Driving Mercedes-Benz E300 sedan – for many years the E-Class was overshadowed by the smaller and more affordable C-Class – however in this latest series the E-Class comes out of the shadows – more stylish, an impressively styled interior and with numerous technical innovations.

In short the Mercedes-Benz E300 at $110,500 is a classy premium sedan – the interior a high point with two high-resolution screens – each measuring 12.3-inches. The information on the linked screens can be configured to your individual taste in Classic, Sport or Progressive modes – on top of that it has multi-colour atmospheric lighting that generates a great cabin ambience. This all makes the E-Class cabin a great place to be – on top of that the controls are very intuitive and easy to use. The E300 features a lively 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder that feels more like a six linked to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Tipping the scales at 1655kgs it still can reach 100km/hour in just 6.5-seconds. The Mercedes E300 wants for nothing in terms of features – the adaptive air-suspension on this model provides a ride quality that is one of the models top features. This despite 40-series run-flat tyres on the front and 35-series run-flats on the rear offering little or no compliance especially on choppy surfaces. For me the lack of a spare tyre, not even a repair kit, is a disappointment on a luxury car that otherwise is hard to criticise. The level of equipment in this model including its safety kit is impressive to say the least. I’m David Berthon

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