I recently drove Mercedes-Benz E300 sedan. For some years now the E-Class has been overshadowed by the smaller C-Class which has sold up a storm on the back of good looks, sharp pricing and a lot of value.

The current E-Class mimics the C-Class looks and now offers a far more sporty and compact appearance. The 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder E300 with 9-speed automatic – I’ve always found previous E-Class’s rather stodgy but this model is more tailored, light footed on an air suspension that provides a great ride yet sharp handling. The turbo four feels more like a six, no lightweight at 1655kgs it accelerates to 100k’s in just 6.2 seconds. There’s more equipment, more performance and more economy. Internally, the dashboard is a high point – dominated by two high-resolution and intuitive display screens, each measuring 12.3 inches. Compared to previous E-Class this latest series is more tailored and it shrinks around you the more you drive it. I have one gripe and that’s the fitment of run flat tyres – there is no spare not even a repair kit. 40-series tyres on the front and 35-series on the rear offering little compliance on our broken edge country roads. Having said that I was left impressed with the E300’s ride quality. This is a very comfortable Mercedes-Benz with all the creature comforts, safety and convenience items you expect in an $110,000 car. Previous E-Class has been overshadowed by the smaller C and larger S-Class – this series has really lifted the bar. I’m David Berthon

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