2014 Mercedes-Benz E Class

2014 Mercedes-Benz E Class Review - Pricing

What, me worry? The Mercedes-Benz E-Class reasserts its alpha status with a tighter forehead, a greener turbodiesel, and a pair of all-wheel-drive AMGs.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E Class Interior/Exterior

For the first time, the E-Class adopts the Sport and Luxury themes the C-Class has had for years–you can opt for the Luxury’s three-bar grille, or the Sport’s plate-sized star logo embedded in a twin-louver grille, and its AMG-style trim. Bigger air intakes are faired in below on either version, but almost all the worry lines have been abraded from the front end. It’s pretty and elegant, the way all E-Class cars used to be, before the detour into goggle-eye lamps.
Further back, the E-Class sedan also unloads its flared, Ponton-like rear fenders, going for a sleeker look with lower side trim that elongates the car–the preferred shortcut to “elegant.” The treatment applies nicely to Coupe models, which have a graceful roofline that visually lowers the car, but it doesn’t work nearly as well in Cabriolet models, where we tended to think that with the roof up the more pert roofline stretches the proportions oddly upward. Power the top down and the E Cabrio fits gracefully back in, though.
The high-performance E63 AMG is easy to pick out from a distance, thanks to its unique wheels and special lower-body aerodynamic treatment (plus an upgraded interior).
Compared to the previous generation of the E-Class, the interior of the current car feels a little more conservative, yet also modernist and less curvaceous than some of the automaker’s other efforts. Sharp corners and well-pressed creases inside give the Mercedes-Benz E-Class a more traditionally luxurious look that meshes well with the new exterior.
About the only thing that isn’t so welcoming is the sea of matte-plastic buttons for audio and climate controls–in addition to the COMAND interface that covers infotainment through a big roller knob and a large LCD screen.
All models include wood, metal, and refined plastic trims, which you can further dress up through a long list of customization options aside from the stock choices of burl walnut or black ash. The final bit of jewelry: a tank-style analog clock on the dash.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E Class Engine Performance

The E-Class family of cars includes a four body styles and five distinct engine choices, all of them new since the 2012 model year. That makes for an amazing range of personalities in the lineup, most of which we’re on a first-name basis with.
Going with gas
We’ll start with the gentler manners of the standard E350. At times, it can feel distantly related to the hot E63 AMG, but it’s the E-Class most drivers will order and own. It’s powered by a combination of the Mercedes 3.5-liter V-6 and seven-speed automatic with paddle controls. The direct-injected V-6 spins out 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, with smooth power delivery and a relatively wide powerband. Zero to 60 mph times are well under 7 seconds, and top speed’s 130 mph.
These models come standard with a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift controls. They’re not the most responsive automatics we’ve driven, better than some of the six-speeds in the luxury world, but not quite to the smooth par set by the eight-speed automatic in many other luxury models.
All E-Class cars now have electric power steering, too. The “Direct Steer” system adapts both the quickness and the weight of the steering across its dynamic range. In practice, it’s given engineers a way to beef up the E-Class, and to make it feel more sporty, by adding some heft to the steering feel. There’s more razor-sharp quickness with, say, the Lexus GS F-Sport’s available rear-steer system, but the E-Class’ system feels better than most.
This E-Class comes in Luxury or Sport trim. Softly tuned, the Luxury model has ample body lean and scrubs its 17-inch wheels and tires easily. As a Sport, the E350 is more controlled, thanks to a suspension lowered 15 mm and to bigger 18-inch wheels. Neither removes an iota of polish from the E-Class’ demeanor.
All-wheel drive is an option on the E350 sedan, standard on the wagon, and it’s only a slight acceleration and fuel-economy penalty. It’s now standard on the E550 sedan.
On the E550 sedan, a 4.6-liter V-8 with twin turbochargers and direct injection makes 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The carryover V-8 is a much more evocative performer than the basic six, with top speed rising to 155 mph and with 0-60 mph times falling to 5.2 seconds.
The E550 also comes standard with an air-spring adaptive suspension and lower-profile tires, and now comes with electric power steering just like the other E-Class models. In practice, the suspension shaves off the peaks and fills in the valleys of the suspension’s stroke graph, evening out its mood almost all the time without giving up the supple ride. (The E350 wagon also gets rear air springs.) Enjoy it while you can: it’s still offered in the sedan this model year, but next year the E550 sedan bows out in favor of a new twin-turbocharged V-6 E400, in the name of fuel economy.
Diesel and hybrid
That’s the angle taken by the next two E-Class variants, too. Last year’s 210-horsepower, 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 has been dropped from the E-Class lineup for 2014. In its place, Mercedes is downsizing to a new turbocharged four-cylinder diesel also coming to the GLK crossover.
With 195 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, as well as available 4Matic, the E250 Bluetec sedan is very satisfying and engaging, though, with a light, responsive feel at most speeds (because there’s less weight at the nose than with the previous E350 Bluetec). Only from a standing start or when ordering up a quick pass after trundling along does the diesel hesitate for just a moment more than the gasoline version.
We’ll have more on this model later, while we work on driving impressions of the new E400 Hybrid. That sedan pairs the current V-6 with a 27-hp electric motor, start/stop, and lithium-ion batteries, just as in the S400 Hybrid.
AMG, in a class by itself
Most E-Class models have controlled and agile road manners, but they’re not tuned as tautly as the sportier end of BMW’s or Audi’s ranges. That changes when you step up to the factory-tuned AMG car.
The performance-oriented E63 AMG models aren’t left untouched this year, but unlike the other models, gas mileage isn’t their problem. They’re up from 518 hp to 550 hp and 531 pound-feet of torque in base form, and if you spec up to the “S” model–a new sub-sub-model in the hierarchy–you’ll net out at 577 hp, 590 lb-ft of torque. They’re also shod with standard all-wheel drive, with a fixed torque split of 33:67.
The result: a scalding-hot 0-60 mph time of under 4 seconds, measured through the standard RACESTART launch control and on-screen telemetry. Top speed is 155 mph on the E63 AMG sedan, 186 mph on the E63 AMG S sedan and wagon.
It’s impossible to mistake the E63’s hellacious performance for a lesser E-Class. The big, ripe exhaust noise coming from the V-8 barks out sharp orders, and the firm thump of its Pirelli P-Zero tires never intrudes as you wind the steering through visceral heft. There’s no such thing as halfway here.
Granted, the E63 AMG is a big car riding on a long wheelbase, and even the AWD system’s power split and brake-torque vectoring can’t turn it into a pint-sized flyweight. Hairpins can be hair-raisers, but sweeping turns are electric–the E63 AMG just unfurls massive power and sticks to the ground with an iron will.

See more 2014 Mercedes-Benz E Class photos

Two green versions make the E-Class one of the few vehicles sold anywhere in the world to have gas, gas-electric, and diesel drivetrains. The new E250 BlueTEC gives up some torque and likely, a bit of acceleration to the outgoing six-cylinder E350 BlueTEC turbodiesel–but since it’s a four-cylinder, highway fuel economy could rise from 32 mpg to 35 mpg (we’ve already seen higher than that in real-world driving conditions on a drive). There’s also an E400 Hybrid that shares lithium-ion batteries and motors with the S400 Hybrid, and earns a 30-mpg highway rating. The choice between the two should factor mostly on whether you post more city or highway miles, respectively.
Regardless of the model or engine chosen, however, the E-Class range rewards the driver with adjustable suspension settings, a responsive seven-speed automatic, and improved, yet still comfortable, driving dynamics. The E63 AMG kicks the whole show up a notch, with a reworked AMG-tuned suspension.
Interior space was improved with the latest E-Class redesign, a couple of years ago, with excellent head and leg room for both the front and back seats, which can seat up to five adults comfortably. Wagon models have even more versatility, with fold-down seats, an open cargo space, and two temporary-duty, rear-facing third-row seats. Wagons also get a new power tailgate. Across the line, build quality is tight, materials selection is mostly excellent, and quietness is a strength.
The E Class family offers an impressive number of above-and-beyond active-safety features–many of them optional–to detect driver drowsiness, monitor blind spots, control high beams automatically, maintain a set following distance, and help keep you in your lane. And two of the body styles have earned Top Safety Pick status from the IIHS. Key updates to the 2014 E-Class come on the electronics side, enhancing safety through an array of sensors and algorithms. A new front-mounted stereo camera system enables three-dimensional imaging of road obstacles and traffic at distances up to 55 yards, with overall system effectiveness stretching out to 550 yards. Together with driver drowsiness detection systems, forward-collision mitigation systems, braking assistance, and several flavors of lane-keeping assist, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class can even steer itself in limited circumstances, under low-speed conditions–a first step to autonomous driving.
Standard equipment no longer includes satellite radio, and a rearview camera is optional on the base models, but Bluetooth and a power sunroof are standard. Other luxury upgrades include voice-controlled navigation; Sirius and HD Radio; a surround-view camera; heated seats; numerous electronic safety assists; and adaptive sport seats. The most coveted feature is sure to be a new 1200-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system with exquisite rendering of sound.
Credit: Mercedes-Benz Cars

Tweet