1996-2002 Mercedes-Benz E Class

November 30, 2005 - By John LeBlanc

For the better part of its first century in business, Mercedes-Benz's product lineup mimicked American philosopher, author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau's thoughts when he said, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand."

Where Deutschmarks were once spent on engineering a small range of two or three sedans to near perfection, today, Mercedes' coffers are tasked with marketing more than 13 model ranges from micro Smart cars to McLaren SLR supercars. Regardless of the current variety of Mercedes products, the core of the brand has always been mid-sized sedans.

In 1996, Mercedes issued yet another edition of its core business - the mid-sized E-Class. Radical then, ubiquitous now, this generation E-Class's signature four oval headlamp treatment and smoothed-over styling was quite a contrast from its chiselled predecessor, and it foreshadowed a softer look for the entire Mercedes lineup.

The '96 E-Class lineup consisted strictly of six-cylinder, four-door sedans, with either a 3.2-litre gas engine (E320) or a 3.0-litre diesel (E300D). Both came with a four-speed automatic transmission. In direct response to newer luxury sedans from Infiniti and Lexus, a 4.2-litre V8 engine became available in '97 (E420), with a new five-speed slushbox added as well throughout the lineup.

The following year saw the E-Class range grow to six models. You could then get an E320 sedan or wagon in either rear- or all-wheel drive (AWD). A turbo was added to the diesel sedan (E300TD), and the V8 sedan's displacement grew to 4.3 litres (E430). Except for the addition of the BMW M5-chasing E55 uber-sedan in 1999, and making AWD available on every E-Class in 2001 (except for said E55), the lineup remained stable until the current generation arrived in 2003.

With such a wide range of powerplants, performance in a '96-'02 E-Class can range from warm (E300D) to hot (E55).

The E55's AMG-tuned 349-horsepower 5.4-litre V8, with its buttoned-down sports suspension and those oh-so-cool AMG monoblock rims, is really a modern-day muscle car. However, any AMG-badged Mercedes is expensive to buy, insure and maintain. A more prosaic E430 - with an optional sports package made available in 2001 - is very close in performance to the vaunted E55, but it's far less expensive to run.

Whatever alphanumeric badge is on the rump, every '96-'02 E-Class possesses premium ride and handling virtues.

With a wheelbase and overall length that made more back seat room, the transmission hump in the '96-'02 models still makes it more comfy in the rear seat if you have only two adults back there. An E-Class boasts good cargo space, with large trunk openings and low liftovers. The wagon's third seat increases capacity to seven, but those in back should be young, short or both.

Unlike the newest E-Class, the '96-'02 E-Class is a relatively trouble-free car. Materials are of top quality and wear well. With the only notable trouble spots being a malfunction in the fuel-tank pressure sensor that can cause the check-engine light to come on in '97-'98 models, and headlight and parking-light bulbs that burn out prematurely on '96-'97 E300D models, this generation of E-Class can be considered an old-school Benz. And with only three recall notices - one for a drive-belt pulley that can break on '96 E320s, and two for '97 and '99 models with air bag malfunctions - it will also make newer E-Class owners jealous.

Despite the surfeit of new Mercedes models, the mid-size 1996-2002 E-Class still represents how the German company built its reputation - solid, durable cars that are worthy of their premium, pre-owned pricing. Simply put, they live up to the long-time Mercedes slogan of "Engineered like no other car in the world."

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com

THE SPECS

TYPE OF VEHICLE longitudinal front-engine, rear- or all-wheel drive, five- or seven-passenger sedan or wagon
ENGINES 3.0L D/TD, 134-174 hp, 155-244 lb-ft of torque; 3.2L I6/V6, 217-221 hp, 229-232 lb-ft of torque; 4.2-4.3L V8, 275 hp, 295 lb-ft of torque; 5.4L V8, 349 hp, 391 lb-ft of torque
TRANSMISSIONS Four-speed automatic ('96); Five-speed automatic ('97-‘02)
SAFETY Anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, dual front and side air bags A new side-impact head protection system for front and rear passengers went into 1999 models
PROS 1. Built like a bank vault 2. Quiet as a church 3. Runs like a bull (E55)
CONS 1. Not the most fun-to-drive 2. Expensive to buy 3. V8s are thirsty

© National Post 2005. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.