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Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
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Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2007 Mercedes-Benz E550 by Cordell Koland Life is very competitive in the fast lane of the corporate world. High-level managers constantly must consider how to enhance status in the executive suite. It’s easy to grab the limelight, just do something stupid, like date a teenage supermodel. But you need a strategic move that’s dignified. The remaining choices might be to throw a lot of money at designer clothing or spend the next year on a grueling fitness program. But as we know, designer duds will probably look passé in a year and you may not have time for 20 hours a week in the gym. The key term here is gravitas. This is a Latin word that is the root of our English word gravity and means: seriousness, substance, and weightiness. It is the opposite of ephemeral, casual, frivolous. And the surest way to grab a heaping helping of gravitas is the redesigned and reengineered Mercedes-Benz E-Class. As a business owner or executive, the E-Class says that you are a serious person. You may elicit envy, but never ridicule. In terms of Mercedes-Benz sedan offerings, it’s sort of like Goldilocks: the smaller C-Class is too small to be really impressive and the larger S-Class is way too ostentatious unless you are already the chairman or CEO. With 97 cubic feet of interior volume, the mid-size E-Class is just right to haul a load of important clients to a dinner at the Ritz. Let’s examine the Mercedes-Benz E550. First off, design is very important in the luxury market, even for sedans. The E-Class has a fine balance of tradition in its styling, particularly resident in the prominent grille and three-pointed star which have distinguished the brand over most of the last 100 years. The accompanying photo shows the evolution of the mid-size Mercedes-Benz sedan since the early 1950s, at which point the company was just emerging as a global player from near collapse after WWII. But the current E-Class doesn’t live by nostalgia alone. Its sloping front end with integrated oval headlights is a refreshing adaptation on the classic Mercedes look. And in the luxury market a combination of historical reference updated in contemporary terms seems to be the ticket to the winner’s circle. The big-time European manufacturers do this very well and nobody better than Mercedes. I’d also give high marks to the high-quality materials used in the E550’s interior. A friend who actually has a university degree from an art school in Paris raved about the overall interior design. She went on and on about line, form and function and all of that arty stuff. But the bottom line is that it looks expensive and elegant. I like the restrained use of wood accents and the over all layout. But a closer inspection reveals a few problems. I question Mercedes-Benz’ grasp of ergonomics. The center console remains difficult to use. It contains a myriad of controls that defy easy comprehension and use. Sure you can resort to the equally complex owners manual, but who can spare an hour to learn how to operate the radio? On the road, the E550 can blast from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 130 miles per hour. But the most satisfying aspect of the performance is passing power. The E550 has an awesome seven-speed automatic transmission that is the industry benchmark for quick response and silky smooth operation. The Mercedes transmission easily adapts to a manual mode of operation. While the transmission is in the Drive position a quick tap on the gearshift to the left initiates a downshift and a tap to the right an upshift. It’s a simple motion and it works flawlessly. And most importantly, the motion is very intuitive. Of course, for the do-it-yourself driver, the opportunity to manually select the gears is particularly useful on country or mountain roads where precise control of engine torque enhances performance. The E550’s finely tuned suspension offers excellent control over most any road conditions and offers a relatively firm, yet compliant ride quality. This is one European sports sedan that would be a pleasure to take on long, long road trip. And the excellent aerodynamics and freedom from mechanical noise and vibrations offers a quite, composed experience at any sane speed. Vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz E550
Price as tested: $65,815 Engine: Type: 5.5-liter V-8 Horsepower: 382 @ 6,000 rpm Torque: 391 lbs.-ft. @ 2,800 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City – 15 mpg Highway – 23 mpg Curb Weight: 3,885 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
