1997 Mercedes-Benz E420

By endowing it with bold new looks, an enhanced dynamic sense, and more value-oriented pricing as part of its new-for-'96 makeover, Mercedes-Benz ensured that its high-volume E-Class line would enter the next century from a position of strength. But as dramatic as this transition may have been on the surface, it was accomplished with no loss of the underlying fundamentals that had established the marque as an acknowledged prestige and safety leader in the automotive world. We were impressed enough with the feat to select this exceptional offering as our '96 Import Car of the Year, but passed on the instant gratification of putting an E320 into our MT long-term test fleet in favor of waiting a few months until the V-8-powered E420 arrived as an early '97 model. As it turned out, this was not an uncommon choice: Nearly 70 percent of our E-Class survey owners also went for the V-8 alternative.

We opted for a Sport version of the E420. Designed by M-B performance partner AMG, the Sport package consists of 235/45ZR17 Goodyear Eagle F1 tires on unique AMG "monoblock" alloy rims, revised front air dam, fog lamps, aero side cladding, and a revised rear apron, all of which add $3900 to the $49,900 base price of a standard E420. Couple that with a glass moonroof, headlamp washers, a power rear sunshade, and the phone/CD changer package and its out-the-door cost rose to $57,310-including $595 in destination fees. A slightly more frugal, and far less "Sport"-oriented lot, our E420 owners reported paying an average of $54,018 for their mounts, while the E320 people we heard from typically shelled out $48,032.

Statistically true to form, our cadre of Mercedes owners consisted primarily of wealthy, mature males. Their average age was 53 and nearly 75 percent claimed an annual household income in excess of $120,000. Barely one in 10 made any aftermarket additions to their cars, with CD changers, cellular telephones, and upgraded wheel/tire packages heading the roster of modifications.

To a large extent, our survey respondents were veteran M-B faithful, with the majority having owned previous-generation E-Class cars. Quality, performance, safety, styling, comfort, and handling headed their list of general purchase considerations. Those same elements, overlaid with the aforementioned ownership experience, also topped the specific E-Class buying rationale.

This group was mightily impressed with the dynamic capabilities of the E-Class, awarding both its straight-line performance and handling prowess 99 percent excellent/good ratings. In large measure, we concurred with those assessments, which in the case of our E420, were backed by a full range of empirical data that included its 6.8-second 0-60-mph time, a 15.1-second/95.6-mph blast through the quarter mile, 0.82g skidpad best, and a 64.4-mph scamper through the slalom. However, several staffers did dock the car for its high steering effort at lower speeds and somewhat disconnected feel. One pointed logbook entry noted: "You certainly won't mistake this for a BMW 5 Series from a feedback standpoint, but I can't really fault its rock-solid feel and well-crafted fit and finish."

Despite its obvious potential as a long-distance runner, our long-term E420 saw far more short-hop service, interspersing regular duties of transporting various staff and guests to an assortment of power lunches with the occasional weekend getaway trip and/or just-for-the fun-of-it attack on some twisty two-laner. Although hardly an ideal regimen from a fuel-economy standpoint, the car still managed a respectable 17.7 mpg, versus the EPA's 18/25 city/highway mpg figures and our owner's 20.6 mpg combined rating for the E320/E420 fleet. Through its 17,076 in-service miles, we put enough at-the-limit driving on this faithful mount to inflict tangible trauma upon its front tires and brake pads. No such excessive wear and tear was reported by owners in our survey group.