2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan

If you crave more power, the Mercedes-Benz E550 (Base MSRP $57,100 to $59,600) quickens the pace with a 382-horsepower, 5.5-liter V8 and the same transmission. Fuel economy drops 1 mpg overall, to 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway/18 mpg combined with either rear- or all-wheel drive. Testers also find the E550 more engaging to drive than the E350, thanks to an air suspension that produces "a seemingly impossible blend of sharp handling and a smooth ride," says About.com's Aaron Gold. And while reviews often criticize the E350's steering as numb or overly light, the E550's steering shines in two separate tests at Edmunds Inside Line: "Whatever Mercedes-Benz has done to the steering of this E-Class, it should do with every car in its portfolio," writes Erin Riches. Colleague Chris Walton adds that from behind the wheel of the E550, "we can quite literally feel our way around any curve or sharp corner and know precisely how much or how little grip is available."

The third option is the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (Base MSRP: $87,600), a high-performance variant that we cover in a separate report.

'An imposing power suit of a car'

Most critics consider the Mercedes-Benz E-Class conservative and confident-looking -- "an imposing power suit of a car," TheTruthAboutCars.com's Michael Freed says, with a cockpit "trimmed in chrome and gorgeous burled walnut." Testers find the front and rear compartments thoroughly high quality and comfortable. Roomy enough for four adults, but a bit of a squeeze for five, the E-Class has a 15.9-cubic-foot trunk that expands only if you buy the optional folding rear seat.

The Mercedes-Benz E350 includes a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, six-CD changer, auxiliary audio jack, power memory front seats and more, but leather upholstery is optional: "Otherwise you get MB-Tex -- vinyl -- which does a passable impression of real cowhide," says About.com's Aaron Gold. Also standard is Mercedes-Benz's Comand electronics control system, which reviewers say is unnecessarily complicated; luckily, you can still control most of the car's cabin tech with ordinary buttons.

The Mercedes-Benz E550 includes heated leather seats, along with its performance upgrades. The options list is long, including a cruise-control system that automatically senses and keeps your pre-set following distance, blind-spot and lane-departure warning systems, night-vision display, backseat entertainment system, massaging driver's seat, navigation, backup camera, voice commands and more. While a fully loaded Hyundai Genesis sedan "can be had for less than $44,000," Gold points out, it doesn't offer AWD or many of the Mercedes' features -- not to mention its brand prestige.

Crash ratings are perfect in most government and independent crash tests, dropping to 4 stars (out of 5) in government frontal-crash tests. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control, and front, front-side and curtain airbags, plus unusual standard safety features such as front pelvic airbags, a driver-knee airbag, a driver-alertness warning system and a system that can secure the cabin in case of an imminent crash.

This new model has not yet been rated for reliability by our sources. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class carries four-year/50,000-mile basic and powertrain warranties.

Research sources

Reliable reviewers exhaustively cover the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans. Edmunds.com provides a detailed, test-based review of the entire lineup. ConsumerGuide.com also rates the whole lineup, but with less narrative detail. ConsumerReports.org, Autoblog.com, TheTruthAboutCars.com and About.com test the Mercedes-Benz E350, while Edmunds Inside Line uses the E550 in its comparison tests. SaferCar.gov and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety publish crash-test results, and FuelEconomy.gov publishes fuel-economy estimates.