Used 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the blue-chip standard for luxury sedans and coupes. Solid, reliable and sophisticated, this platform has delivered decades of satisfaction to buyers seeking a stalwart answer to trendy, style conscious alternatives from Audi, BMW, and Lexus. The redesigned 2014 model steps up with a host of new safety features, sensually styled sheet metal, and a choice of two front-end treatments to appease different folks with different strokes. Body styles for 2014 include coupe, convertible, sedan and wagon, with a lineup of engines from a modest 4-cylinder turbodiesel to an outrageously powerful AMG version. But most importantly, the newest E-Class stays true to its Mercedes-Benz roots by focusing on the brand’s core values of safety, comfort and – especially in the case of the top dog E63 AMG – performance.

For 2014, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan boasts no fewer than six engines spread across 10 configurations. Slip behind the wheel of the new E250 BlueTEC 4Matic, for instance, and you’ll enjoy a torquey, surprisingly quiet powerplant that delivers most of its oomph in the lower registers of the powerband. Similarly understated is the E400 Hybrid, whose internal combustion V6 gains 27 horsepower of extra punch from an electric motor. Speed hungry drivers will find more to love with the E350 model, which is motivated by a higher revving 3.5-liter V6. Of course, ultimate bragging rights go to the E63 AMG version, whose newly incorporated all-wheel-drive system lays up to 577 horsepower down to all four wheels and delivers clean launches, absurdly strong acceleration, and reassuring mid-corner grip. Handling has also been improved across the board, with all E-Class models delivering more communicative steering feel and a slightly more intuitive grasp of the road below. Cabriolet variants offer comfortable top-down cruising, while the coupe model feels more athletic in corners and tauter overall.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class interior offers profoundly comfortable seats, plenty of headroom and accommodating ergonomics all around. While wood trim is standard on most models, real leather isn’t – a surprising omission. At least the synthetic MB-Tex material plays a convincing stand-in. Upgraded dash materials and subtly restyled interior curves make the cabin of the E-Class feel a noticeable step above its predecessor, though it’s still a bit on the conservative side when compared to the flashier Cadillac and Lexus alternatives. A pair of small bucket seats in coupe and convertible models limits seating to four instead of the five in sedan models and seven in wagons utilizing the rear-facing third-row seat.

The E-Class has lost its sharp-edged creases for 2014. New 4-lamp LED headlights set off the nose, which takes on a particularly aggressive form in the Sport version with a large Mercedes-Benz emblem on the grille. Nobody accused the E-Class of taking any huge risks design-wise, but for buyers looking for an easily identifiable yet low-key member of the Mercedes family, this premium sedan delivers enough attractive styling cues to make up for its otherwise uncharismatic visual presence. Two-door coupe and convertible models are roughly seven inches shorter than E-Class sedans, and feature an athletic, airy design highlighted by the lack of a traditional B-pillar between the side windows.

SURROUND VIEW CAMERA
Mercedes-Benz wasn’t the first to pioneer this bird’s eye view of the vehicle’s surroundings, but its seamless execution makes it one of our favorite options, which is part of the Parking Assist Package, which also features a self-parking feature.

THE S PACKAGE ON THE E63 AMG MODEL
This uber E-Class packs the most powerful engine ever into the iconic sedan, for a positively mental driving experience. Nobody needs 577 horsepower and a gut busting 590 lb-ft of torque, but after driving this stirring specimen, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.

While all E-Class models come standard with Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND multimedia system with Bluetooth, you’ll have to spring for navigation. The usual array of other standard items includes power-adjustable seats and dual-zone climate control, while the AMG models are graced with more luxurious bells and whistles like an active multicontour driver’s seat, and a buttery soft Alcantara headliner.

While standalone items run the gamut from Keyless Go ($650) to rear side airbags ($420), option packages make it easier to combine additional features. For instance, the Driver Assist package adds adaptive cruise control with steering assist, active blind-spot and lane-keeping assist, and a more advanced version of Pre-Safe. A Premium package on certain models offers a rearview camera, navigation, satellite radio, heated and ventilated seats, and a harman/kardon Logic7 surround-sound system. Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is an option on all variants, except on the E63 (where it’s standard), and the E400 Hybrid (where it’s not available.) Cabriolet variants can be equipped with the wind-taming Aircap windshield-mounted system and Mercedes’ innovative Airscarf neck heater.

Mercedes-Benz offers a wide swath of powerplants in its E-Class sedans and wagons, starting with the new 2.1-liter, 195-horsepower 4-cylinder turbodiesel found in the E250 BlueTEC model. The E400 Hybrid model carries over with its 3.5-liter V6 mated to an electric motor that’s powered by a lithium-ion battery, which is good for a total of 329 horsepower and a gutsy 457 lb-ft of torque. The E550’s 4.7-liter V8 yields 402 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, while the E63 AMG sits at the top of the E-Class food chain with its 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft output, which leaps to 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque in the S-Model. All E-Class models are equipped with a 7-speed automatic gearbox, though the AMG models gain a multiclutch unit that’s better equipped for quick, sporty shifts.

E400 Hybrid
3.5-liter V6
329 horsepower @ N/A rpm
457 lb-ft of torque @ N/A rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/30 mpg

E250 BlueTEC
2.1-liter turbocharged diesel inline-4
195 horsepower @ 3,800 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-1,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28/42 mpg

E350
3.5-liter V6
302 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500-5,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/28 mpg

E550
4.7-liter V8
402 horsepower @ 5,000-5,750 rpm
443 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/26 mpg

E63 AMG 4Matic
5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8
550 horsepower @ 5,250-5,750 rpm
531 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/23 mpg

E63 AMG S 4Matic
5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8
577 horsepower @ 5,550 rpm
590 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/22 mpg