We are with the Mercedes E Class.
It has been renewed.
As well as outlook, and the engine under the bonnet, with its interior and new technology the E Class is now completely new car.
Let’s see if with this way, it became more competitive and more assertive.
Let’s analyze it together.
As always, I will also start with the design of the E Class.
We all know that the E Class is situated between its big brother S Class and small sibling C Class.
And with its appearance it resembles excessively as the Sedan members of the family as never before.
Nowadays, many car manufacturers design their cars on one model and develop the rest of the family from that.
The Mercedes is one of the marked and distinct brands that use this form.
When you look at the car from the front, in this exclusive equipment level,
with the wide grill without the logo and with Mercedes’s famous star logo on top, it looks exceedingly as S Class.
Of course, if we say it does not resemble the C Class as well, it will definitely be a lie.
When you look from the side you see that its form has been rounded compered to the previous generation of E Class.
Further, the most distinct difference compered to the previous generation is the axle span that has been elongated 65 mm.
This naturally makes the car look bigger and grander and that it also reveals that the interior will have wider living space.
We will come to that soon but first lets look at the rear all together.
When we look here, the similar lines from C Class and S Class catch one’s eye, especially at taillights,
at this chromium bar over the boot lid and at the exhaust outlets under the bumper.
Frankly, if there was no writing here, I couldn’t have easily distinguished which model it was at first glance.
In here, there are some parts with chromium sides looking like exhaust outlets that make the car appears chic and esthetic from the rear
but I have to say that they are not exhaust outlets, the real ones are under them.
All right, what kind of loading capacity does E Class offer behind its boot lid? Let me tell you about that too.
It has 540 liters loading capacity, which I can say is very satisfactory.
You are able to load few of your bags here very easily and further as this car has RunFlat tires there is a repair kit, in other words no spare tire.
Therefore a very large area is offered at the space where the spare tire should have been.
You can put many articles here and travel.
Lets look what kind of living space there is at the rear seats.
Not to expect comfort at the rear seats of the E Class will be a mistake.
Believe me, it is very comfortable in here.
Due to the construction of the front seats a very good knee room is offered almost a hand span.
Despite this two parts inclining glass roof, the headroom is good.
There is not a bad living space for the third passenger but due this very big transmission hump his feet may not be very comfortable.
Even though, you may have to sit like this if you have to, but generally the place you sit and the rest your back is not bad at all.
This is in fact a practice we are accustomed in this class.
There are air panels offered for passengers at the rear seats.
Furthermore seat-heating system is offered at the rear seats at this equipment level.
It is a very good feature.
There is one armrest here and two cup-holders.
Further, you can put few of your articles, your wallet and mobile phone here.
Let me mention the curtain too.
When you close the curtain like this, you isolate yourselves from outside world.
I think it is time now to get in to the driver’s seat and start testing the new E Class.
Lets start.
Up to now what I have mentioned was the story part.
The real innovations of the E Class naturally are in here and concern the driver.
I will try to share these with you, as far as possible, during the drive.
Here we go.
I am behind the steering wheel of the E Class.
There are lots of topics to talk about the E Class in the interior as well as the new technologies, therefore to cut the long story short I broach the subject.
As soon as you sit into the driver seat of the E class, two 12.3 inches screen with very high resolution confronts you.
One of them is directly in front of the driver and it provides the indicators.
The one positioned on its right is the multimedia screen.
The indicators have three different themes.
They are called as Sportive, Classic and Modern.
You do not only select them, you are able to personalize the center and the right side of them.
These are all pretty toys but if I am driving an E Class as now, classic indicators and trip computer in its center is appealing to me.
Ultimately, there is this huge screen with high resolution you see here for navigation any way.
Therefore my choice of usage is as you see it.
As the multimedia screen is this big, naturally people think that it is a touch screen.
But Mercedes for safety reasons does not prefer a touch screen multimedia.
Instead, you are able to direct the system called Command from this round button and touch pad over it.
I have already told you this in the previous C Class test.
But in addition there is a novelty in this car.
They are these touch buttons on the steering wheel.
If you ask me this is one of the main reasons that separate the Mercedes from its current rivals.
Of course some question comes to mind of the people here because there are three controls that you can perform exactly the same operations.
I have already shared with you that I personally do not use the touchpad much in my previous tests.
I can tell you that the buttons on the steering wheel are very useful; you are able to reach all the menus without taking your hand off the steering wheel.
I personally liked it very much.
This multimedia system is not very hard but it definitely requires an adaptation period.
But still, if we make a comparison with the BMW’s iDrive or Volvo’s system in the new S90 and XC-90, I have to say that it is a bit harder.
The materials used here definitely satisfy the class standards.
The tops are covered with leather and high quality black shiny wood is used around the air outlets of the A/C.
Here, certainly reminds you an S Class.
But when you go down, especially this mid console with its design as well as its control elements, it resembles the C Class exceedingly.
In other words in the interior just as well as the exterior, it is possible to see signs of S Class and C Class in the E Class.
For your small items very adequate places are offered.
As the gear lever is on the steering column, there is a lidded cubicle in the place where the gear lever should have been just as in all the current Mercedes models.
In here there are two cup-holders and a small area in front of it.
Furthermore, the double lid armrest is very well designed to accommodate many of your articles.
Apart from the seat heating system, with extra payment, you are able to purchase seat cooling system as in this test car.
This is one of the specialties that I like especially when testing on a hot summer day as today.
Of course, I shouldn’t pass without informing you that the seats are very comfortable.
Let us consider the engine and the driving features of the E Class.
Under the bonnet of the E Class, 2 liters, 4-cyliders turbo charge diesel engine is functioning now.
This engine develops 194 HP and 400 Nm of torque.
While the engine use to be 2.1 liters previously, it has been downsized to 2.0 liters and this directly affects the price of the E Class.
This is an important advantage.
This of course is the part concerning our country.
The important thing is what the engine offers to the driver.
The engine, first of all, is very powerful.
With 194 HP as well as 400 Nm of torque, it is very lively in spite of its 1.7-1.8 tons weight.
The new E Class, just as the old E Class, is rear wheel drive.
Namely, I don’t want you to experience confusion here.
Even though some of the current Mercedes models are front wheel drive, the E Class, true to its tradition, is rear wheel drive.
The power of the engine is transmitted to the rear wheels by 9-speed automatic gearbox.
The passes of the gearbox is fast and smooth.
If you wish, you are able to command the gears manually by the pedals behind the steering wheel.
But the engine and the gearbox work so harmoniously that you do not need to use this.
The characteristic of the engine is very good and you don’t feel any tremor while the engine is working.
Further, I can say that it has a silent construction.
That is to say, of course you obviously hear an engine sound as this is a diesel engine but it definitely is not at a bothersome level.
Especially, if you take into account the high level of insulation of the E Class than it becomes clear that the interior is very quiet and comfortable.
Let us consider the driving features of the E Class.
The suspension of the new E Class, if you ask me, is a bit firmer than the previous generation.
But I have to interfere here that the E Class is still very comfortable and has a construction that irons the road’s uneven surfaces.
In other words, when you compare it with its rivals in its class, I think the suspension comfort of the E Class is definitely ahead.
Because on what ever surface you drive you feel extremely complacent and comfortable.
The road handling of the E Class is not bad at all.
As at the moment even at continuous bends you are able to control the car without difficulty.
The car doesn’t try to leave the road.
Aren’t there times it wants to leave it, of course there are.
But the ESP works so well that it doesn’t pull you with hard impacts but bring you to your line as if pulling with string in stead.
There are driving modes called Dynamic Select in the new E Class too.
You are able to select by the button underhand Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and personalized Individual.
Finally, the E Class is as always comfortable and better than its rivals when compared
but in the matter of agility it never was assertive and it is not in the new generation too.
That is to say, if you are searching an agile car in this class, I recommend that you look at the BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF.
But if comfort is top priority for you, then E Class will satisfy the expectations to the end.
I have mentioned that the E Class possesses the new technologic safety equipment.
The most attention grabbing among them is what we may call half autonomy driving system.
Mercedes calls it as Autopilot.
This system interferes to the steering in addition to the adaptive cruse control.
It is easy to use the system.
You engage this by the cruse control situated under the signal arm.
Later it completely engages when you press this two buttons positioned at the left side of the steering wheel.
Afterwards, the only thing you have to do is adjust the speed you wish from the cruse control and watch the E Class follow the car in front comfortably and safely.
As I am at the moment on a curvy road, I cannot show you this because their interferences are never at a magnitude to manage this type of bends.
But when you drive the E Class on the highway it definitely keep the distance very well with the car in front.
It manages to approach softly and manages to stop softly.
Further it manages to keep the car in the middle of the lines.
In the bends on the highway it strictly do not leave its lane and succeeds to astonish its driver and the passengers in the car.
I have to confess that I liked this autopilot system and used it throughout the test.
The new E Class’s one of the other technologic specialties is parking by itself.
This is one of the specialties we know from other brands and models but the Mercedes goes a step ahead here and put into use to park without the driver in the E Class.
In other words, after you find a parking place the only thing you have to do is give approval to the car and engage the gear to reverse.
After that, you do not touch the throttle or break or the steering wheel ever.
The car does all these by itself.
Namely, it drives backwards, corrects the steering, engages to the D, move forwards and correct the steering again
and succeeds to put you into the parking space fast and good.
Let us finally consider the fuel consumption of the E Class.
I have been driving this E220d 2 liters diesel engine for 230 km. and at the moment the trip computer indicates to me 7.9 liters fuel consumption averages.
Of course, apart from that you are able to see 5.2 liters fuel consumption averages for today since I have started it in the morning.
Naturally this is the value indicated as I have driven on open roads since morning.
In other words it will not be true fuel consumption averages.
But I can say that the true fuel consumption averages can be around 7-8 level depending at the way you drive.
The new Mercedes E Class definitely attained more competitive aspect.
Especially, with 2 liters potentially frugal and powerful new diesel engine and with high comfort level compared to its rivals,
I think the hand of the E Class is more powerful now.
Of course, as you know, it has very serious rivals in its class.
Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF and new Volvo S90 are very serious models competing with E Class in the same class.
Even though the 5 Series is getting a bit old among them and will be renewed at the end of this year, it still is one of the most important rivals of the Mercedes.
Consequently, even with all the innovations and new technological safety specialties, we naturally cannot know what the Mercedes will do against its rivals
but I can say that the Mercedes E Class users will definitely like it very much.
See you.