Vehicle: 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 Elegance with 5-speed Touchshift and Panoramic roof

Handling: One of the best attributes of the new E-Class has to be its handling dynamics even in standard suspension form. Combine a bank-vault chassis with very well-balanced suspension, the E320 is a joy to drive. Unlike the outgoing E-Class which had a tendency of softly sprung through corners, the new one feels firm and agile. All of the previous car’s cumbersome feel has gone. The biggest complaint of last E-Class was the overboosted steering. Once again, Mercedes has addressed this issue. The steering is decently weighted with plenty of feedback. Both the off and on-center feel are excellent. As with all Mercedes, ride comfort is second-to-none. The suspension absorbs every bumps beautifully without sacificing the firm driving experience that’s typical of German luxury sedan. The most surprise fact is the ESP is not as instrusive as I expect considered this is a luxury sedan. The stability control kicks in at the right time without kicking in too early. That’s a huge surprise since the SL500 I drove had more instrusive ESP than this E320. The oversteer is easy to control. Body rolls are reasonable cosidered E-Class’s weight. The only drawback is E320 feels underengined because of such an agile and sporty chassis. This chassis will be perfectly match with E500 and E55 AMG.

Perfromance: As I said earlier, this 3.2L 18-valver V6 that turns out 221hp and 232 lb/ft of torque feels a bit slow due to the superb chassis. Despite that, this 3.2L is a very refined engine unit that’s flexible and willing to rev. The throttle response is typical Mercedes “heavy” but its easy to modulate and responsive. 5-speed Touchshift tranny allows you to rev before shifts up a gear. The shifting process is smooth, refine and well-tuned. In a single word: flawless. This is an engine that you have to experience yourself to enjoy, same goes to the beautifully sorted-out chassis.

Brakes: E-Class comes with Sensotronic Brake Control, Brake Assist along with ABS. The pedal feel is simply exceptional. The stopping distance is short while the pedal modulation is well balanced. SBC elminates the jerking effect of many braking system. It works effectively in both E and SL-Class.

Interior: If E-Class’s interior is any indication, Mercedes’s build quality finally comes back after years struggling through C and M-Class. There are soft plastic abound. The center console’s wood trim is beautifully put together. All the switchgears use soft plastic that have very high-quality texture feel. The climate control is effective, stereo sounds excellent. The analog gauges are logically layout. Glad to see Mercedes finally uses more traditional speedometer instead of “half moon” style used in C and S-Class. However, the clock looks a bit too large for my liking. The seats are comfortable, provide excellent back and leg support. The power seats and steering guaranteed to help you find perfect driving position. On the back, there are plenty of leg and headrooms. The rear auto climate control is a nifty feature for rear seat passengers. The trunk is large with low liftover. Instrusive trunk hinges are covered by carpet so they won’t crash into any cargo inside.

Conclusion: Mercedes has upped the ante with the new E-Class. While the outgoing car feels too sedate, the new car feels sporty. Combines with beautiful styling, docile chassis, rock-solid build quality and spacious interior. Its really hard to find a better luxury car anywhere, maybe except for E500. The next A6 and 5-Series have to be exceptionally good to take on new E-Class. Until then, E-Class is the trendsetter of senior luxury sedan segment.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2003 MERCEDES E320 ELEGANCE
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Performance: 3.75/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.95/5 (probably 5 if its a “Sport”)
Build quality/fit-and-finish: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Cargo/acessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 5/5