The E350 is Mercedes-Benz’s sensible sedan. Standing in the shadow of the extroverted E63 AMG and conceding the efficiency crown to the forthcoming E250 BlueTec diesel, it earns respect by effortlessly balancing form and function in a practical and attractive package. In many ways, the E-class is Mercedes; integrity is everything when you have that kind of weight on your shoulders.
Honing and Toning
Freshly resculpted for the 2014 model year, the W213-generation E-class traces its lineage to 2010. Although the grille covers roughly the same real estate, its corners are now softer, and the previous quad headlamp lenses have been shaped into two longer, leaner units that blend more naturally with the sleek rake of the fascia. The Mercedes shape-up program didn’t neglect the glutes, either, as the formerly flared rear fenders now appear more tight and toned, and the overall package displays a more cohesive and athletic look than did the previous car.
Our pair of test cars—one rear drive, the other with Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive—came in a slimming shade of Lunar Blue ($720) and were equipped with the no-cost Sport Styling package that brings a sport suspension; 18-inch, twin five-spoke wheels; and interior touches. The package also swaps the standard grille and the traditional stand-up three-pointed star for a two-bar grille with an integrated emblem. Weight was shaved by rendering the fenders, hood, and doors in aluminum and the decklid from a composite. All in, our all-wheel-drive example tipped the scales at 4136 pounds, and the rear-driver weighed 4000 pounds on the nose.
To give you an idea of how thinly the V-6–powered, four-door, four-wheel-drive premium-sedan market is sliced, consider that the last BMW 535i xDrive we tested weighed 4187 pounds and the last Audi A6 3.0T Quattro, 4105 pounds; both were a tad portly compared with a Lexus GS350 AWD, which crossed the scales at a comparatively breezy 3977 pounds. As you might expect, the acceleration numbers are grouped nearly as tightly, the E350 4MATIC handling the 0-to-60 sprint in 5.8 seconds, the Lexus in 5.6, and the latest 535i xDrive in 5.3. (We have tested the Audi to 60 as quickly as 5.1 seconds, although our latest example posted a 5.6-second time.) Lacking the 4MATIC model’s off-the-line traction bonus, the lighter E350 needed six seconds flat to hit 60 mph.
The 302-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 is the E350’s silent partner, sending its output to a seven-speed automatic, where the shifts are fully automatic or activated at the behest of the standard steering-wheel-mounted paddles. We can’t say acceleration is neck snapping, but the forward urge is strong and steady, and responses to pedal inputs are decisive.
Reality Check
Even though the E350 is a product of a luxury brand, its suspension settings favor a European preference for road texture instead of isolation. Frost heaves, expansion strips, and broken pavement transmit impact harshness through the 4MATIC’s 245/40-series Pirelli P Zero tires. (The non-4MATIC four-door’s identically sized Continental ContiProContact rubber was slightly smoother and quieter.) Even so, the cabin remains tight and rattle-free, and the suspension (independent three-link front and five-link rear, variable-rate dampers all around) remains planted. Vehicle control is never compromised.
The variable-effort electric power steering is superlight when stopped in traffic and at low speeds but firms up nicely as speeds and tire loads increase. It’s short on contact-patch communication, but at least it’s consistent and accurate. Lateral acceleration registers 0.86 g in the 4MATIC and a barely lower 0.83 g in the rear-drive E350, and given the choice, we’d take the Sport package’s firm body-motion control over a setup that goes weak in the knees when challenged. Still, this isn’t a car that begs to be tossed around corners.
