24/06/10

• Price£36,255
• We like...Space; smoothness; class
• We don't...Cost of optional equipment

Mercedes Benz makes fantastic estates... period. If you want a big load lugger and you have the cash, go buy one. Simple. We could leave it there and write no more because, in two sentences, you have all you need to know. But if we did you’d miss out on the full story of just why this E-class estate is such an exceptional car.

As with many of the truly exceptional things in life, there’s no magic involved – just careful planning and very thorough engineering. After Mercedes’ quality took a dip some years back the company has worked to put the shine back on its image and it shows in this car. Not least in its luggage bay. Tug at levers either side of the tailgate aperture or next to the rear seats and the backs spring flat with a noticeable ‘whump’. The luggage blind comes out easily enough at the press of a button but is very heavy because it is so well constructed.

There’s a strong sense that, were you to revisit the same car after 10 years, everything would operate as solidly and without fuss as it does now.

And the important thing is that this car delivers a simply huge load space. It’s bigger even than Skoda’s cavernous Superb and easily outdoes other road-going giants such as the Ford Mondeo. Direct competitors including the Audi A6 Avant and BMW’s 5-series Touring just aren’t in the same luggage league. The rear door opens automatically at the press of the car's keyfob and closes if you push a red button (see below) set into the tailgate edge. And if you fork out an extra £850 or so, you can have an extra pair of rear-facing seats installed, which stow under the boot floor until needed. They're only suitable for kids up to the of about 10, though.

The ‘E’ Estate is also a glorious place to sit, whether as a driver or passenger. There’s proper seat space for five grown-ups and if the cabin can’t match a Jaguar’s or an Audi’s for sense of occasion it is fashioned from quality metals, plastics and leather and it’s very comfortable, too.

But the real pleasure of putting an E-class into your life comes with the journey. Here the estate does even better than the saloon: it feels still more ‘planted’ on the road as it eases over the bumps, doling out the correct mix of cushioning and control.

And the 2.1-litre four cylinder motor in ours, the middle of three diesel engine options, is a good match. It’ll pull hard from the step off, giving a smoothness that barely lets on there’s diesel aboard. It feeds power through a five-speed auto that’s old-school when rivals offer six or even seven forward speeds but it swaps ratios easily and didn’t leave us feeling a lack of gears.

While it’s a big car it feels smaller than its size as you drive, thanks to steering that is direct and well weighted, teamed with fine body control as you enter a turn.

Should you buy one? It’s a fine machine – refined, upscale and very useful. Even if you don’t always need all that space, it’s a grand thing to drive. If it’s what you want, there’s none better.













* Insurance group shown below is from new 1-50 rating system

• Engines2.1 litre diesel
• Power204bhp
• 0-60 mph8.1secs (auto gearbox)
• Economy46.3mpg (auto gearbox)
• CO2g/km163 (auto gearbox)
• Insurance groups38E*
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5/7

Motors.co.uk value verdict: