant ride.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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