The best Cadillac ever made

While having my 2001 C240 serviced, I decided to take a test drive of a new 2006 E350, and much to my delight, the saleswoman gave me very wide latitude to really test the car, on a wide variety of roads and for almost a full hour. During that drive, I came away extremely impressed with the E-class Mercedes, but also of the opinion that it is not for me.

A few months ago I was shopping for a car for myself, and ended up buying a 2001 C240 with 70,000 miles on the clock. I was actually on the verge of buying a brand-new C280, and bought the used one on account of its absolutely like-new condition inside and out. Since then, I’ve put almost 5,000 miles on the car and have really come to appreciate the design and driving dynamics of the smallest and least expensive Mercedes of 2001. As I begin looking for a car for my wife (she likes bigger cars), I started right at the E-class, which has some attractive lease offers new and holds up well used.

The E350 (or older E320) is the absolutely perfect car for my wife, and I will be getting her one in the not too distant future. The car is powerful, handles easily and well, and has more safety features than just about anything else on the road. It is quiet, comfortable and extremely easy to drive, while surrounding the driver and passengers in opulent luxury and extremely high quality interior furnishings. In short, while expensive, you definitely get what you pay for.

I’ll cut right to the chase and say why this car isn’t for me. Really it comes down to one aspect of the car, the steering. Don’t get me wrong, it is precise, easy to control and actually provides good road feel despite the high level of power assist, but that high level of assist is what I don’t like. In my C240 and the new C280 (both luxury, not sport models) the steering is considerably heavier, with a light assist that makes it easy to maneuver, but requires some effort on the driver’s part. It is a perfect blend of weight, precision and control. With the E350, one-finger steering is a reality and that firm feeling to the wheel is gone. Strangely, this makes the E350 feel more nimble and actually smaller in that one regard, while the C-class feels somehow more substantial through the wheel.

Of course, as a driving enthusiast, I like steering feel and solid controls. For the point A to point B types (like my wife), the lighter steering feel of the E350 will correctly been seen as more luxurious than the smaller and less expensive C-class. My wife will love it, and for long trips, I imagine so will I.

Okay, so the E350 has luxury car steering in the American (Cadillac) idiom, how is the rest of the car? Again, American style luxury is the overall focus of the car, though through the magic of engineering and technology, the softly sprung E350 is not in any way floaty or ponderous. The car goes around corners like, well, a Mercedes. Handling is unflappable, with bad roads barely noticeable. Ride is smoother and quieter than a limousine, but with enough control to be entertaining and poised on twisty roads as well.

The engine is just as refined and balanced as the chassis, with ample power for 7 second 0-60 runs (my C240 is positively lethargic in comparison at 9 seconds) and a relaxed, quiet demeanor on the road. 80MPH equates to barely over 3000 RPM thanks to the 7 speed automatic that shifts gears so smoothly that I wasn’t aware except by watching the tachometer. This engine is so quiet that while cruising at 80MPH the noisiest thing is the heater, and even that quiets down once the cabin reaches the desired temperature.

Of course reaching the desired temperature is easy with dual zone computerized climate control set by clear round dials, one per side, with a scale in degrees. Higher level E-class (and C-class) cars have a digital system, but the analog model worked well and was very intuitive.

Mercedes is famous for safety features and the E350 has all of them. Traction control and handling correction features help drivers retain control of the car when too high speed or a too tight turn would normally cause them to loose it. Antilock brakes that actually have excellent pedal feel make it easy to stay in control even during a panic stop. A massively built frame and a very serious-looking latch system for the doors, the former designed to protect occupants in an impact by absorbing the force of the collision rather than transferring it to the people inside the car and the latter to simply keep the doors closed during the violent movements of an accident until everything settles down. Finally, there is a special system called Tele-Aid that will automatically call for help if the airbags deploy. Those airbags, by the way, are the latest 2-stage type, deploying with reduced force in moderate collisions and at high power in severe accidents (not at all in a minor crash).

My favorite aspect of the E350, despite all of the impressive engineering and driving characteristics is actually the look of the car. Inside and out, this is simply one of the most handsome cars on the road today. Inside there are three large round dials in the dash (speedometer, tachometer and a large analog clock), high quality leather on the seats, wheel and shifter, thick carpet and real wood. Everything you can see looks expensive, and everything you touch feels good. Outside the car are the now E-class trademark separate high and low beams (the high beams are the smaller ones) and the traditional Mercedes grill, though raked back and modernized.

Overall, the car looks muscular, luxurious and classy, without any distractions. It is both instantly recognizable yet modern and fresh at the same time. To anyone who might consider its appearance a bit too conservative, all one has to do is look at an older Mercedes and notice the total lack of outdated styling trends. My neighbor has a silver 1987 300E that still looks modern and fresh, which says as much about the build-quality of a Mercedes as the styling.

One negative compared to their competition that I feel should be noted is that Mercedes Benz no longer includes free maintenance for the warranty period. Whether or not this is a consideration to people spending $50,000 on a car is debatable, but BMW and Audi still pay the service bills.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a supremely comfortable and capable luxury car design that will stand the test of time, look no further.