The single largest advance the E-class driver will be treated to is the vastly improved dynamics. Merc's new philosophy of making driver appeal a top-notch priority has paid off handsomely and the new E feels several times more agile within 50 metres of driving it.
The difference between the old and the new cars is so marked that it would be extremely difficult to rate them on the same scale. Central to new E-class's brilliant handling is the steering.

Sharp, accurate and with a near-sports-car-like response, it gives the right amount of communication without unwarranted feedback filtering through.

It feels light years superior to the mushy, slow-witted steering of the old E, which was essentially devoid of feel. The E-class also astonished us with its unshakeable poise and composure. It rolls little and has huge reserves of grip aided by the large tyres.

Get onto a good driving road and you won't stop grinning, the generous dimensions of the E now shrinkwrapped around you. E-class, C-class, now you're really confused. Familiar roads now shrink and corners flow like champagne. The new E is so good a driving package that it sucks you in and makes you want to carry on down that favourite winding road, harder and harder each time.

Up around the limit of adhesion, you soon start getting assistance from the invisible hand of technology. The Sensotronic Braking System (SBC) first begins by imperceptibly braking the outside wheels more to stabilise the car in the corner.

This is then followed by the tugging movement generated by the ESP, that selectively brakes certain wheels to prevent a skid.

The ESP on the W211 allows the enthusiastic driver more leeway than on other previous models. You can even switch off the system, but it will cut back in if it senses a very large skid.

The ride of the W211 is marginally stiffer than the outgoing car, especially at low speeds. Crawl over broken tarmac and the suspension will jiggle you softly, the stiff setup sometimes also rocking you from side to side. While this harshness disappears as speed builds up, the sportier setup always manages to keep you informed about the cracks, dips and holes in the road you've just traversed.

Where the W211 feels particularly accomplished is over large craters and over really poor road surfaces. It glides over any bad patch without you even knowing it.

The suspension works unobtrusively with only a muted thump heard over speedbreakers and potholes. It's hard to imagine how Mercedes has managed to make the new E so involving to drive, yet isolating the passengers from the realities of the road.

MAKING SENSE OF SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL

The new E gets the cutting-edge Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) technology, premiered recently on the Merc SL sports car, as standard. There is no physical link between the the driver's foot and the system - a microcomputer brakes each wheel individually, based on data collected from various sensors. In a left-hand corner (see right) that might end in a skid, SBC applies more braking force to the right wheels. This prevents the left rear tyre from locking up, thus preventing a skid. As a result of this rapid-fire adjustment, the system can stabilise a slide early, and comfortably.SBC also dries brakes in the wet!