Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Mercedes E-Class Estate
Prices: £30,000-£50,000 - on the road [est] INSURANCE GROUPS: 14-19 [est]
Emissions: 150-260g/km
Performance: [E500] 0-60mph 5.2s/ Max Speed 155mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [E220 CDI] (combined) 48.7mpg
Safety: Nine airbags, ABS, ESP, Brake Assist, PRE-SAFE.
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height (saloon), 4895/1854/1471mm

CARRY ON CARRYING

Our Rating: 8.3 / 10

The Mercedes E-Class Estate dynasty shows no sign of waning. Steve Walker reports.

Executive car buyers have families too and when that family with its associated cargos stops fitting into an executive saloon, the natural place to look for a solution is an executive estate. Estate versions of the leading executive cars have been around for a long time. They tend to sell less strongly than the saloon alternatives with the domesticated image proving a turn-off for some but an estate rear can often enhance the flow of the styling and few cars of any kind have the same range of talents. Mercedes is confident that its latest E-Class Estate takes the genre to new heights.

The first E-Class Estate hit the streets in 1977 which gives Mercedes cause to claim that it originated the "premium lifestyle segment". It isn’t abundantly clear exactly what the ‘premium lifestyle segment’ is but in the modern market, the term ‘premium lifestyle’ is more readily associated with premium 4x4s. It’s possible to argue that executive estates like the E-Class were the precursors of today’s premium 4x4 models. The two classes of car certainly share qualities including a prestige badge and a well-appointed interior with family-friendly design.

In many people’s eyes, the 4x4 became a more modern and stylish option than the executive estate but any backlash against imposing off-road vehicles for their social and environmental connotations could play back into the estate’s hands. The market isn’t exactly littered with estate cars like the E-Class and customers considering one will also be looking at the BMW 5 Series Touring and the Audi A6 Avant. That’s if they don’t go for one of the more numerous 4x4 vehicles that are around for this kind of money.

The engine department of today’s E-Class is looking particularly well stocked and the best units offered in the saloon are carried across to the Estate. The diesel contingent will inevitably prove popular and that means the E220 CDI, a 170bhp four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel, and the E250 CDI which uses basically the same configuration but produces 204bhp and a stonking 500Nm of torque. The top oil burner is the 231bhp six-cylinder 350 CDI.

The petrol range opens in modest fashion with the 183bhp E200 CGI before progressing through the 204bhp E250 CGI and the E350 CGI with its 292bhp V6 engine. The flagship of the conventional range is the E500 which uses a 388bhp V8 powerplant, but there’s always the E63 AMG for those who need to be somewhere fast.

As usual, drive is sent to the rear wheels via a selection of gearboxes. There are six-speed manual ones for the less powerful models along with a five-speed automatic and an advanced seven-speed auto that comes with the powerful petrol contingent.

To help maintain a comfortable ride, even with those big cargos on board, all E-Class Estate models get Direct Control adaptive suspension, combined with a self-levelling rear suspension system that compensates for the weight in the back. Compared to the saloon, the Estate’s shock absorbers are stiffer so they perform better with its altered body geometry and Mercedes claims that this makes the car just as agile as the four-door.

When trying to design a spacious and practical car, it’s always helpful if you can start with a big one. The Mercedes E-Class is certainly that and in Estate guise, it comes up just 10cm shy of a five-meter overall length. It’s 1.85m wide as well but despite this core bulk, the exterior styling is far from frumpy. An angled rear windscreen and a high waistline do a fine job of disguising that voluminous rear end while the blacked out B and C pillars produce a sleeker, more elongated profile. The front-end treatment is lifted wholesale from the saloon but the rear features unique LED light clusters in a fetching two-part design, as well as a chrome tailgate handle.

The cabin is based around the Mercedes quickfold seating system which allows the rear seat backs to be folded down either from the loading compartment or individually from either side door. Once down, they produce a level loading surface and a maximum capacity of 1,950 litres. Combined with a low loading sill height, tha