Mercedes-Benz E500 2002 Review

With the calendar year drawing inexorably to a close and the Xmas decorations rising phoenix-like, the best, it seems, has been saved for last. In the road testing logbook of yours truly, at least. Mercedes' new E-class, or more particularly the muscular range-topping E500, is undoubtedly my drive of 2002. A rare mix of attitude-adjusting performance and genuine luxury, the E500 will, quite literally, change the way you think about the three-pointed star brand.

While Mercedes' history of building bahn-burners is well documented, somehow the mid-sized, middle of the road E has never really caught the imagination of the speed-set. Sure there's been hot-Es but they've always been overshadowed by their arch rivals down Bavaria way... Especially when it came to anything other than straight line oomph.

The new E is different, especially in its high powered 500 guise. Guess we should have seen the writing on the wall after experiencing the stunning new S-class. And Benz's own "Everything we know in one car" slogan should also have got our attention. If nothing else the 1.8kg press kit should have prompted some reaction! Instead, it took first hand experience to really get the message across. And the verdict? The new E500 is every inch the high-performance sporting saloon -- not only fast, but a nimble and engaging drive to boot. Indeed, it's a very different beast from the sometimes (often?) lead-tipped Silver Arrows of the past.

Mercedes-Benz quotes 225 kiloWatts as the max output of the E500's 5.0-litre, 24-valve V8 but the telling figure is the torque. Unlike another well-known local 225 kiloWatt engine, the E's bent eight delivers its impressive 460 Newton metre max from 2700-4600rpm. In fact, more than 400Nm is available from 2000-5200rpm. Think big, wide, brutish plateau, not peak.

Coupled with the new five-speed, smart, tiptronic-style automatic gearbox and adaptive 'fly-by-wire' throttle, the result is effortless - almost precognicent - performance to a level well beyond the 'go directly to jail' plane.

The 500's standard multilink Airmatic air suspension (optional on lesser Es) is worthy of a tech briefing all its own. Now controlling both springing and damping, and metred by one of the E500's battalion of onboard brains, the system updates its settings 20 times a second and really delivers the goods - the ability to run with the best in terms of sports sedan prowess, with ultra flat cornering and excellent feedback, also delivering almost uncanny comfort when the stops aren't all pulled.

Braking, like the throttle, is fly-by-wire via quad discs and MB's Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC), an updated version which incorporates sophisticated antilock functions with full servo assistance. In emergency stop situations this can decrease stopping distances says Benz and, when coupled with the car's Electronic Stability Program (ESP), increases control in avoidance manoeuvres and the like. There's even an automatic brake drying function in wet conditions (I kid you not) and a Softstop function which smoothes out the lurches of the rush hour stop-start.

Primary safety features such as SBC, ESP and ABS are backed up by an impressive suite of under-the-skin and in-cabin measures. As befitting a modern Benz, the airbag count is prodigious (think standard two-stage bags for driver and passenger, along with sidebags, window bags et al). There's also seat belt pretensioners and force limiters, standard Benz fare but important safety features nonetheless.

Such is the depth of features and innovations on the new E-class that even getting half way through the standard equipment listing would tax the most loyal CarPoint's readers bandwidth. By way of example, forget electrically adjustable seats. Instead think electronically monitored, heated, ventilated, massaging seats that automatically contour to your driving style, offer four memory settings which interface with mirror and steering wheel positions and then put themselves out of the way when the ignition is turned off to make it easier to get in and out of the car!

Consider for a moment that Mercedez-Benz finds it necessary to publish two owners manuals these days - a 'getting started' quick reference guide, and a fully-featured 490-page tome that takes you into the depths of everything from the car's COMAND APS integrated audio, video, navigation and comms system, to the intricacies of the Distronic intelligent cruise control.

This tester can see an opening for non-OEM user guides as Benz, BMW et al continue down the path of higher and higher specced autos... 7-Series and E-Class for Dummies anyone?

Make no mistake, the E500 is a superbly equipped and executed motor vehicle. However, its real victory is that none of the myriad (an oft incorrectly used term but applicable in this case) bells and whistles detract from the seat of the pants appeal of the car. Indeed, the E500's most important interfaces, those betwixt driver and machine, are fulsome and rewarding. If the stocker's this good then roll on next year's E55 AMG.

It's not often such a thoroughly buffed car generates the depth of attachment that the E500 seems to engender. One can probably be excused for falling in love with the idiosyncracies of a classic, or the dynamism of a hard-edged sportster, but a current luxury sporting saloon? Hell, I must be going soft in my old age.