New Engines Add Spark To Brand Staple
2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class - Click above for high-res image gallery
In past generations, she was often labeled planet Earth's favorite taxi. (Or have you always preferred the Ford Crown Victoria with the shiny black leatherette?) The
Mercedes-Benz E-Class, however, has long since graduated to become a premium middle-management darling in all corners of the globe.
Still, even Mercedes-Benz North America would have to admit that a mid-life and/or new model year E-Class is not generally a traffic-stopping event. This time around, however, there's more going on with Mercedes' ninth-generation contender than, say, adding a new Pipe Smoker's Package or overhead cold beverage storage-TRONIC. And while it may still not cause a road block, this mid-shelf-life version of the W212 E-Class should, at least, make everyone slow down to rubberneck a bit, because the new V6 and V8 E-Class wants to take you farther on a full tank while making more power and torque to exercise your executive privileges.
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2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 - Click above for high-res image gallery
The hardcore
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG isn't the only
E-Class model that gets a new heart for the 2012 model year. According to our sources within
Mercedes-Benz, both the E350 and E550 models will receive new powerplants currently found elsewhere in the automaker's lineup.
The base E350 will now be powered by the automaker's new 3.5-liter V6 with direct-injection, an engine that we recently tested in the
C350 sedan and
SLK350 roadster. Rated at 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, the new engine provides power increases of 14 hp and 15 lb-ft over the current V6, while the use of direct-injection and a seven-speed automatic transmission will no doubt return improved fuel economy.
Moving along, the eight-cylinder E550 will ditch its naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 in favor of a twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter unit with direct-injection, currently found in the
CL550 coupe. In the E-Class, this engine will be good for 402 hp and 443 lb-ft - improvements of 20 and 52, respectively.
Look for the refreshed E-Class range to debut this Fall.
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Six cars that CR says are worse than their predecessors - Click above for high-res image gallery
There's nothing like being told you aren't as good as you used to be. "You've changed, man. You've really changed."
In its annual automotive issue,
Consumer Reports awards scores to each new car available on the market, and though you'd think that a new model would score higher than the one it replaces, that isn't always the case. In fact,
CR points out six 2011 model year vehicles that received substantially lower scores under its methodology than their predecessors.
At the top of
CR's list is the
2011 Volkswagen Jetta - a car that has come in for a raft of criticism from the media since its redesign launched in mid-2010 (criticism that has been summarily ignored if the Jetta's rising sales figures are anything to go by). Rounding off the rest of the list are the
Honda Odyssey,
Toyota 4Runner,
Toyota Sienna,
Mercedes-Benz E350 and
BMW X5.
Consumer Reports does raise an important point, though: Earning a lower score doesn't automatically mean the car should be written off completely. In its story,
CR states:
Some models, such as the Honda Odyssey, Mercedes-Benz E350, and Toyota Sienna, are still very good vehicles that we recommend. But they don't quite measure up to the standards set by their previous generation models. Others, such as the current BMW X5, Toyota 4Runner, and Volkswagen Jetta sedan, are clear disappointments.
Clear disappointments? Ouch. Head over to
Consumer Reports for
the full story.
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