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2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 CDI After a five-year hiatus, Mercedes-Benz has brought back the turbodiesel engine, and it’s the popular E Class that gets the nod. The new CDI engine is a 3.2-litre inline six cylinder, and it’s coupled to a five-speed transmission. The mid-size E320 cannot be ordered with the 4MATIC AWD transmission, which is available in all other E Class versions except the E55. The CDI engine is not available for the station wagon.

Interior and trunk The E320 provides easy access to the front, and with their high-backed seatbacks and fairly long cushions, the seats are very, very comfortable. A (power) tilt-telescoping steering column assists in obtaining an excellent driving position. The inside rear-view mirror is close to and may feel like it’s crowding the driver. Entering and exiting the back is complicated somewhat by the tight space between the base of the seat and the B-pillar. The comfortable bench seats two adults, who enjoy good headroom and leg room. The seatback does not fold down. A ski pass-through is available as a free option, but you have to pay for a 60/40 split-fold seat. The trunk is quite roomy, with a flat floor and wide opening. Convenience and safety Interior fit and finish are very good but some uneven gaps are apparent. The cabin is very quiet, except for road noise. The glove compartment is small, but there are lots of other, more roomy storage spaces. The high-mounted cup holder does not adapt to all sizes of containers and looks fragile. It seems out of place in a Mercedes.

Instruments and controls are nicely located and easy to use, with the exception of the windshield wiper control on the turn-signal stalk. You have to press the end of the stalk just so to obtain the MIST mode; we’ve seen better systems than that. The climate control system works very well. All controls are lighted at night. As usual, Mercedes presents an impressive list of

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options. You have to pay to obtain xenon headlights, for example, despite this vehicle’s substantial base price. Safety features in this particular Mercedes include dual front air bags, four side-impact air bags and two (full-length) head-protection curtains. All five head restraints adjust for height but not enough for tall people. Oddly enough, Mercedes vehicles do not have child-proof locks. Headlight intensity is good. The left mirror does not open wide enough to allow tall drivers to obtain a 360o view adjustment. The top of the dash reflects off the windshield almost all of the time. Engine and transmission The 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder CDI (Common Rail Direct injection) engine churns out 201 hp and a monstrous 369 lb-ft of torque between 1,800 and 2,600 rpm. With this common-rail injection system fuel can be pulverised under 23,200 pounds of pressure. After a slight pause in a fast start, in-gear and through-gear accelerations are powerful and instantaneous, performance that is unmatched by many gas engines of similar or even larger size. A slight diesel clacking is audible when you turn off the radio or are outside the vehicle. Otherwise, the engine is very quiet. Some hesitation is perceptible at times in fast in-gear acceleration. This is an impressively smooth, quiet, high-performance engine. On the road The fully independent suspension provides a superbly smooth ride that is firm yet compliant on even the worst pavement. Suspension travel is a rare mix of assurance and silky comfort. Road holding is very good but the weight of the vehicle makes itself felt, which is slightly detrimental to agility. This is a vehicle that feels very solid. The steering is very well weighted, stable, precise and quite quick. It re-centres rather slowly at low speed, especially after a 90-degree turn. The turning circle is short. The four-wheel disc brakes are very powerful and resistant to fade. When the windshield wipers are on, the braking system sweeps moisture away from the discs by lightly applying the brakes. If the accelerator is released quickly, the system reduces the space between the linings and the discs for faster response. There’s no stopping progress where safety is concerned. In an inspection at a CAA-Quebec technical inspection centre, the vehicle proved to be very well assembled and sturdily built underneath. We noted that the anchor towing point is on the right side; it should be centre.

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Conclusion The E320 is built for comfortable, fatigue-free long-distance driving. The CDI engine performs remarkably well and should widen the appeal of the diesel engine to a larger customer base. Of course, a turbodiesel engine in an E Class Mercedes is not hard to take. Strong points: comfortable seats, handling, engine performance, ultra-smooth transmission, powerful brakes, big trunk Weak points: perfectible soundproofing, reflections in windshield, cup holder design, windshield wiper location, slow low-speed steering re-centering 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 CDI Engine: 24-valve, 3.2-litre, inline 6-cylinder turbodiesel Horsepower: 201 hp @ 4,200 rpm Torque: 369 lb-ft from 1,800 to 2,600 rpm Transmission: 5-speed automatic Suspension: fully independent Brakes: 4-wheel disc Length: 481.5 cm Width: 181 cm Height: 145.2 cm Wheelbase: 285.4 cm Weight: 1,740 kg Tires: 225/55R16 Towing capacity: non-recommended Air bags: dual front, four side impact and two curtain air bags Fuel consumption: − Transport Canada rating: city: 8.9 L/100 km (32 mpg); highway: 5.9 L/100 km (48

mpg) − Test result: 8.0 L/100 (35 mpg) Fuel tank capacity: 80 litres Acceleration: 0-100 km/h: 8 seconds 60-100 km/h: 5.4 seconds Competition: Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M, Jaguar S-Type, Lexus GS Warranty: − Full basic coverage: 4 years/80,000 km − Powertrain: 5 years/120,000 km − Surface corrosion: 4 years/80,000

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− Perforation damage: 5 years/unlimited mileage − Emissions control system: 4 years/80,000 km (full coverage); 8 years/130,000

km (catalytic converter, electronic control module and onboard diagnostic device) Factory replacement parts: Rear bumper: $816 Front brake disk: $133 Brake pads: $183 Muffler: $681 Front fender: $607 Average insurance premium (Quebec City, replacement cost endorsement, claim-free insurance record, male or female driver 30 to 40 years old): $1,311 to $2,951 Price according to trim line: $74,400 Main options: Navigation system: $1,475 Heated steering wheel: $460 Audio upgrade: $1,490 Power rear screen: $740 60/40 split-fold rear seat: $1,050 Keyless Go entry: $1,865 Zenon headlamps: $1,465 Panorama sunroof: $1,850 Price as tested: $76,605 Freight and preparation: $1,450 Dealers: Quebec: 8; Canada: 41 CAA-Quebec, October 2004