2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan Malaysia Reviews & Ratings, Expert Car Reviews on LIVE LIFE DRIVE

Mercedes-Benz has focused on and improved upon their core values of refinement and comfort, creating the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class that, as a whole, betters not only the previous E-Class but all others in the class as well.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan quick specs

Body Style	Sedan
Class	Mid-size Luxury
Assembled	-

Engine Range	-
Fuel Options	-
Seating Capacity	5

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)

Styling
Handling
Comfort
Quality + Reliability
Performance

Roominess
Running Costs
Value for Money
Equipment
Environment

Styling

Familiar would be the best word to describe the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Yes, the front and rear light elements have been restyled, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class now features more angular lines than before, bringing its styling in-line with the C-Class'. But the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class' profile is instantly familiar and the traditional understated elegance remains. So while the styling may be short on adventure, most Mercedes-Benz faithful will not be complaining, and neither would customers looking for their first Mercedes.

Handling

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class rides and handles like any of its predecessors, but only better—which means that the established notion of the BMW 5-Series being the driver's car remains. It may be less agile and slightly less rewarding to drive than the Bimmer, but the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is not short on talent. Compared to the previous E-Class, the new car feels more polished, more composed over winding roads, thanks to Direct Control, a clever adaptive suspension system that automatically adjusts to your driving style. The steering is nicely weighted, accurate and provides reasonable feedback. But more impressive is the high-speed stability, which makes the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class feel more at home on highways than bends.

Comfort

Mercedes-Benz's strong suite lies here. On 17-inch wheels and lowered suspension, the ride feels supple, smooth and always controlled. The driving environment is quiet, with engine, road and wind noise kept to a minimum, except for a little wind flutter along the sides at speeds beyond our national limit. The cabin is impressively comfortable and surprisingly intuitive to use. Major controls are well-placed and simple to use, while a central control unit operates many functions. The cosseting seats plus plenty of electric seating/steering adjustments also mean that drivers of most shapes and sizes should get comfortable behind the wheel.

Quality + Reliability

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class heralds back the sense of solidity and robustness that characterised predecessors in the 1970s and 1980s. Step inside the cabin and you are greeted by a classy ambience. The fit-and-finish are of the usual high standards we have come to expect. And all switchgear work with absolute precision. The main improvement, however, lies in material quality: soft, high-grade plastics line all of the cabin except for the seat bases and lower door trims. Mercedes claims to have carried out over 30 million kilometres in testing—more miles than any of its predecessors—so we would expect the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class to remain reliable in the longer term.

Performance

Driving the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E300 is a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine, capable of generating 228 bhp at 6000 rpm and 300 Nm from 2500–5000 rpm, mated to the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission—a drivetrain also used by the S300L. Refined and smooth, the engine puts in an adequate if uninspired performance. As it is without Mercedes-Benz's new Blue Efficiency technology, economy is merely mediocre. Throttle response can be a little laggy, although the brilliant gearbox does compensate for that to a degree.

Roominess

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class provides considerably more rear legroom than before, despite the marginal increase in size over its predecessor. As a result, all five seats offer good head- and legroom. The rear shoulder room is decent for three, too. The 540-litre boot is large by class standards, with a useful square shape and wide opening. It is, however, a little shallow. More crucially, split-fold rear seats are curiously omitted, replaced by a less practical through-loading feature.

Running Costs

Fuel economy is rated at a decent 10.9 km/litre. Servicing and repairs are expensive, but that will come as little surprise to whoever looking to own a Mercedes. Thanks to the highly desirable three-pointed star badge, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will easily return the lowest rate of depreciation by class standards. But given the high selling price, any quantum of depreciation, while reasonable in percentage terms, will be substantial in absolute terms.

Value for Money

Reassuringly familiar is the perfect phrase to describe the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Mercedes-Benz has focused on and improved upon their core values of refinement and comfort. The end product is one impressively polished car that is very comfortable and refined, extremely well-built, amply spacious and infinitely safe. The styling is conservative, and the handling is still second to the BMW 5-Series', but as a whole, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sets the class benchmark. Only the engine disappoints somewhat, although that is an issue that will be solved with the upcoming new engines.

Equipment

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E300 is packed with standard equipments, including 17" alloy wheels, leather upholstery, LED daytime driving lights, electric sunroof, auto-dimming inside and side mirrors, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, bi-xenon headlamps with auto high-beam control, cornering lights, auto climate control. COMAND APS with 6-disc DVD changer and voice control system, rear entertainment system. Safety equipments include eight airbags, PRE-SAFE—a safety system that detects a hazardous situation and prepares the airbags and seat belts for deployment, and ATTENTION ASSIST—a drowsiness detection system that monitors more than 70 different parameters to determine the driver’s attention level, among others.

Environment

Like the fuel economy of 10.9 km/litre, the carbon dioxide emissions of between 212–217 grams/km are reasonable for a 3.0-litre V6 pumping out 228 bhp. This engine, however, does not benefit from Mercedes-Benz's new Blue Efficiency technology, which is clearly aimed at BMW's Efficient Dynamics. But upcoming engines are equipped with Blue Efficiency, thereby benefiting from the various fuel-saving and emissions-cutting measures which will lower fuel consumption by up to 23 percent compared to similar engines in the previous E-Class.

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2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan Review

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan at a glance