Car Statistics: Mercedes - E Class Series (4 stars)

Styling (4 stars)

It is a conservative basic shape, but there are an awful lot of details. The estate is a large and good looking beast, while the coupe and convertible are sophisticated rather than sporty.

Handling (4 stars)

The standard E Class is no sports model, but it is a good handling car given its size and character. The accurate steering also makes it feel very controllable. Sport versions lose more in comfort than they gain in handling.

Comfort (5 stars)

It is spacious, refined and comfortable - everything you could reasonably ask for. Front seat occupants may prefer the Jaguar XF's more dramatic interior, but rear passengers will stick to the Mercedes.

Quality (4 stars)

After hitting a low point around 2000, when some Mercedes felt more like Renaults, things have steadily improved. The new E Class could well turn out to be a five star car after a few years of experience, but it is too early to be sure.

Performance (4 stars)

Mercedes has got serious about its smaller engines and the new four-cylinder diesels are excellent - the C220 CDI provides 168bhp and the C250 CDI offers 201bhp. Bigger engines provide more power - up to the unreconstructed 518 bhp E63 AMG. The E250 CDI is perfectly adequate, however.

Roominess (5 stars)

As well as being the world's second most famous taxi, the E Class has to transport a lot of executives in its rear seats. Hence Mercedes has made sure they have plenty of room and even worked on the shape of the rear door aperture to endure that it is as easy as possible to get in and out of the car.

Costs (4 stars)

Clearly, no E Class is going to be cheap to service, but fuel economy is much improved. Residual values should be strong provided that Mercedes resists the temptation to pump up the volume too far.

Value (4 stars)

Mercedes models have been getting steadily better value over the years as the market has become more competitive. Equipment is now respectable with alloys, air conditioning and Bluetooth standard across the range. The price for the big-selling E220 CDI is almost identical to the BMW 520d, which is as reasonable as you could hope for.

Stereo (4 stars)

As ever, there is a huge range of possible systems. They range from good to excellent, although if you are new to Mercedes, the more you pay, the longer you are going to have to spend learning all the controls.