Efficient and reliable

To me it's all about safety. I had the luxury of being able to afford a car like this, and I did quite a bit of homework.

I never had a German before and was not particularly eager to purchase one. However, after graduating from the SUV phase of my life, I was looking for a car that fulfilled these needs, in order:

1. SAFETY
2. Solidity and longevity
3. Emergency handling
4. Luxury with bells and whistles and pointless little gadgets to break
5. Gas mileage

SAFETY: My auto insurance is cheaper on this vehicle than it was on my previous vehicles, partly because of the safety issue (the medical coverage costs are remarkably low). The side air bags and headliner air bags are there, along with the usual safety features like stability control and anti-lock brakes. The "brake assist" feature sounded good but perhaps gimmicky, until I actually needed it and it clearly saved me from an accident. Shortly after getting it, it was "keyed" and otherwise vandalized requiring some repainting on one side. At the shop, there was another E320 that was totalled. The "interior" was fully intact, although the trunk and engine compartments were crushed. I felt validated in my choice of cars.

SOLIDITY: It is "bank-vault-solid" as others have said. Of all my prior cars, including luxury cars, this car has the fewest rattles and squeaks by a significant margin--even on the incredibly unsatisfactory pot-hole filled and occasional cobblestone roads in my city. (As an aside, if you want to hear solidity of any car you test drive, find those rough roads, not the nice smooth roads at the auto mall; it seems every city has an historic area with cobblestone roads--head there straight away!)

EMERGENCY HANDLING: It is a firm, quiet car with excellent handling. It does not fishtail or bounce and, although I can hear the road and feel the road, it is not harsh and is quite comfortable. The Lexus, for example, is a rider's car--you swoosh around in silence, separated from the driving experience. Some people like this but I find it scary to be separated from the environment and I also find it boring.

It seems the Germans know how to provide driving excitement. I have driven the Audi and BMW as well. Each allows me to feel the road yet be fully comfortable. There is a compromise in the Mercedes. I have an excellent driving position, with excellent and remarkably clear displays, a firm but comfortable seat and a quiet, but stable suspension.

That suspension allows for good stability on turns and over rough pavement. There is a response to moving the steering wheel and at no time do I feel that I am not in control of the car. I have not had a car before that responded to me and gave me the feedback that I now get. Although I had "luxury" cars, they were boring to drive. Driving has become fun once again.

LUXURY: This model is less spartan than Mercedes of past; there is a new focus on the luxury appearance and as such, there is more wood trim (perhaps more glossy than some might like). Unlike the new S class, the E class is remarkably simple in terms of controls. There are only a few switches on the center console and dash area, making operation very simple. My 1999 model does not have steering wheel controls but the models after mine do, adding convenience. The seats are firmer than in any car I have ever had. Even so, they are more comfortable than the prior cars and my butt doesn't really hurt after a 6 hour trip like it used to in my prior vehicles. However, I suspect some people want to melt into their seats; you won't in the MB.

Some "luxury" features are really good safety features. For example, the rear headrests block the driver's view out of the back window. One press of a button puts them down and out of the view if there are no back seat passengers.

GAS MILEAGE: This is a low emissions car. I am satisfied. I get better than 20mpg on average, something remarkable for this size car. I have reached 30mpg and more on 80mph freeway trips and actually made it from San Francisco to south of Los Angeles on one tank of gas. The anxiety of trying that, however, is not worth it! Fill up the gas half-way so you don't feel foolish if you run out!

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Okay, so not everything could be perfect. They put a stability control button right in front of the driver's window button. I press the wrong button all the time. Not the biggest problem, but I can't figure out why they put it there.

After I had the car for a few months, the air conditioner compressor would not come on and the dealer very quickly fixed what was a disconnected wire.

There have been no breakdowns. Oil changes have been at about 10,000-11,000 miles. They now are included with the purchase or lease of the car, but they weren't for my model year, and the oil changes are expensive, since other services are provided at the same time.

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Bottom line. I do not want to sound too enthusiastic about the car, but, if the car were to break down today (about 23 months old) and become a lemon, I would still feel that it was worth it. To have the excitement of driving come back to me, with the assurance of excellent handling and careful attention to safety features, plus the impressive gas mileage and the luxury, makes this an ideal car.

I would add that I didn't get the car for status. All the "status" of the Mercedes has done is cause the car to get "keyed" with the words "CLASS WAR- BEWARE" written on my windows. I also had some passersby throw rocks at my car while I was driving in a certain neighborhood (no damage, though--good paint).