While 201bhp and 0-60mph in 7.7sec aren’t the most exciting set of statistics you’ll have read on these pages, comparatively the E250 CDI impresses. It isn’t the sort of engine you exercise simply for the thrill, but for a comfortable and frugal-minded executive saloon the performance is entirely adequate.
Although the punchy peak torque figure of 367lb ft is available only between 1600 and 1800rpm, the 295lb ft from 1400-3200rpm matches that of BMW’s 525d. As such, the E250 CDI moves along smartly and will sit at a realistic motorway cruise with sufficient poke in reserve.
Only on cross-country routes does it feel stretched; greater overtaking punch wouldn’t go amiss. At a constant 70mph the engine is practically inaudible, but move up to 85mph and the rumble returns.
Which brings us to arguably the E250’s greatest flaw. Although a six-speed manual gearbox comes as standard, many will opt for the optional (£1458) automatic, which means just five forward speeds in four-cylinder models.
The E-class stopped well in our measured braking tests and, once you become accustomed to the soft but well modulated brake pedal, can be slowed precisely in road driving.
Although all E-class models share the same basic suspension architecture, there is considerable variation in the detail and set-up. With the more basic set-up we are testing here, there is no option to manually alter the car’s dynamic behaviour; you just sit back and let the E250 CDI shuffle between its two damper settings.
First impressions are of a softly sprung car that rolls a fair amount at low speeds – certainly more than its rivals do. The fully hydraulic steering helps greatly, being nicely weighted, accurate and blessed with reasonable feel.
What impresses most is how the individual ride and handling attributes combine to give a distinctive dynamic character; covering several hundred miles over mixed road conditions, the E-class shines.
