Step inside the new E-class and the immediate impression is one of understated quality. All the major controls are well sited and simple to use.
Our base SE test car lacked the satellite navigation system that many buyers will choose, but even with the additional navigation controls an interface as intuitive as that in the E-class is hard to come by in the gadget-packed executive class.
The rear seats are comfortable and there’s ample leg room for even the tallest passengers. The 540-litre boot betters most of its rivals in the luggage capacity stakes, and also boasts a convenient square shape and wide opening that will make loading bulky items easy. The lack of standard folding rear seats is a frustrating omission on a car that is otherwise so effortlessly practical.
There are other niggling faults in the E-class interior, too. Poor visibility to the rear three-quarters can hide cars in adjacent motorway lanes with alarming ease. A slightly offset driving position also disappoints initially, but the standard electric seat height and back adjustment, plus supportive bolsters, mean you’re guaranteed to find a good driving position eventually.
That all testers found it to be an admirably comfortable and hassle-free place in which to cover distances is a testament to its fitness for purpose. At £30,383 before options (but with the automatic gearbox), entry to E250 CDI ownership is not prohibitively expensive.
BMW’s 5-series doesn’t get close to 200bhp until you move up to the 525d, which is £32,665 in automatic form. Jaguar’s cheapest diesel XF is almost £34,000.
There was a time when buying a base Mercedes left the standard equipment list very short indeed, but we’d have no qualms about driving an E250 CDI shorn of options. Our predictions suggest that depreciation will be competitive – certainly superior to the BMW’s, if not quite as strong as the Jaguar’s.
