2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic: New look, more safety features, and a surprise

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 19 November 2009 16:14

As a rule, the base price of this year’s model is higher than last year’s. Throw in a redesign, a few additional colors and a new standard feature or two; there’s another price bump. Because that’s the rule.

Mercedes-Benz is breaking rules this year. In fact, it’s breaking just about all of them.

The E350 sedan, redesigned for 2010 with sharper lines, improved ride and handling, and other improvements, has a starting price less than the 2009 model. Our Palladium Silver E350 4Matic sedan had a base price of $51,100, compared with $53,200 for the comparable 2009 model. The rear-drive model starts at $48,600, a reduction of $4,600.

Such reductions might not mean much to the population Mercedes-Benz targets with this model. But the more-for-less approach sends a signal that resonates: This automaker is stepping up its game.

With an E350, you get silent yet sporty power delivery from the 268-horsepower, V-6 engine and 7-speed transmission, crisp handling, ample room fore and aft, and an aura of strength and purpose. Fuel economy isn’t great, and the engine insists upon premium gasoline. But we averaged in the low 20s, which isn’t out of line for this comparatively heavy sedan.

For 2010, there is no E-Class wagon, and the coupe formerly known as the CLK joins the E-Class family.

Our E350 was a technological tour de force. The dynamic multicontour driver’s seat with massage, a $650 option, cinches in on the driver’s left or right side when cornering. (If it distracts or annoys you, you can turn it off.) A driver-drowsiness monitor, no extra charge, sounds a warning if it detects movements typical of a tiring driver. For an extra $2,900, Mercedes includes an advanced cruise-control system that senses slower vehicles or immobile objects in the E350’s path and slows or stops the car. This package includes lane-keeping assist, which causes a mild rumbling in the steering column when the car drifts over a solid line; and blind-spot assist, which flashes yellow in the outside mirror when another vehicle is nearby — and red, with an audible warning, if the driver happens to flip on the turn signal when another vehicle is in the blind spot.

It occurred to us these features are nice if the E350 is the only car you drive, but if you occasionally drive a rental car or your spouse’s Chevrolet Cobalt, pay heed to the lesser car’s limitations.

With all this high-tech safety gadgetry and other options, our E350’s bottom line reached $67,955. On a lesser car, such flourishes would seem gratuitous, but they are not out of place on the E350.

Safety and reliability data aren’t available on this new model, but past E-Class sedans have been surprisingly reliable, considering the complexity of the engineering. And safety long has been a Mercedes-Benz strength.

Better looking, better designed, a better performer — and cheaper than its predecessor. Who would have thought it possible?

Price: $67,955

Engine: 3.5-liter V-6, 268 horsepower, 258 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 7-speed shiftable automatic

Drive: All-wheel

Weight: 3,979 lb.

Suspension: Four-wheel independent, MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Wheels: 17 x 8 inch alloy

Tires: 245/45R17 all-season

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 15.9. ft.

Fuel capacity: 21.1 gallons

Fuel economy: 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway

Fuel type: Premium

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.