Dueclaws

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class strikes a brilliant balance between ride quality and handling ability. Within its segment, the E is by far the most adaptable, rewarding and confident car for the widest variety of surfaces and situations. The Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG is even more remarkable. Anything that can seat five people in comfort and go from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds would certainly warrant that descriptor. Its myriad performance upgrades — suspension, steering, brakes, wheels, tires and transmission — make for a serious performance machine. However, if you’re simply looking for a go-fast Benz without those other, more hard-core upgrades, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E550′s new twin-turbo V8 offers the same sort of wicked acceleration that an AMG E-Class managed only a few years ago.