On the Las Vegas Strip, even the most family-friendly vacationers will encounter glitz, glamor, hookers, the $1.99 shrimp cocktail, all the liquor you can drink (as long as you keep those chips moving) and the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan. Which one of these is not like the others?

If you answered “the $1.99 shrimp cocktail,” think again. Certainly not in the same class as those Las Vegas standards, Mercedes-Benz still chose Sin City to launch the 2010 E-Class family.

A total revision of the firm’s ubiquitous – and hot-selling – mid-level sedan, Mercedes-Benz hopes that the 2010 E-Class sedan can be everything to every different buyer, even those with fake tans, fake blonde hair and fake, well, accouterments.

Available initially with V6 and V8 powerplants, the E-Class line will eventually expand to include a BlueTEC diesel option in calendar year 2010, as well as a station wagon. The hot AMG E63 variant arrives later this year.

Historic inspiration
The bodywork of the new E moves forward with a look back to the W120 Ponton Mercedes model from 1953, clearly seen in the sculpted arches above the rear wheel wells, though that’s about the only place. Although the E-Class has grown wider, lower and longer through the years, the lineage is still recognizable. The design team has moved further forward, cutting a more angular swath amongst all the other mid-level sedans.

We drove the E550 V8 variant during our cruising through that desert of a state they call Nevada. Opt for the sport package and you will be rewarded with ground effects, a new front and rear fascia, and a revised, more sport-appearing grille. Move to the rear and the diffuser and squared-off exhaust tips give away the fact that a V8 is under hood; V6 models receive oval-shaped chrome accents. Mercedes-Benz pegs the take rate for the sport version of the E-Class at nearly 80 percent compared to 20 percent for the luxury-trimmed version.

Safety strides
In addition to the new styling, the E-Class sedan features more in the way of new safety assists than ever before. The key word here is assist. Standard across the lineup is Mercedes’ highly-vaunted Pre-Safe system, which will pre-charge brakes, roll up windows and bring seatbacks to an upright position when it detects an imminent wreck.

A new Attention Assist Driver Drowsiness monitor aims to help prevent wrecks by a driver’s behavior to determine if he is falling asleep before intervening. When the system recognizes that a driver is making more steering corrections, it emits an audible warning followed by a visual coffee cup cue to tell the driver that perhaps it’s time for a break.

The E-Class’ sophisticated radar systems can add more braking power or even bring the car to a halt within 600 feet of an obstacle (Distronic Plus with Pre-Safe Braking),they can monitor blind spots to alert the driver of unseen vehicles (Blind Spot Assist) and they can scan the road stripes to make sure the driver doesn’t wander out of the lane (Lane Keeping Assist) by vibrating the steering wheel. Of course, the now-mundane Park Assist and adaptive cruise control also utilize the E’s radar.

With all of the safety assists on board, you might think the E-Sedan would be as exciting as driving your grandmother’s old Oldsmobile 98. Au contraire.

On the open road
Though a 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V6 is standard, our E550’s 382-horse, 391 lb-ft. of torque V8 provides just a little more giddy up. Power transfers to the tarmac through a seven-speed automatic transmission and 18-inch alloy wheels (with the sport package).

We have driven this slusher before and think it’s a pretty stout piece. The taller seventh gear helps to improve mileage in the long run, even though the EPA’s guidelines tell us to expect a mediocre 16-mpg city and 23-mpg-highway. Effortless acceleration from any speed, combined with a pleasing exhaust note enhance the driving experience. Step on the volume pedal and a snarky growl that almost seems out of place on a European luxury sport sedan comes through. This isn’t your father’s E-Class. Or your grandmother’s 98.

For seat-of-the-britches driving fun, the E550 delivers in strides, especially compared to its rather staid predecessor.

Cruising inside the Valley of Fire State Park on sweeping turns and switchbacks, past such red rock monuments as Seven Sisters and Beehives, we found the sedan wanting to push us harder, almost asking “C’mon, what else have you got?”

We pushed on, enhanced by the dynamic driver’s seat side bolsters, which cinched up when rounding a turn. Similar to those found in the flagship S-Class sedan, the bolsters did their part to keep our butts firmly planted in the seats and our feet firmly planted on the pedal.

The Airmatic four-wheel independent suspension gave us the choice between comfort and sport; we chose the latter for its crisper handling. During our drive in and around the Las Vegas area, we found that the sport setting was entirely livable on a daily basis. It was only when the roads started to deteriorate with expansion joints (earthquake cracks?) and such that we opted to switch back to comfort setting.

With the economy still in decline, easily visible in a city full of unsold hotel rooms, we were not ready to hear of improved price points. Mercedes-Benz announced that the 2010 E350 sedan would carry a base price of $48,600 compared with the $53,200 of the outgoing model. The E550 will start at an MSRP of $56,300. Add $2,500 each for the 4Matic all-wheel-drive option.

Picking Las Vegas as the intro point for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class was a gamble that could have gone either way. In a city known for glitz, glamour and the occasional Elvis sighting, not to mention pasty visitors with shorts and white shoes, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class looks to be a sure bet once again.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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