2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Fashionable. Hip. Yet so high in value, the car has an almost down-home feel to it. Prior to '96, no one would've thought to associate such words with Mercedes-Benz. Then the goggle-eyed E-Class debuted and changed our outlook forever. Traditionalists say it's for the worse, that Mercedes lost its gravitas with this car. But drive the still-wonderful E55 AMG, and you won't whine a bit. It's come full circle, with the E having spread its massmarket virus throughout the line. After seven years, its replacement gets styling cues from the S- and C-Classes that it led into the breach.

The '03 E has all Mercedes' latest technology, including electronic braking, which first broke cover on the '03 SL. There's optional dual-control air suspension (a new four-link front/multilink rear is standard), which was developed for the S-Class, with four sport/comfort modes. New safety equipment includes adaptive front airbags and crash sensors to control seatbelt tensioners and belt force limiters, plus a body with double the amount of high-strength steel versus the old E, plus aluminum hood, front fenders, trunklid, and bolt-on frame members.

Mercedes' outstanding 5.0L/ 302-hp V-8 replaces the 4.3 in the lineup; the 3.2L V-6 remains standard. A wagon and an E55 AMG will appear a year after the E sedan's summer debut in the U.S.