2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec Road Test

I’m not sure if it’s an outcome of getting older or something specific about the cars themselves, but in the last five or so years I’ve grown from being a diehard BMW guy, having owned six, to finding myself more at home in almost any new Audi, Lexus or Mercedes-Benz. And I’m not quite sure where or when the transition occurred, but there hasn’t been a new BMW sedan that has caused me to go all aflutter, in a way that would send me running into a dealership and laying real money on the table, in years, whereas the new Lexus IS and LS, Audi A4, A6 and A8, plus the new M-B C-, CLS- and S-Class really speak my language. Now don’t get me wrong, from a driving perspective BMWs are still fabulous, but there’s more to living with a car than on-road dynamics.

I know there are many who feel diametrically opposed to my viewpoint, evidenced by BMW’s year over year growth, and it’s all fine by me as such variety makes life in the car industry interesting. I just happen to be a very visual person, and BMW’s four-door designs, whether outside or in, often tend to leave me a little flat. Really, the 5 gives off more of an Asian ambiance than its competitors from Lexus and Infiniti. The Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec I tested recently, however, affects me in an entirely different way. It doesn’t do a great deal for me as far as styling goes. It’s attractive, in a very conservative sort of way, but standing next to the aforementioned C-, CLS- or S-Class it looks somewhat dated. The quad-oval headlamps were very fashionable when they debuted, and still look handsome flanking the classic Mercedes grille and three-pointed star hood ornament, contrasted by the car’s overall side profile that is sleek and almost sporty. From the rear its triangular taillights, rounded at their outermost points, were a big improvement over the previous generation’s ovoid horizontal lenses, but due to lesser cars copying M-B design elements they now look a little derivative. Hmmm… maybe that’s what BMW was doing when they came up with designs that no one in their right mind would copy?

All of this hardly matters when inside, mind you, as the E-Class cabin is quite marvelous. Where the aforementioned 5 is overly techie and leaves me feeling a bit cold, and the Lexus is a tad too common, leaving me feeling a little old, the Merc is just right, with nice contemporary design, not too edgy yet not too boring either, plus acres of high-gloss burred walnut to give it that rich parlor room atmosphere most of us expect in a luxury car. The textures of the plastics and fabrics are high-quality, of course, and the leather, either the Artico man-made material or the genuine stuff is generally soft and supple enough to add grip to the seat cushions, where it’s needed. And those ten-way power adjustable seats are extremely comfortable too, supportive in all the right places to my backside’s content, with seat heaters that do a good job of relieving minor back pain, important with a car that can achieve more than 683 miles of driving between fill-ups. Other comfort-related goodies available to E320 buyers include a nice, large panoramic sunroof, heated rear seats and SmartKey proximity sensing keyless access and push-button start (integrated into the top of gearshift knob no less); probably my favorite new convenience feature that is fortunately now available on most luxury cars and many entry-level ones too. Navigation and xenon headlights, which are pretty much a must for any car in this class, will set you back further still. Even the stock stereo system is a treat, a harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound unit with an MP3-compatible six-disc CD changer, auxiliary input in glove box and Sirius satellite radio. The COMAND system also includes cell phone preparation with a Bluetooth adapter and the OnStar-like TeleAid emergency calling system.

Also surprising, the E320 is quiet inside. Actually, this diesel-powered E is just as quiet as the V8-powered E550, and much quieter than the outgoing 3.2-liter CDI model. Of course, this is what should be expected in a luxury sedan. Then again, while quiet is all nice and everything, does it go? Just because it’s a diesel-powered luxury four-door doesn’t mean that it can’t perform when called upon. Actually, it’s quite agile, something I experienced throughout my test week and especially so during a jaunt up to a favorite local ski hill. The road switchbacks on its way up the mountainside with everything from long, sweeping curves to sharp hairpins, while the road surface is mostly good, although in some places it dips down suddenly where the roadbed underneath has given way. This makes for some excitement at high speed if the test car isn’t up to the challenge, but Mercedes’ midsize model is more than capable of sorting out pavement imperfections. It absorbs such abnormalities with grace and complete composure, all the while tracking wonderfully. Part of this stability is due to its rigid body structure, never even spouting out a groan of dissatisfaction, while its highly responsive and well-damped fully independent suspension system is oh-so German.

For reasons I can’t explain, Mercedes doesn’t offer its 4Matic all-wheel drive system with the E320, which while not a big deal to me, could be a problem for those who winter in colder regions. Perhaps Mercedes feels the price for both options would exceed what most would be willing to spend, or maybe there’s a technical reason? Either way, you can’t get 4Matic and Merc’s CDI powertrain on the same menu, so if you live in one of America’s chillier climates get some good winter tires and appreciate that this car comes standard with electronic traction and stability control.

Safety equipment in mind, the brakes, which include all of the necessary electronic driving aids as standard, won’t leave you wanting for more unless you’re really pushing it beyond what a car of this nature is intended (i.e. around an autocross course), and therefore the E delivered a sense of confidence despite the rapid rate that trees, rocks and other woodland objects passed by my side windows.

Yes, the E320 is quick. It may be the least powerful engine offered in the E-Class range, with only 210 horsepower, but it’s the six-cylinder mill’s 400 lb-ft of torque that moves my soul. What impresses even more is its Bluetec designation, mind you, which, in Mercedes-speak means that it’s a new clean diesel. I remember when diesels were slow and ponderous, even those sold in Europe. They used to smoke something awful too. Now they’re considered cleaner, emitting fewer toxic emissions than their gasoline counterparts, and while diesel fuel is often more expensive than gasoline these days, the greater range a diesel engine attains makes it less expensive overall. Press the throttle connecting through to the E320 Bluetec’s 3.0-liter diesel and it takes off with the snap of a V8, much thanks to gobs of torque down low in the engine’s rev range. The turbo takes care of power in the upper revs, and while on the highway it moves along similarly to the E350, meaning it’s no slouch.

Another gem is the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission this engine is mated to. It’s wonderfully smooth, delivering almost imperceptible shifts unless the throttle is pegged, at which point the transmission shuffles through the gears with immediacy and precision; it’s a real delight, enhanced by a manual mode that hands over control when requested.

There are numerous reasons why the E320 Bluetec might appeal to you, not excluding a simple preference for torque-rich diesel power. There’s the fuel savings - this one does 31 mpg on average - and more importantly to many Americans will be the car’s environmental friendliness. But is it greener than a hybrid? That’s one of those difficult to answer questions I get asked from time to time, mostly because it’s hard to put a figure on the overall environmental cost of implementing hybrid technology. Most of us realize that nickel-metal hydride batteries are heavy pollutants, in their production and disposal, and there are other cradle-to-grave aspects to the modern-day hybrid that need to be considered. The E320 Bluetec, like other clean diesels, is a relatively simple, conventional car in comparison, and therefore there’s an argument to be made with regards to a smaller overall environmental footprint. It seems that those who voted for the “2007 World Green Car”, announced at last year’s New York International Auto Show in Manhattan, were impressed with Mercedes’ clean diesel solution, lauding the E320 Bluetec as the world’s cleanest, greenest car. Not bad at all. While impressive, this still doesn’t answer the diesel vs. hybrid debate. Then again, Mercedes may soon answer this for us all, as the company has expressed an interest in producing diesel-powered hybrids that are similar to those seen on some of its most recent concept cars. Truly, at the rate at which the Stuttgart’s engineers have been working, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the two technologies combined within a production car sooner than later, and maybe before the end of the decade, or shortly thereafter.

Other than offering us a diesel-electric hybrid, the only way to the make this drivetrain better would be to contain it within a more modern E-Class, something that is no doubt on the way. Just the same, if the latest in exterior design isn’t important to you, the current E is a wonderful place to while away hours in traffic or on the open road. It combines luxurious splendor and sporty driving dynamics in a superbly efficient package, and for this reason is amongst my favorites in the midsize segment.