“But the new turbo-diesel is a fuel-sipping smoothie, with 195 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque. At a steady highway pace through the swelling hills of Catalonia, we managed 44 mpg, a remarkable gain over today’s E350 Bluetec. Another economic upside: Mercedes confirmed that the rear-wheel-drive E250 Bluetec will become the most affordable E-class of all, undercutting the current E350 Bluetec’s $53,105 base price.”
“Sedan, wagon, coupe or cabriolet, the E-class’s reworked body impressed everyone from journalists to janitors at Detroit’s auto show in January. With additions where it counts – a sinuous, air-slurping front end – and the tasteful subtraction of the clumsy pontoon rear fender, Mercedes’ oft-criticized sedan styling language is suddenly speaking sexy.”
“The enriched cabin gets a restyled dashboard and gauges, a handsome analog clock, aluminum-look switches, and striking wood or metal trim. There’s a heightened sense of fit-and-finish; corners and joints are executed with a precision nearly befitting an S-class.”
“With the carryover V-6 a known quantity, we honed in on the intriguing high-low matchup between the bi-turbo six and the underdog diesel. Mercedes figures a 7.9-second squirt from 0 to 62 mph for the E250 diesel, but the car had no trouble passing dawdlers and its four cylinders were impressively muted.”
Read the full review at Automobile online.
