Mercedes E250 CDI SE

The E-Class’ facelifted looks have brought it right up to date, helped by new LED technology and cleaner interior styling. The revamp has also brought lots more standard kit to go with the impressive engine line-up. However, the Mercedes is still not as good-looking, efficient or fun to drive as its main rival, the BMW 5 Series.

The Mercedes E250 CDI is the best-selling E-Class in the range, and this is the first chance we’ve had to test the facelifted version in the UK.

It uses the same 2.1-litre four-cylinder engine as the old model, producing 201bhp and plenty of torque for overtaking.

For such a comfortable and luxurious car, though, the engine is still too rattly and rough under light throttle. We also found the auto box sometimes stumbled in between shifts when accelerating hard. CO2 emissions of 131g/km are higher than the BMW 525d’s 126g/km, which puts the Merc in slightly higher road tax and company car tax bands.

Through corners, the E-Class feels heavy and there’s a slight reluctance to respond to steering inputs. The damping is quite firm and fidgety around town, but the ride becomes floaty and comfortable on the motorway.

Air suspension improves the ride at low speed, but at £1,455, it’s quite an expensive option.

SE models come with standard 17-inch alloys, which seem to transmit more road noise to the cabin than the larger alloys fitted to other models in the range.

The new E-Class looks much slicker than before, ditching the quad headlights, retro Bentley-style creases in the flanks and fussy interior detailing for a more modern finish. All cars get high-tech partial LED headlights – but our example had the optional full LEDs, which cost £1,280 extra.

Inside, moving the gearshifter to the steering column has freed up room in the centre console, adding to the spacious feel of the cabin. Visibility is good, and so is the driving position, while our car featured all the equipment you need, including user-friendly sat-nav and a DAB radio as standard.