The Drive: Benz's Suburban E350

I wanted to like the car. I really did. I loved the bold definition of its predecessor. However, I simply cannot warm to this automobile.

The car I drove was silver on charcoal. Were it battleship grey on black, it would have been much sharper. Still, from a distance, the car looked decent enough.

The reason why I am so ambivalent on the new E-Class’ styling, is that I cannot help but feel as though I have seen it all before. For instance, every line of the trunk including the taillights seem as though they were taken off a Toyota Camry.

This is, by the way, not a case of the chicken before the egg, as the current model Camry has been around for just as long as the current E-Class. Could it be that Japanese industrial spies have been infiltrating Mercedes-Benz’s California design studios? Or was it German spies that infiltrated Toyota plants in America?

Ein kann nie wissen.

Conspiracy theories aside, the general point is that the new E-Class is at best a really good Japanese styled family sedan.

Walk to the car.

It looks as everyday suburban as the Honda Accord. Blends right in.

Grab the door handle and pull.

Light to the touch, it feels of a kind of hollow plastic. It probably isn’t, it just feels that way. The door swings open lightly.

Sit. The seats are Benz firm, though I find them oddly shaped. Especially the headrests; not quite oval, not quite circular, they are uncomfortable and not pretty.

The dash is elegant though. A swooping reversed arc that leads to the padded armrest. I am not quite comfortable with the padding. It feels loose somehow. The same is true for the padding on the door armrest. Squishy. I guess this is done for safety, but really I wonder what difference it would make.

Close the door. Once again it seems light and closes with the feel of an Accord.

Take the laser key in hand. Feel it being sucked into the ignition. Twist and let go. The car starts quickly. Nice. No waiting for the engine to turn over while holding the key. In an on demand society, this aspect satisfies – even if it is devoid of soul.

The GPS monitor is wider than previous Benz systems. The graphics are better. This must be GPS 4.1.5. One should consider getting a new car when 4.1.6 hits the showrooms. Overall its easier than previous Benz systems, but still complicated and not particularly user friendly.

My favorite controls are the circular climate knobs. They are situated conveniently at the top of the dash within easy reach. They are easy to use as well.


I swear the burled walnut paneling looks like plastic. I would almost wager a bet that it is.

The glowing diodes on the instrument panel have my attention now. The numerals and dials are backlit in white. It has been sometime since Benz has used easy-on-the-eyes orange.

The shifter has changed. A sleeker looking system than the slotted shifters before, it is buttery smooth in its operation. Still, I miss the notched system.

Pull forward. The car feels light. The steering is light. The pedal action is light. All rather user friendly. Good for the daily commute.

The view out is over a very slanted hood. The star is not quite fully visible at the end.

Dome lights cast a soft orange glow over the cockpit. The front cabin is quite spacious – more so than the predecessor E-Class. The rear is nicely accomodating as well. There is ample legroom and headroom. The rear headrests are small, clumsy looking, and uncomfortable.

All the buttons inside the car feel like cheap plastic, yet their action is precise.

The car is quiet at standstill. At speed there is virtually no wind noise at 70 mph, however, there is a little too much road noise. It is almost as though I am dragging something. It must be the tyres, because there is nothing underneath the car.

Return to standstill. The brakes are potent and up to snuff.

Punch the gas. The E350 with its 272 horsepower V-6 barks as it surges forward. Mercedes-Benz claims the sprint to 60 mph can be done in just under seven seconds. Honestly, it felt more like just under eight. This car is quite tame, and its bark is definitely greater than its bite.

A turn comes, I stay on the gas. This induces lean and then a familiar sensation blesses me. Like its predecessors, this E-Class feels rock solid on the road. It leans to a point and then stops leaning and simply holds the road. I feel extra confident thanks to ESP. The car feels like it is on rails; quite impressive and true to Mercedes-Benz performance.

Back to rest. Look about the cabin while the car’s engine purrs remotely. It feels so cheap, so everyday, where’s that Teutonic charm – heavy though it was – it felt like something. This is, well, so everyday.

I miss the last E-Class. That car felt like a rolling event on wheels, especially when it was first introduced and before it was everywhere. This E-Class was met with much less fanfare. Quite so, for now it is an utterly common car. I think the C-Class has more pizzazz. Still, as everyday commuting car, the E350 would do the job nicely.

And yet… I wonder.

What’s the new GS from Lexus like?

For more information on the Mercedes-Benz E350, click the following link: MBUSA