Beautiful car, understated looks, very powerful engine under the hood, excellent handling on the road.

cup holder is made cheesy for this type of vehicle, fuel gauge needs to be repaired (common to many Mercedes).

Car drives fantastic, excellent acceleration, solid feel all around, holds the road wonderfully and performs extremely well in snow & icy weather. This car is a perfect combination of a luxury feel and a sports car.

Two things I would note. First, recently we have experienced a number of snow storms in the North East this season. I had my car for four days when we got hit with a 12 inch snow storm. My car actually came with 17" low profile tires which was unexpected. I was not able to purchase snow tires for this season. Anyway, I laughed to myself as I watched literally BMW's, Jaguars and Lexus automobiles sliding all over the place as well as being stranded on the road while the 4 matic all wheel drive just moved along without any problem. I was very happy with the performance of the 4matic option.

Second, with regards to performance, you won't get the head jerk acceleration or feel of a racecar (i.e. BMW, etc.), however, thats the amazing thing, this car kicks butt. I am not only talking in the 0-60 range where the acceleration feels very smooth and relaxed but clocks in at 6.6 seconds, but what I found amazing was the incredible passing power above 60. Case in point, it is very easy to drive 80 mph in this vehicle and not feel that you are going that fast. However, you do feel the responsiveness of the road through the sterring wheel. The other day, an SUV was driving by me and basically kept on challenging me to accelerate when he was doing 78 -82 mph. I pretty much ignored the guy, but he kept on slowing down, and switching lanes and passing me to try to get my attention. As I neared my house, I decided to press the accelerator about 2/3 of the way down. I had the accelerator already down 1/3 to begin with. Within 2 seconds, I was doing 110 and the car didn't even waiver or feel that it was losing any control. As a matter fact, the car was hugging the road so well it was asking me to go faster, but I drew the line. I am not advocating that this car is meant to speed or that you should try to do this, however, this car is made to run on the autobahn, and its nice to know you have the power if you need it.

There are a lot of other nice features in this car which I won't go into, however, I reviewed about 10 vehicles before deciding on getting this one. I am very happy with the choice I made.

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Cadillac Eldorado, Sedan De Ville, Accura 3.5 RL

Very good passing power, low end torque, smooth engine, an engine that doesn't go cold fast (especially in the cold canadian winters!.. it's still warm after 2 hours outside in -20C weather so you don't freeze the first 10 minutes of driving again after going out), drives very solidly, roomy, very stable at high speeds

Small electrical problems, light bulbs burn out fast, suspension skips over bumps (not as bad if I put a set of 16 inch rims on.. the sport package rims kinda make the ride bumpy, too), stereo isn't good for a top of the line car (Nakamichi in an old LS400 is better, and Mark Levinson in the new ones put the Nakamichi to shame, which makes the bose...), steering is kind of light when going fast

This car is kind of expensive once you load it up with everything. The 5 series does have a better suspension, but I guess you can't have everything. This car does get a lot of looks, especially with the sports package and xenon lights, which are great. Non-xenon lights just don't cut it anymore. Rides kinda choppy on uneven surfaces and skips. Not the thing you should see in a car of this caliber. Brakes are excellent, which I can't say is true on an LS400. Stereo is garbage too for a $60,000 car. Comparing this 1999 car to a 1991 LS400 with Nakamichi puts this Bose to shame.

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Lexus LS400 - Rides better than the E430, but doesn't handle as well. Less power, but quieter. Nakamichi hifi MUCH better than the Bose in the Mercedes. Lexus doesn't feel as solid as the Mercedes.
BMW M5 - Well the only thing I'm comparing to the M5 is the ride. The M5 has 18 inch rims and still rides better than the E class. The BMW 5 series has a superior suspension design, just less rear leg room.

I absolutely love this car. The quality of fit and finish is superb. The seats are very comfortable (unlike reviews of some newer models)and it is also very quiet and smooth at highway speeds. It has lots of power and handles really well. It is also very reliable. I have only done routine maintenance on it for the last 4 yrs (much of it myself). I do a lot of long distance highway driving and couldn't be happier. This one has the deluxe stereo/cd changer which sounds great.

About the only thing that comes to mind is the lack of a cup holder.

I haven't driven the newer Benz models so can't comment on the complaints about noise and seats, I just know that none of that applies to my car. I have recommended the 300E to a number of people who have bought them and all are very happy! I have owned over 30 cars and this is by far my favourite. Since most owners really look after them it is not hard to find really nice ones that are 10 years old, 120,000 miles and still look, and drive like new! For the price they run at now you can get yourself a real bargain. They are also very reliable and inexpensive to maintain as long as you stay away from the MB dealer!

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Owned a Jag XJ6 prior to this- I would never go back! Also looked at a number of Bimmers (3,5 &7 series). The 3 and 5's were fun to drive and the 7 was finished nicely but all had a comparitively harsh ride. Many folks I know that own BMW's also complain about how unreliable they are, and how exspensive they are to fix. In my opinion they just don't have as much class either.

Passing power, stability, looks, and back seat room.

Seats are pretty uncomfortable and the stock 215/55HR16 MXV4's seem way to soft given the size and power of the car.

I'm a salesman driving about 800 miles/week so I was looking for a comfortable car to travel long distances at high speeds. I also had to have a car that fits 4 200+ lb guys. This seemed like the best option out there in the price range.

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This purchase was against a 540i (back seat really small, but more fun to drive), and a GS400 (my wife's 99 Jetta felt more stable at 85mph).

Absolutely blistering performance. Very rare, only 1200 ever brought into the U.S. Q-ship styling.

Sucks gas like it is .25 per gallon, somewhat heavy in the twisties...otherwise this thing is the best car I have ever owned. It has one of the worst headlight systems I've ever (tried to) seen.

I had no idea what this car was when I leased it from a dealer in L.A. I was looking for a Benz and this one was in the paper. It took about 10 minutes of driving before I knew I HAD to have this beast. The only car ever Co-Built by Mercedes and Porsche, it was only after it was mine that I started doing research and discovered what a special car I had on my hands. This car is flat out scary fast but it is stealthy so I have yet to get a ticket. It can be driven quite tamely...even my wife likes driving it...but god help the unsuspecting boy racers since this beast will stomp them at the line. The only thing that has ever been able to keep up is a newer E-55, a newer C-55 Vette, and a pretty serious Porsche. It came from the factory loaded to the gills so no additions have been necessary.

The are only two problems with the car....
It gets 18 MPG if you cruise...slowly and I have seen as low as 12 when I hammer it. It also has perhaps the worst headlights I've ever seen. I understand all the E-class cars of this era have the same problem. I literally almost ran off the road once because I literally couldn't see the curve coming up!

It also eats tires...over 350 ft lbs of torque will tend to do that, not really a problem, just the price to pay for so much raw horsepower.

I can't decide if I am going to keep it once the lease is up...what with fuel at nearly 2.40/gallon for premium in my area...but gawds is this car fun!

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Mercedes 300E, Subaru Outback (wife's car)

Beautiful and classy looks. Awesome stability and handling. 25 mpg. Roomy. Versatility. Fit and finish. Reliability. Safety. 24 valve engine really sings and the tranny keeps up.

Expensive repairs. Over engineered and way too complicated leaves you at the mercy of the dealers diagnostics and fees. Needs premiun fuel. If you but a Benz and try to run it on a shoestring, watch out. Theres not much other than routine maint. that you can do at home.

1993 and later E class cars are a pleasure to drive and scary to maintain. The 24v engine is flawless and fast with good gas milage and sreams when you want it to but the car is more complex than a nuclear sub which is a shame because MB never needed to try to keep up the Japs and offer a bunch of crap that's just going to break after a while and cost the owner a pretty penny. If you want a quality station wagon (or sedan) though, there's nothing that compares to it. It's a car that will reward you with it's seamless dynamics and one you can drive all day long without any problem and you can drive the car for the rest of your life if you maintain it well. If you want to go really fast, haul the kids and look good doing it, this car is perfect. (as long as you can afford the entry fee!)

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1993 190E, 1984 190D. Mercedes has really improved they're build quality over the life of the 190 and 300 series.

THIS IS THE BEST VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. IT HAS THE FEEL OF AN ABRAMS TANK WITH ALL THE ELEGANCE. I GET SO MANY COMPLIMENTS ON THIS CAR. WELL WORTH THE PRICE THEY COMMAND.

EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. A BIT NOISEY AT HWY SPEEDS.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THE E CLASS. I THINK IT IS THE BEST OVERALL SIZE AND PRICE IN ITS CATEGORY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CLK COUPE.

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I COMPARED IT TO THE LEXUS GS300. THE GS 300 WAS MUCH MORE QUIETER AND CUSHIER IN RIDE.

Solid, very comfortable ride and seats, safe, quite, smooth, headroom, powerful,

Slightly overdesigned, e.g. wiper blades on headlights (with heated sprayers) tend to drain the over-sized windshield washer reservoir. Gas milage is a bit low at 18-22 mpg. Feel like yupster, buddies make fun of my car and ask if it's my mom's.

I have the wagon and highly recommend it. It's very easy to drive at high speeds on the straightaways, my license is currently restricted for exceeding 100mph. The wagon has a self-adjusting leveling system for the rear-end that no longer works, however I have not serviced the car in a long time and it has over 160k miles.

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Volvos - MBZ is more luxurious but worse gas milage

Quality of materials(inside and out), Elegant looking interior, Best stereo(Alpine/Bose)of any car owned, fit and finish, flawless paint, high resale value.

Most uncomfortable seats(where's the padding guys, your rear end will be sore on a long trip within the first 200 miles), Remote is worthless(need to stand on top of lock for it to work and No it's not the batteries), Too much road noise for a luxury car at this price.

Overall a very nice car. The only reason I traded this car was the extreemly uncomfortable seats on long trips. Around town it was fine, vacations were pure hell. It had a good ride and good handling. Adequate power and smooth transmission. For the money it's an ok value. If you travel alot.... think twice.

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Lexus LS400 (presently own), Lincoln Mark VIII and Town Car, Cadillac DeVille.

smooth ride.
confidence at speed.
Safety aspects.
Comfort.
Image.

There is a slight flat spot when accelerating.
lack of suitably placed cupholders!
small boot

If this type of car appeals to you, give the "E" class a try, I do not think you will regret it. It says style, breeding and class over and above the BMW, Jag, Lexus Etc.

The interior has lots of room, is comfortable and has the all-important three 3 point seatbelts in the rear (for anyone with three children). I think that the one thing that lets the interior down is the lack of suitably placed cup holders. The rear ones are in the centre arm rest and can't be used when three are in the back. The front ones are in the glove box, which is a bit of a stretch if you're under six foot.

The boot is a little on the small size when you're en route to an airport but is otherwise adequate.

It is effortless to drive, both in town and at speed. The car accelerates well after an initial flat spot. Driving or being driven in this car gives a feeling of well being. This is a car for drivers who want the best of all worlds; prestige, performance and safety.

I bought this car for my wife and family to use and I made the right decision.

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