JSpira

I'm spending a week with the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec sedan.

Apart from its steering (which feels very uneven), it's a rather nice car.

Granted, it won't make me switch to MB instead of getting a 535d in the not-too-distant future but it's still quite nice.

I drove from NY to Boston yesterday and only used 1/4 of a tank of fuel (average speed 109 km/h and fuel consumption was 6.7 l/100 mpg or 35 mpg).

My first review is online here.

cerbera

530d competitor perhaps, but not in the same class as the 535d.

I tried the E350Bluetec - I've driven 5 series for the last twenty years, and thought a change might be in order - but within 5 minutes was heading back to the dealers; although the ride was better than an F10 on steel springs, the drive certainly wasn't - 211bhp/540 torque against 299bhp/600 torque - but the reality was that the throttle response felt like it was attached to an elastic band - press and wait.

MB do offer the Bluetec here, which was a bit better...but still nowhere near the 535d.

JSpira

While BMW hasn't completely revealed which 5er Series we will be getting, odds are it's the 535d. Mercedes-Benz is only offering the E350 and the E-Class is the 5er Series competitor. That puts them (market-wise) as direct competition, even though spec-wise, the 535d has multiple advantages.

bobblehead

You are driving at 109 miles/hr ?

JSpira

Well, that was a typo although in Europe, that would be slow for me. (fixing typo now)