Stylish Beast

Newcastle Herald

Saturday May 22, 1999

BRENT DAVISON

WHEN Mercedes-Benz builds a car, the automotive world sits up and takes notice. The reason is simple: for decades products from the German car maker have been industry benchmarks.

That might not quite be the case now, of course, because rivals BMW and Lexus (and to a lesser degree Jaguar) have established their own technological boundaries but a new Benz is still a new Benz and people take notice.

With that in mind we spent a few days with what is essentially the middle-of-the-range car from Mercedes' latest E-class line, the E280 Elegance.

The E-class is a stylish beast which blends modern and classic in a design which is unmistakably Mercedes-Benz.

The proud radiator grille topped by the three-pointed star is there but refined to meet the parameters of the safety-conscious 90s.

From the nose the lines flow back to a big cabin area before easing into a short boot area.

Opening the bonnet comes as both a surprise and a mild shock. The surprise is reserved for the almost petite engine (how could something so small propel something so big?) and the clever engineering which extends to things like a double firewall for extra crash protection.

The shock is that the rather delicate looking 2.8 litre, V6 engine seems lost in the engine bay which has been designed to house a number of powerplants of various sizes from a 2.1 litre diesel to a 5.4 litre V8.

The interior is an interesting amalgam of form, function and comfort.

The cabin space is roomy and well laid-out, reasonably spacious for the size of car. It is also very logical and functional but despite the burr walnut

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Stylish Mercedes

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and quality appointments lacks the overall feeling of inviting warmth of, say, a Jaguar or even a cheaper Volvo S80.

And, surprise, surprise, it has vinyl upholstery. Actually Mercedes-Benz calls it MB-Tex but whatever you call it it is still vinyl. And who pays $110,800 for vinyl?

Another couple of points we did not like centred on some of the control functions, most notably the combination windscreen washer/wiper/headlight high-low/indicator stalk mounted on the left of the steering column. Even after a week it was hard to become familiar with it, ditto for the foot-operated park brake which is used instead of the conventional console-mounted handbrake.

The rest of the package is exemplary with knobs and switches well arranged around the dash and centre console and big, clear instruments.

We must mention the cruise control unit which is excellent and one of the smoothest in the business.

Mention must also be made of the quietness of the cabin which is totally lacking in wind and road noise. A true case of sounds of silence.

State of the art technology ensures the little 2.8 litre V6 packs a reasonably hefty wallop while maintaining its quiet sophistication. Sort of the iron fist in the silk glove approach.

It is a lightweight unit with fuel-injection, an alloy diecast crankcase and magnesium inlet manifold and three valves per cylinder.

Maximum power comes on stream at 5700rpm and torque, a prodigious 270Nm, is available from 3000rpm all the way through to 5000rpm. Not so much a torque curve as a flat line.

It is a quiet and very efficient powerplant (although flooring the throttle and giving it its head will produce a muted growl) which puts its power to the back wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.

The car has the trademark Mercedes?Benz staggered gate which allows Drive to be selected for set and forget motoring or, with just a short flick of the lever, can be used to engage the gears manually with delightfully short spaces on the gate.

Like the rest of the package the suspension (independent by double wishbones up front and multiple links at the back) has been well thought-out. It is very compliant but at the same time gives a pleasantly firm ride.

At the same time it does not compromise the car's overall handling qualities which, for a big sedan, are excellent. When the car is given its head there is no wallowing into corners, no untidiness on exit and only a bit of body movement on the suspension to let the driver know he or she was having a go.

The handling is mostly neutral but the car can be kicked into oversteer when it is pushed hard and if the Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) is turned off it can be made to lift its skirts and boogie.

One niggling problem was that the power-assisted rack and pinion steering felt over-compensated at low speeds. Around town it felt too vague, too soft and generally lacking in real road feel.

It was different on the highway though, tightening nicely and progressively as speeds rose. For the E280 it is indeed a case of the faster it goes, the better it gets.

The E280 would not be a Benz if it did not fairly bristle with high tech and despite its mid-range stature the car has plenty for those who love the idea of plenty of hardware.

Acceleration Skid Control we've mentioned (it reduces power to a spinning wheel) but some of the other equipment is worth noting.

There are dual front airbags and driver and passenger side airbags, anti-lock braking and brake assist, a system which recognises emergency braking and builds maximum braking pressure in milliseconds.

Yes, there are cars which are its equal. In fact some might be better. None, however, have that quintessential `Mercedes-Benzness'.

Specifications

Make and model:

MERCEDES-BENZ

E280 ELEGANCE

Price: $110,800 (does not include options and on-road costs)

Dimensions:

Length: 4795mm

Width: 1799mm

Height: 1433mm

Wheelbase: 2833mm

Track front/rear: 1542mm/1536mm

Kerb weight: 1540kg

Engine: Fuel-injected, single overhead camshaft, three-valves-per-cylinder, twin-spark 2.8 litre V6 with variable intake manifold. 150kW @ 5700rpm, 270Nm from 3000-5000rpm.

Transmission: Four-speed automatic.

Chassis: Front, longitudinally mounted, rear-wheel drive, power-assisted rack and pinion steering, disc brakes front and rear with ABS.

Suspension: Independent double wishbones, coil springs and dampers front, independent by multi-links rear.

Fuel capacity: 80 litres.

Fuel economy: 12.1 litres/100km.