2013 Audi A3

First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Sedan

 
2 2,646 views Jan 2, 2010
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Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz has strived to capture the essence of luxury in their cars. And to be honest, they've always done a fairly good job. Such a good job in fact, that for a driving purist like myself, I've always found Mercs to be a little bit like teddy bears that I would describe as soft and fluffy. Growing up, like any other young boy, I was attracted to toys that aided me in my mischievous efforts: like a Tonka truck that could lay waste to the local Lego village, my Power Wheels with the vicious engine roar that angered the neighborhood pets with the ruckus I was able to create, or even my toy ray gun with a built in siren that wailed every time I fired its invisible lasers. Yes, these were the machines that appealed to me. The ones who never bothered to hide their power under layers of fluff, but preferred to boast of their strength at every opportunity. And here I am, years later, still longing to play with the devilish sports car or the big bad monster truck as opposed to the docile luxury cars that populate our roads. And yet, I remember, that at the end of the day after my mischief was done, I would curl up in bed cuddling my teddy bear.

But surely I've outgrown my childish need to develop a bond with an inanimate object - even the life-like, technology packed, super-modern, king of the fluff, Teddy Ruxpin? At least I thought I had - until now. The new Mercedes-Benz E550 sedan has forced me to reevaluate my view of this luxury German brand. While I once saw the three-pointed star as a symbol of cushion and comfort, the newest generation of E-class has become the quintessential drivers car. Don't misunderstand, the E-class hasn't forgotten how to coddle like we've all come to expect from a Mercedes, but now it does something more. It's no longer a car whose purpose is merely to make the journey from A to B as seemingly short and comfortable as possible. It's finally a vehicle that automotive enthusiasts can look forward to driving; a machine that the whole family can climb into and enjoy in relative safety; and one that provides these benefits without sacrificing the drivers experience. And I know that I sound like a man in love or a very talented car salesman but its only because I am in love, so indulge me for one more moment as I actually critique this car.

I was fortunate enough to get some track time with the E550 to find out just how well it drives. As I slipped into the drivers seat, my gluteus maximus was immediately met by a nice cushion of support from the leather seats. And as I was pulling out onto the track, I decided to turn on the optional Dynamic Drivers Seat with massage as well as the active ventilation. I figured I'd start the day out nice and relaxed. The automatic bolsters work phenomenally in this car. It was like being hugged by Greek goddesses and as I made my way around the bends the lateral supports never had any trouble keeping up with the rapid changes in direction.

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Factor in the AIRMATIC air suspension that comes standard on the E550 and E63 AMG with adjustable spring and damping rates, and you have a very nimble family commuter with limited body roll, especially when set to Sport mode. Switching between settings is a breeze - none of this menu navigation tomfoolery. Plainly labeled buttons on the console allow you to switch the suspension and shift settings, adjust your seat, adjust your massage, and control the heated and cooled seats, all of which makes driving this car simple. Plus, the luscious 5.5-liter V8 brings 382 horses to the races along with 391 pound-feet of torque; giving this 4,034-pound monster enough oomph to rocket from 0-60 in a manufacturer claimed 5.2 seconds. The disc brakes do a decent job of pulling this car to a stop, bringing this behemoth to a standstill in about 126 feet, roughly a car-length longer than the 5-series Bimmer. Add all of this to the retuned electrohydraulic assist steering setup and you end up with a very direct connection between driver and vehicle that's easy to control and guide through the corners.




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Comments (2)

  1. By  AutoCritical Posted: 1/3/2010 2:46am PST

    Engineering and luxury aside (i'm more than confident that Mercedes would excel in this area) Styling still has me a bit annoyed with the current direction. This design seems to be going for a crisp and sharp aesthetic, but the 'beak' like grille, the afterthought looking day light lower lights and the inner lights that don't flow with the rest of the design don't make sense. I feel that the 3star emblem should be right in the middle of the grille (all the lines are pointing to that area). Perhaps an aesthetic that is more sympathetic to the SLS http://bit.ly/6eGfkZ would make more sense?
     
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  2. By  Verkehrsplanung Posted: 1/11/2011 11:14am PST

    Great writing, Thank you for writing this article! Best regards, Tom
     
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