Intelligent luxury
The Mercedes E-Class is produced as a saloon, wagon, coupe and convertible. It is produced with both petrol and diesel engines with the capacity from 1.9 to 2.9 liters. The German automaker presents it as a luxury intelligent vehicle with the latest assistance systems that allow automatic driving and parking using your smartphone as a remote control.
You can drive it using a 6-speed manual transmission or a 9-speed automatic transmission, starting at CZK 1.2 million. The most expensive model with standard equipment is the Mercedes-AMG E 43 4MATIC which starts at CZK 1,960,000.
Regarding the equipment, three lines are available: Avantgarde (brand logo in the grille), Exclusive (brand logo on the hood) and AMG (sports version). There are many kinds of options to choose from, such as upholstery, decor, tires, and wheel rims. The most expensive items on the very extensive list of optional equipment are the numerous driving assistants.
E-Class or S-Class?
The British magazine Autoexpress declared the Mercedes E-Class the second best European Executive Car of the Year (after the Jaguar XE). It highlighted its powerful engine, high-quality interior and high level of comfort while cornering. At the same time, however, the magazine noted that competing brands (mainly BMW, Audi and Jaguar) are more dynamic. The Mercedes E-Class is also more expensive than the competition and its look is not original. The interior is especially reminiscent of the highest S-Class.
On the Whatcar website, the Mercedes E-Class was ranked with four out of five stars. It was described as a good-driving, elegant and stylish car with a wide range of standard equipment. The main weakness was a higher price compared to the competition and that the E 220 d model's engine is quite noisy. The review confirmed that from the perspective of the driver, the car's interior looked like a smaller Mercedes S-Class. This was, however, considered an advantage.
The Telegraph weekly newspaper gave the Mercedes E-Class 9 points out of 10. The car's roomy interior, which competitors don't match, was appreciated the most. The fun driving aspect was criticized the most: driving is generally slower, and the wheels vibrate too much on bumpier roads, which is uncomfortable.
The Top Gear magazine gave the Mercedes E-Class 8 out of 10 points. This review also stated that the interior of the car looks like the Mercedes S-Class and highlighted the large interior. It also praised the new driving assistant called Pilot Drive which offered a better self-driving experience than the previous version. Overall, the new generation of Mercedes E-Class meets expectations, rather than being greatly inspiring.
The new Mercedes E-Class has been sold in the Czech Republic since April 2016. It was nominated for this year's Company Car of the Year award, with the results to be announced in October. What do you think of the car? Do you have any experience with the latest or earlier versions? Share your comment in the discussion below.
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Photos: www.mercedes-benz.cz