2005 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Review (continued)
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Summary

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has always been a benchmark among luxury cars. It's a fine car in a competitive class, with a combination of safety, luxury, practicality, sportiness, status, and cost of operation that's difficult match.

For 2005, the E-Class offers a wide range of choices, from a frugal, excellent-performing diesel engine to well-behaved, utilitarian station wagons to the ultra high-performance E55 AMG. All-wheel-drive is available with a choice of engines in both sedans and wagons. And the E500 has an industry-leading seven-speed automatic transmission.

Our choice in this model line is the screaming E55 AMG, as long as someone else picks up the $80,000 tab. For our money, we'd buy the $55,045 E500 for its responsiveness and overall balance; the 5.0-liter engine really wakes this car up. The new E320 CDI diesel is the most frugal and, given the times, perhaps the best choice; we'd choose the diesel hands down over the similarly priced, gasoline-powered E320.

J.P. Vettraino and Jim McCraw contributed to this report from Detroit.

(Source: New Cars Test Drive)

Model Line Overview

Model Lineup:	Mercedes-Benz E320 ($49,220); E320 CDI ($49,795); E500 ($57,620); E320 wagon ($51,470); E500 wagon 4MATIC ($61,220); E55 AMG ($80,220)
Engines:	3.2-liter dohc 24-valve turbodiesel inline-6
Transmissions:	five-speed automatic with Touch Shift manual operation
Saftey Equipment (standard):	antilock brakes (ABS); Electronic Stability Program (ESP), traction control; seatbelt pretensioners; dual-stage front airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, front and rear curtain-style head-protection airbags
Saftey Equipment (optional):	none
Basic Warranty:	4 years/50,000 miles
Assembled In:	Sindelfingen, Germany

Specifications As Tested

Model Tested (MSRP):	Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI sedan ($49,795)
Standard Equipment:	automatic dual-zone climate control, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel with multifunction controls, power windows with express up and down, auto-dimming mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, 10-way power driver and passenger seats with leather inserts and three-position memory, cruise control, walnut trim, nine-speaker stereo, Tele-aid emergency communication system
Options As Tested (MSRP):	Pewter metallic paint with charcoal leather seat inserts ($600); power glass sunroof ($1260); heated front seats ($680); Premium sound system with CD changer ($970)
Destination Charge:	720
Gas Guzzler Tax:
Price As Tested (MSRP):	54085
Layout:	rear-wheel drive
Horsepower (hp @ rpm):	201 @ 4200
Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm):	369 @ 1800
Transmission:	five-speed automatic with Touch Shift manual operation
EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:	27/37
Wheelbase:	112.4
Length/width/height:	189.7/71.3/57.2
Track, f/r:	61.4/61.1
Turning circle:	37.4
Seating capacity:	5
Head/hip/leg room, f:	37.4/52.4/41.9
Head/hip/leg room, m:
Head/hip/leg room, r:	37.7/53.8/35.6
Cargo volume:	15.9
Payload:
Towing capacity:
Suspension, f:	independent with upper and lower control arms, coil springs, gas-charged shock absorbers and stabilizer bar
Suspension, r:	independent five link with coil springs, gas-charged shock absorbers and stabilizer bar
Ground clearance:
Curb weight:	3835
Tires:	225/55HR16
Brakes, f/r:	11.6-in vented discs with four-piston floating calipers/11.8-in vented discs with two-piston fixed calipers; ABS, EBD, Brake Assist
Fuel capacity:	21.1