New Benzo magazine
02-14-2003, 09:40 PM
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'03 W211 aka E-500
New Benzo magazine
I got my new Benzo mag today. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the cover story is entitled, "Easy E." "Love the E500 sedan, and it'll love you right back."
Anyone else get theirs yet?
EDJ
Anyone else get theirs yet?
EDJ
02-15-2003, 11:24 AM
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sl and M-class E320 4Matic SLK350
Can you post the article or link to it?
That is the article on the E. (Are you referring to Mercedes Momentum magazine or is this something available from the newstand? If so, could you provide a phone number for ordering?
02-15-2003, 02:29 PM
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2013 S550
Re: Can you post the article or link to it?
Originally posted by northbenz
That is the article on the E. (Are you referring to Mercedes Momentum magazine or is this something available from the newstand? If so, could you provide a phone number for ordering?
That is the article on the E. (Are you referring to Mercedes Momentum magazine or is this something available from the newstand? If so, could you provide a phone number for ordering?
Benzo Magazine, April 2003
Words: Dan J. Gardner
Photos: Tom Winter
Copyright 2003 Metropolitan Media Group, LLC
http://www.benzomagazine.com
(Poster's Note: Divided into two parts due to length. Used without permission albeit without malicious intent…)
The 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 is the auto equivalent of a mansion staffed by the best of servants. From turning to brake control, each facet of the car is catered to your every whim.
Let’s make this clear. Despite all the techno mumbo-jumbo and straight-laced reviewing follows, the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 is phat. There’s no other word for it. And this is just one reason that according to press materials the E-Class accounts for, oh, about 25% of all M-B sales.
Seven years ago Mercedes launched the previous generation E-Class with distinctive elliptical headlights, and the world took notice. Apparently, Mercedes wanted you to think that those out of this world would also take notice. Remember those alien commercials? Okay, even if you don’t, Mercedes is still playing around with the alien theme; consider the cameo of the new E-Class in Men in Black II. And who better than Will Smith to drive such a car so, well, phat?
Marketing aside, Mercedes has always been a company that has prided itself on cutting-edge design and technology, and it’s the engineers who make the tri-point cars what they are. The new E500 is sure to live up to the exacting standards of an gadgetphile or gearhead. Some of the technologies for twenty-oh-three: electronic braking; dual-control air suspension (Airmatic DC); adaptive air bags, seat belt tensioners, and belt force limiters; rain-sensing wipers with wiper heaters; adaptive radar-controlled cruise control (Distronic); adaptive air pressure seats (Dynamic Drive), radar-controlled parking assist (Parktronic); and keyless door unlocking and ignition starting (Keyless Go).
BY DESIGN
Eyes glossing over yet? No? Good. Then let’s move no to the car’s new exterior. A new E, loaned to us from Auto Stiegler of Encino, California, bears an unmistakable resemblance to the last generation car, with the four headlamp face. This year, though, the elliptical headlights are steeply slanted. This determines the shape and lines of the entire front section. The hood and fenders borrow the curves of the headlights to create powerful bulges.
An overall wedge-shaped profile gives this Benzo a sportier stance than before, and the front section is slightly lower to the pavement than before. An arched roof with sweeping C-pillars make the sedan seem to have coupe-like lines, while black-painted B-pillars blend into the door glass. Flared wheel arches draw attention to the larger tires to reinforce the low-rider look. But when all is said and done, this E is actually half an inch higher than the one it succeeds. It has also grown 0.9-inch wider and longer with the wheelbase increasing by the same amount. Have the Benz boys become magicians, too, or what?
Step inside, and you’ll find a far less conservative interior. It’s both more organic and elegant at the same time with sweeping curves and soft surfaces. The instrument panel adopts a c*ckpit-like double sweep and has three exquisite chrome-bezeled gauges. High-quality materials and delicate chrome trim are what you’d expect from Mercedes here. A special production process eliminates unattractive panel seams. Upper and lower sections of the instrument panel are separated by horizontal burl walnut strip. Borrowing from the CLK coupe, the burl walnut trim on the door has an integrated chrome accent strip. Tasty.
OF LUXURY
As with an M-B, there has to be stuff that coddles you. Things that make you do less work, that generally (and genuinely) relax and please you.
The standard power seats are ten-way adjustable and use the trademark Mercedes door-mounted controls, which are miniatures of the seats themselves. Push on the headrest control, and the headrest moves up or down; touch the seatback part, and the seatback reclines or becomes more upright; and hit the bottom cushion part, and the seat moves up or down, back or forward. Rock-a-bye, baby. It’s all fairly intuitive, and the memory function affords several drivers the ability to customize not only the seating position, but steering wheel and exterior mirror positions as well. Not that you’d ever let anyone drive your Benzo or anything.
The optional Drive Dynamic seats house four individually inflatable air cushions, like the multicontour seats. But unlike the multicontour seats, these bad boys add backrest side cushion bladders (no “small” jokes, please) that inflate or deflate automatically based on vehicle motion. Say you’re taking a hard right-hander. Then the left side bolster will get a boost in air pressure to keep your comfy *** situated so you’ll be able to more easily avoid plowing into that canyon wall, tree or telephone pole.
Getting a wee bit technical for a sec, a microcomputer inside the seat processes data including steering angle, lateral acceleration, and road speed, and then varies the inflated pressure and volume of the air accordingly. Oh, and forget hiring that masseuse. These babies have a “Pulse” mode that rubs you in all the right ways for five minutes. Not to fret, you can pulse yourself over and over again. This is America.
In addition to heated seats and a new heated steering wheel option, the E500 offers Active Ventilated Seats. These guys employ five mini-fans which draw cool air up the footwell and pump it directly onto your backside through the perforated leather seat upholstery. You choose from one of three speeds. We’ve sampled them on an S500 before and are happy to report that these are one of the greatest summer gizmos ever invented. And if you’re the button-down suit type, so what? You’ll stay clean and dry, and so will your Armani or Boss duds.
Heard of dual-zone climate control so that you and your, ahem, lady, can enjoy different temperatures? Well, our E500 came standard with a four-zone system so you and your crew can each decide how you like it. Each occupant can set his or her own temperature, and even the guys in back have their own digital control panel. And how’s this for totality: the system detects different degrees of sunlight and automatically adjusts temperature and airflow settings at each seat to maintain each preferred setting. Cool in more ways than one.
(end of part one)
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02-15-2003, 02:31 PM
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2013 S550
Part Two of Two
TO PERFORMANCE
No Benzo would be complete without plenty of dash to accompany the flash. Our E500 replaces the E430 this year, and as the name indicates, it replaces the 4.3-liter V-8 with a 5.0-liter motor producing 302 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 339 ft-lbs of torque at 2,700 to 4,250 rpm. This is the very same power plant as the one used in the CL500, S500 and SL500, and Mercedes estimates that it will hurtle the E500 to 60 mph in a brief 5.8 seconds. The engine uses an electronic throttle control with an adaptive accelerator. The accelerator responds to different driving styles, producing a custom-tailored throttle control curve to match your predilections. If you floor it over and over again, the throttle valve will open more quickly. If you prefer a more leisurely pimping approach, the throttle valve opens slower, affording you lower fuel consumption so you can kick it around the block a few more times before you’re forced to make a petrol pit-stop.
Getting the bit V-8’s power to the rear wheels is handled by a five-speed adaptive automatic transmission. The transmission has a sport shift mode that Mercedes calls Touch Shift. The driver can row his own gears, but to take advantage of the fuzzy logic adaptive mode, just leave it in D.
The system will adapt to changes in road grade as well as to individual driving styles. On long inclines the system avoids those annoying shifts back and forth between two gears, while on steep descents it delays upshifts to maximize engine braking. If you’re just cruising and enjoying your tunes, the tranny will upshift sooner, and smoother, but mash the throttle a bunch of times and the gearbox will hold each gear longer for faster acceleration.
Need to slow down after a buck oh-five? Well, the company that brought the world ABS, traction control, and stability control now brings us an electronic brake system. Yepper, that means what you think it means – no brake lines or other mechanical contraptions connecting the pedal to the calipers. First introduced on the new SL, the e.b. system is designed to provide faster, more sure-footed brake response, especially in emergency situations.
Here’s how: the brake pedal works with a computer that tells four valves exactly how hard to apply the brakes on each wheel. The system can change brake pressure on each individual wheel over uneven surfaces, and can even increase brake pressure on only the outside wheels when braking in turns. If the driver makes a quick transition for accelerator to brake pedal, the system gets wise to the early signs of an emergency and reacts. Automatically. It ups the brake pressure in the brake connectors and instantly moves the pads onto the discs.
At highway speeds, Mercedes estimates that this preloading reduces stopping distances by about three percent. Another feature – when it senses wet conditions, it applies the brakes juuuuust enough to keep the discs dry so that braking remains fast and consistent. Even in rain. Props? Damn straight.
AIRmatic DC air suspension, borrowed from the S-Class, controls things in the turns, and it, too, adjusts to conditions the way Robocop fought crime. It just does it. While cruising a softer, more supple ride is selected; while hard cornering a taut, responsive shock setting kicks in.
The system has four stages of damping, but the driver can also choose from three suspension settings inside the cabin. In the most sporting mode, damping and springing remain hard, and the body is automatically lowered 0.6-inch. All the Mercedes performance technologies work in concert to provide a feedback-centric driving dynamic.
IN ACTION
Getting into the car and starting it does not require use of the key. Repeat, does not require using the key.
Our car was equipped with the optional Keyless Go system which senses the key in the driver’s pocket and opens the door. And allows the engine to be started. And stopped. And all with the push of a button on the gearshift lever. If some thief does manage to get into your car and start the vehicle, the car will kill the engine after a few seconds if it does not sense the key. Serves him right.
We sampled just about every kind of driving a Benzowner can. From city cycle to freeway to coastal highway to the racetrack, the E500 did almost everything perfectly. The motor runs smooth like a greyhound but with a V-8 growl. It’s so smooth and the transmission shifting so seamless that even under hard acceleration, it’s tough to tell that you can hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds.
In Touch Shift mode, you move the shifter from side to side to select gears. It works well enough, but it takes a while to get used to if you accustomed to more traditional up-and-down sport shifters. Unlike some other systems, you don’t have to select a separate gate. Just move the lever to the left, and you’ll be able to start moving through the gears. Want to return to fully automatic? Fine. Just hold the lever to the right, and the D appears on the instrument panel again.
In the twisties and at the racetrack the car behaves like a vehicle almost half a ton lighter. It’s easy to forget you’re piloting an almost two-ton car. On public roads with the traction control and stability on, the E500 is still a blast to drive at six or seven tenths. Get out to a closed track, turn off the electronic interference, and the rid hustles almost like a sports car.
We were astounded at how well the car holds long, constant radius sweepers even when being slid a good amount. Come out of the turn, hammer the throttle, hit 120 mph, and get ready to apply the electronic brakes before the first hard left-hander. The brakes don’t ever really let on that they’re not your father’s brakes. They’re consistent and they stop hard, but we still would like more time to evaluate just how they transmit feedback to the driver. What exactly does brake feel become when you eliminate the mechanical linkage that can supply small but valuable vibrations to the driver?
What Mercedes has got here with the new E500 is what you’d expect: loads of luxury, technology, design and phat looks inside and out. So what could be better? Well, the AMG E55 is coming soon. Keep reading.
(end of article)
No Benzo would be complete without plenty of dash to accompany the flash. Our E500 replaces the E430 this year, and as the name indicates, it replaces the 4.3-liter V-8 with a 5.0-liter motor producing 302 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 339 ft-lbs of torque at 2,700 to 4,250 rpm. This is the very same power plant as the one used in the CL500, S500 and SL500, and Mercedes estimates that it will hurtle the E500 to 60 mph in a brief 5.8 seconds. The engine uses an electronic throttle control with an adaptive accelerator. The accelerator responds to different driving styles, producing a custom-tailored throttle control curve to match your predilections. If you floor it over and over again, the throttle valve will open more quickly. If you prefer a more leisurely pimping approach, the throttle valve opens slower, affording you lower fuel consumption so you can kick it around the block a few more times before you’re forced to make a petrol pit-stop.
Getting the bit V-8’s power to the rear wheels is handled by a five-speed adaptive automatic transmission. The transmission has a sport shift mode that Mercedes calls Touch Shift. The driver can row his own gears, but to take advantage of the fuzzy logic adaptive mode, just leave it in D.
The system will adapt to changes in road grade as well as to individual driving styles. On long inclines the system avoids those annoying shifts back and forth between two gears, while on steep descents it delays upshifts to maximize engine braking. If you’re just cruising and enjoying your tunes, the tranny will upshift sooner, and smoother, but mash the throttle a bunch of times and the gearbox will hold each gear longer for faster acceleration.
Need to slow down after a buck oh-five? Well, the company that brought the world ABS, traction control, and stability control now brings us an electronic brake system. Yepper, that means what you think it means – no brake lines or other mechanical contraptions connecting the pedal to the calipers. First introduced on the new SL, the e.b. system is designed to provide faster, more sure-footed brake response, especially in emergency situations.
Here’s how: the brake pedal works with a computer that tells four valves exactly how hard to apply the brakes on each wheel. The system can change brake pressure on each individual wheel over uneven surfaces, and can even increase brake pressure on only the outside wheels when braking in turns. If the driver makes a quick transition for accelerator to brake pedal, the system gets wise to the early signs of an emergency and reacts. Automatically. It ups the brake pressure in the brake connectors and instantly moves the pads onto the discs.
At highway speeds, Mercedes estimates that this preloading reduces stopping distances by about three percent. Another feature – when it senses wet conditions, it applies the brakes juuuuust enough to keep the discs dry so that braking remains fast and consistent. Even in rain. Props? Damn straight.
AIRmatic DC air suspension, borrowed from the S-Class, controls things in the turns, and it, too, adjusts to conditions the way Robocop fought crime. It just does it. While cruising a softer, more supple ride is selected; while hard cornering a taut, responsive shock setting kicks in.
The system has four stages of damping, but the driver can also choose from three suspension settings inside the cabin. In the most sporting mode, damping and springing remain hard, and the body is automatically lowered 0.6-inch. All the Mercedes performance technologies work in concert to provide a feedback-centric driving dynamic.
IN ACTION
Getting into the car and starting it does not require use of the key. Repeat, does not require using the key.
Our car was equipped with the optional Keyless Go system which senses the key in the driver’s pocket and opens the door. And allows the engine to be started. And stopped. And all with the push of a button on the gearshift lever. If some thief does manage to get into your car and start the vehicle, the car will kill the engine after a few seconds if it does not sense the key. Serves him right.
We sampled just about every kind of driving a Benzowner can. From city cycle to freeway to coastal highway to the racetrack, the E500 did almost everything perfectly. The motor runs smooth like a greyhound but with a V-8 growl. It’s so smooth and the transmission shifting so seamless that even under hard acceleration, it’s tough to tell that you can hit 60 mph in under 6 seconds.
In Touch Shift mode, you move the shifter from side to side to select gears. It works well enough, but it takes a while to get used to if you accustomed to more traditional up-and-down sport shifters. Unlike some other systems, you don’t have to select a separate gate. Just move the lever to the left, and you’ll be able to start moving through the gears. Want to return to fully automatic? Fine. Just hold the lever to the right, and the D appears on the instrument panel again.
In the twisties and at the racetrack the car behaves like a vehicle almost half a ton lighter. It’s easy to forget you’re piloting an almost two-ton car. On public roads with the traction control and stability on, the E500 is still a blast to drive at six or seven tenths. Get out to a closed track, turn off the electronic interference, and the rid hustles almost like a sports car.
We were astounded at how well the car holds long, constant radius sweepers even when being slid a good amount. Come out of the turn, hammer the throttle, hit 120 mph, and get ready to apply the electronic brakes before the first hard left-hander. The brakes don’t ever really let on that they’re not your father’s brakes. They’re consistent and they stop hard, but we still would like more time to evaluate just how they transmit feedback to the driver. What exactly does brake feel become when you eliminate the mechanical linkage that can supply small but valuable vibrations to the driver?
What Mercedes has got here with the new E500 is what you’d expect: loads of luxury, technology, design and phat looks inside and out. So what could be better? Well, the AMG E55 is coming soon. Keep reading.
(end of article)
