With a starting MSRP of $51,400, the E 250 BlueTec is currently the cheapest Mercedes-Benz E-Class you can buy in the United States, and by coincidence is also by far the most frugal.
Sporting a twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine that's very unlike the oil-burners of the past, it has an EPA rating of 28 mpg in the city and no less than 45 mpg on the highway, making it as fuel efficient as a luxury hybrid.
Having a small diesel under the hood doesn't mean it's a slouch, despite being far from offering sports car performance.
The 2.1-liter engine develops 204 hp in Europe, but in the US it has been detuned for some reason to give just 195 bhp (197 hp) and a not-exactly-low 500 Nm (369 lb ft) of torque.
Its rear-wheel drive version hits the 60 mph mark in 7.9 seconds, while the all-wheel drive 4Matic does the same fit in 8.2 seconds, so it doesn't leave you craving for more while passing cars on the highway.
It is the E 250 BlueTec 4Matic version that was recently reviewed by the folks at AutoBlog, leaving them mostly with words of praise for the German luxury fuel-sipper, despite not sporting a roaring V8 under the hood.
Having a small diesel under the hood doesn't mean it's a slouch, despite being far from offering sports car performance.
The 2.1-liter engine develops 204 hp in Europe, but in the US it has been detuned for some reason to give just 195 bhp (197 hp) and a not-exactly-low 500 Nm (369 lb ft) of torque.
Its rear-wheel drive version hits the 60 mph mark in 7.9 seconds, while the all-wheel drive 4Matic does the same fit in 8.2 seconds, so it doesn't leave you craving for more while passing cars on the highway.
It is the E 250 BlueTec 4Matic version that was recently reviewed by the folks at AutoBlog, leaving them mostly with words of praise for the German luxury fuel-sipper, despite not sporting a roaring V8 under the hood.