If, like me, you value stain resistance over styling -- and if, unlike me, you can afford it -- this is the car to buy. $53,075 base, $57,735 as tested, EPA fuel economy 18 MPG city/26 MPG highway.
First Glance: Frumpy outside, lovely inside
The E350 wagon looked a lot better in 2005. It hasn't changed much for 2006, but the competition has -- specifically Audi's A6 Avant. Have you seen this car? It's gorgeous -- not just gorgeous-for-a-wagon gorgeous, but gorgeous gorgeous. It's as if Audi designed the wagon first and then converted it to a sedan, and not the other way around, as is clearly the case with the E350. Can't blame Mercedes -- that's the way things are generally done -- but if you're looking for a sexy wagon, the E350 isn't it. It's certainly not ugly; it's actually quite sleek and understated. It even looks good in silver, one of my least-favorite car colors. (The Iridium Silver paint is a $690 option, so it'd better look good.) It's just a bit frumpy.The E may not be sexy on the outside, but it possesses inner beauty -- and I mean that literally. The E350's leather-lined and wood-trimmed interior is one of my favorites. Look around and you won't find a harsh line anywhere. Everything flows. It's strangely placid -- just sitting inside the Benz relaxed me.
Being a Mercedes, the E-Class is lined with safety equipment, including antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and airbags all around. That's even more relaxing.
Continued below…
In the Driver's Seat: Brilliance and bafflement
If only the other controls were so easy. The stereo system has way too many buttons, some with cryptic labels such as SAT, TEL and SERV. (Remember when radios had just two dials? Those were the days...)
Next to the navigation system's color display is the keypad for the optional built-in phone. It looks easy to use, but I couldn't say for sure -- my car didn't have a phone installed, just a keypad to remind the car's future owner that he or she didn't buy one. The dual-zone climate controls use simple dials for temperature but up-down buttons for the fan -- which, at full blast, is only slightly quieter than a 747.
The E's cargo bay is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife, with lots of nets, tie-downs, and blinds. My tester had a power tailgate, optional at $520. A backwards-facing third-row-seat, sized for small kids, is concealed in the floor. Andrew, my youngest, thought it was comfortable and liked the novelty of looking out the rear window.
On the Road: Plenty of power and outstanding maneuverability
The E350 wagon feels heavy, solid and stable. It's not particularly thrilling to drive, but one gets the feeling that Mercedes didn't mean for it to be. It drives the way a family car ought to drive. The 3.5 liter V6 (a new larger engine from which the E350 draws its name) puts out 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It pulls like a small V8. EPA fuel economy estimates are 18 MPG city, 26 MPG highway. I averaged around 20 MPG.The E-Wagon's handling is safe and predictable, but it’s the maneuverability that's truly amazing. The turning circle is remarkably tight for a car so big. I spent lots of time - more, perhaps, than I should admit - amusing myself by pulling U-turns on narrow neighborhood streets. (Note to self: Get a hobby.)
The E's steering is excellent: One-finger-light at parking speeds but nice and heavy on the open road. Combine the steering with good sightlines and the relaxing interior, and you have a car that eases the stress of urban driving.
One thing I couldn't quite get used to was the brake-by-wire system, which uses an electronic connection between pedal and wheels. Try as I might, I could not bring the E to a smooth stop. (For the record, my wife Robin tried it, and she could. Be still, my ever-shrinking ego.)
Journey's End: Not perfect, but I'd buy one
And I'd love to see the 3.2 liter turbodiesel engine, employed in the E320CDI sedan, offered in the E wagon, where its superior torque would be great for hauling heavy loads. The all-new 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be here very soon, and perhaps some of my wishes will be answered.
My adopted home town of Los Angeles is crawling with new E350s (more sedans than wagons), and I can now understand why the car is so popular. Inside its comfortable and relaxing to drive or ride in. Outside its got big-city maneuverability and an impressive badge on the hood. And matronly though it is, the E350 wagon is equipped to single-handedly relocate a small town. If I had fifty-five large to spend on family transportation, the E-class wagon might well be my choice.
