We had an extended blat in the Mercedes-Benz E 500 Sport a couple of weeks back, and jolly nice it was too, if not quite as scintillating as the E 63 AMG employed by Riggers in his effort to eliminate the EC Pirelli mountain back in December.
I wanted to spend a few days with the latest E for a variety of reasons, one being that as an 'old-school' Merc enthusiast (with an increasingly strong hankering to replace my '80s W126 'barge'), I still hadn't quite made my mind up about the latest M-B design direction for its latest saloons. It had been interesting to grab an impromptu chat at the Detroit show last month with Steffen Kohl (head of the company's advanced global design studio) although, as with many folk of arty temperament, I understood roughly half of what he was chuntering on about. I did collect one useful sound-bite though, which is that Herr Kohl wants us to look at Mercedes cars as 'pieces of industrial art'. Whether such an epithet could be applied to the latest E might be pushing it a bit.
a looker though, isn't it? At least on the outside where I think the design successfully conveys M-B's sense of assumed German superiority without appearing overly brash. The style is contemporary and quite individual, reflecting another of the Kohl dictums that Mercedes design should lead the pack, and not follow fashion or trends. I've seen a few estate versions around now too, and the wagon body suits the new look even more to my eyes.
The interior is attractive enough too, but it doesn't quite manage the 'bespoke' feel offered by the company making the best executive interiors currently - an accolade which by popular opinion surely belongs to Jaguar. Mrs-R agreed, after we'd both spent a couple of hours staring at the Merc's dash while almost stationary on the M1. (She's a designer as well, and I reckon I've just twigged why I only understand half the things she rumbles on about, too...)
Still, there's a lot more to the E class than meets the eye, not least the meaty 5461cc V8 that lurks 'neath the bonnet. With 387hp and 530Nm to call upon, it's not surprising this biggish saloon takes-off like a startled rabbit. 0-62mph in 5.2secs is the official line, and come to think of it, you can take the word 'startled' out of that last sentence. The truth is, thanks in part to a seven-speed auto 'box that does everything I can, only better, emergency starts are expressed as a seamless surge of turbine-like power that if anything might leave those wishing to enjoy the performance insufficiently 'stirred'. There's a hint of V8 soundtrack when the engine is extended, but it's faint and somewhat apologetic, which is probably how most M-B customers like it - and why AMG exists for the rest of us.
There is a bit of AMG about the E 500 actually, because it comes in Sport trim only, which means for your £48,610 you get AMG body styling bits, an AMG steering wheel and AMG floormats, as well as sports seats, uprated brakes, 15mm lowered suspension and 18ins AMG alloys. There's a frightening amount of standard kit as well, including things like Attention Assist which I haven't fully got to grips with, but which does have a funny dashboard light shaped like a cup of tea. (Is it too early for a G&T..?) In fact this particular test car was weighed down with so many optional extras it would have taken a couple of weeks to find them all, so I didn't - although the overall impression was that drivers will not want for much in the way of luxury.
Circumstances meant I didn't get a chance to do much with the car, other than hack it up and down the motorway network - at a decent rate of knots when conditions allowed - and where naturally it excelled. The E 500 surges along on its wave of effortless power, riding with a composed but comfortable air on its on its air suspension, steering deftly, providing reassuring amounts of grip and (we are now surely all agreed?) looking the part too.
It's unruffled, unpretentious, and a little understated, and sits at the opposite end of the personality spectrum to arch-rival BMW. If that spectrum wasn't split right down the middle by Jaguar, the decision would be more black and white.
But as ever 'you pays yer money, makes yer choice', and if your cash finds its way into M-B's coffers on account of the E 500, you'll have made a decision that's pretty tough to fault.