2004 Mercedes E Series Review

Specifications

Grace Under Pressure

There are BMW people and then there are Mercedes-Benz people, and never the twain shall meet. Or at least it seems that the two automakers target audiences are very different, ironically negating them from being true competitors at all.

But Ive had a Mercedes. It was a 1973 280 SEL that I drove in 1994, mind you, not exactly a car that required me to re-mortgage the house in order to claim as my own. Ive also lived with a single Audi over the years, plus just one Jaguar. In retrospect my car buying exploits have been extremely one sided, being that six BMWs, the last of which I ordered new from the factory, have graced my garage. This fact could either make me overly biased when discussing the new E500, or possibly might give me an unorthodox and therefore valuable perspective. You be the judge.

Once I caught a glimpse of the E500 press car, its silver metallic paint glistening in the sunshine and ultra-cool glass roof transforming the roofline, I have to admit to becoming a little excited. Sliding in behind the steering wheel, what seemed like an open sky above cast a unique pattern of light and shadows across the Es exquisitely designed dash. Yes, exquisite is a word that describes this new models interior design details with no exaggeration. Its plain and simply gorgeous. Hardly plain and simple in execution mind you, the jewel-like silver-faced gauges actually caused a little tingle to cascade up my spine - Im a major design buff. A thin strip of charcoal stained wood, bending downward slightly at center, gives traditional customers an expected “luxury” cue without being overbearing. From a design perspective alone, the E Class offers a classically styled cabin ideal for those not impressed with flashy trends or me-too gadgetry.

But thats not to say it lacked many up-to-date features. OK, no MP3 player is available but most buyers in the E500s demographic would need their kids to figure out how to work it anyway. I was also a little disappointed to have to step on a mechanical pedal when engaging the parking brake and worse, pull a dash-mounted lever to disengage, when rivals from BMW and Jaguar, among others, use a much more sophisticated electronic parking brake switch. But the top-tier Harmon Kardon Logic 7 audio system (optional) incorporating a multi-disc CD changer made my favorite tunes sound sensational, an easy-to-use 4-zone automatic climate control interface kept all occupants comfortable, and ample steering wheel buttons made accessing everything easy.

Other options include Distronic adaptive cruise control, a tire pressure monitoring system, a power trunklid, integrated roller blinds for the rear side windows and a power rear sunscreen. Keyless Go, a touch-sensitive entry and engine start option will impress your colleagues at the club. M-B also offers a solar panel and infrared reflecting multilayer glass all around with break in resistance.

Those wanting yet more can add parking assist, heated and ventilated front seats, a split rear folding seatback, Nappa leather upgrade and much more, including a Sport Package that adds a sculpted skirt kit, ivory-color gauge faces, birds-eye maple wood trim and chrome dashboard moldings, P245/45WR17 tires (replacing P245/45WR17 95H tires that come standard) and 17-inch 5-spoke alloy rims, dressing it up further inside and out. Such wild abandonment at the order desk equals a price that might have you questioning whether to opt up for an S Class, escalating the E500s point of entry from $56,325 ($59,545 for the 4Matic) to $86,832 (plus more for dealer installed options).

As expected the cars switchgear is extremely high-end, clicking, sliding and rotating with precision. My only complaint, with this particular issue at least, has to do with the placement of the left hand steering column stalks. I kept flicking on the cruise control instead of the turn signal (as did my wife Jennifer), probably something Id get used to if I had more time with the car. Should I make you wait until the end of the article to hear my other complaint? Im not feeling particularly generous this morning, so read on.

Pulling out of Mercedes-Benzs parking lot I had no trouble slipping into the fast-paced stream of flowing traffic. The 24-valve, SOHC, 5.0-liter V8, which incidentally ups output by 15 percent over the old E430, doesnt make a person wait long in order to exact all of its 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, bringing them on at 5,600 and 2,700 rpm respectively, the latter which extends maximum torque all the way up to 4,200 rpm. Part of the power delivery credit is due to a velvety smooth, yet decisively quick-shifting 5-speed adaptive automatic transmission with side-to-side actuated manual mode M-B calls Touch Shift. While I would have appreciated steering wheel buttons to compliment the shift lever, as I tend to use the manual mode more often when so equipped, Mercedes would be the only one in the category to offer them.

Mercedes is, however, one of few manufacturers to feature both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive availability in the midsize luxury class. My test car came equipped with the latter, which was hardly needed during the completely dry week it was at my disposal. Just the same, it was there if I needed it which in itself was comforting.

I took an opportunity to bypass a slower moving vehicle on the way up the highway onramp, and again was surprised at the cars acceleration. The tug at the back comes across much more enthusiastically than 302 horsepower normally feels - a welcome surprise. Actual numbers validate my initial reaction, showing a 5.8 second sprint to 60 mph, compared to BMWs new 545i which arrives at the same speed in about 5.7 seconds - spliting hairs really.

I was similarly impressed once tackling the seaside curves that lead out to my mountain home. While the ride is supple it bites into the asphalt with more grip than I expected, more BMW-ish than I remembered my previous M-B test car feeling. Please dont be insulted by that last remark Mercedes fans, as BMW does an exemplary job balancing ride and handling. While the E500 was noticeably softer than the new 545i, it should hardly be embarrassed when the road starts to wind. M-B went about achieving this capability for grace under pressure in a completely different manner than its German rival, however, by incorporating a rather unique engineering solution dubbed Airmatic DC. While previously offered in the E430, now the system that replaces traditional coil springs with air bellows in the struts is standard. It maintains a full inhalation of air during normal driving for increased ride comfort, and then releases air to produce a firmer setting during aggressive maneuvers. When the full sport position is dialed in the system is set to its firmest level while ride height is lowered by slightly more than one half inch.

At high speed on the freeway the E500 showed exemplary poise, switching lanes quickly with no directional stability problems and capable of overcoming road irregularities that would upset lesser vehicles suspension systems. Its also wonderfully quiet at speed, due to a combination of thorough sound deadening, an extremely rigid structure and an ultra-slippery coefficient of drag, reported to be no more than 0.27 Cd.

Similarly, braking performance was respectable. Stopping smoothly when the pedal was pressed slightly, the car slammed to a halt when full braking power was called upon. The result comes from a full supply of active safety features, such as 4-channel ABS, of course, as well as electronic brake proportioning and Brake Assist, but most importantly the 4-wheel ventilated discs four-pot calipers are electronically actuated. While there have been some reports of an artificial feel and pedal modulation difficulties at low speeds, I didnt notice any negatives at all. Whats more, repeated stops from high-speed showed little fade, important for those that enjoy mincing it up on a circuitous backroad once in a while.

When filled with passengers, however, no such childish behavior is normally appreciated. Rather, back seat riders will speak kindly of the Es increased interior volume to 97.2 cubic feet, being that the car has grown slightly in every dimension and the space available has been used more efficiently. An increase in trunk capacity should reduce the need to load baggage into the cabin as well, now up from 15.3 cubic feet to 15.9 cubic feet. My test car came equipped with the optional power trunklid, something I recommend for those that often find themselves with groceries in one hand, a child in the other, and one hanging off the leg, or rather if your job has you toting samples in and out of your car on a regular basis youll also find the feature indispensable.

Oh yes, before I sign off its time for that complaint I previously alluded to. First of all, for a car to escape a weeks scrutineering with only a few minor quibbles is an impressive feat all on its own. But this last item bothers me too much not to mention. For a car that starts at more than $80K and fully trimmed out gravitates to a class-topping $88K, the cost-cutting beancounters got their way much more often than they should have. Plastics quality is far below standard in certain areas. But wait a minute? I just expended at least two paragraphs bantering on about the gloriously designed interior and high-quality switchgear. Thats true, but Mercedes didnt go all the way with plastics quality when it comes to looking below the surface. Lift the storage bin under the center armrest, for instance, and cheap feeling, shiny looking plastic mars the cars high-quality façade, while bits and pieces that should be hidden from sight are exposed. The storage bin isnt the only offender in what would have otherwise been a near perfect execution of stylish and functional design. Some subsurface treatments are simply not good enough for this class of car, and just knowing it isnt up to class standard would bother me if I laid out the significant expense required to purchase one.

Yet I know not all luxury car buyers share my obsessive compulsion over plastics quality. Those that dont care about such “minor” irritations will love the new E500. Its near perfect in most every other way, having pampered me royally one minute before thrilling all senses the next. In the end its a superb car that just needs a little more money spent on a few extruded plastic details.