ArcaMax

Under The Hood

The E450 does not come standard with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that's standard in the E350 sedan. Instead, it comes standard with the 3.0-liter in-line six Mercedes introduced about two years ago as the successor to the V6 that was formerly available in several Benz models.

It makes 362 horsepower and 369 foot-pounds of torque, output comparable to that of a V8 but without the thirst of one. In fact, the six is hardly thirstier than the 2.0-liter (and 255 horsepower) turbocharged four that is standard in the E350 sedan.

It carries an EPA rating of 23 city, 31 highway.

A nine-speed automatic with driver-selectable modes is standard. Also, the previously mentioned 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, which gives the wagon a traction advantage over its rear-wheel-drive (as it comes) sedan sibling.

On the Road

Technically, the E450 is a hybrid, as the 3.0-liter six is augmented by a flywheel starter/generator that cycles the engine on and off, which is why it gets about the same gas mileage as the smaller, less powerful 2.0-liter four that's standard in the E350 sedan.

But you don't feel it. The high-powered 48-volt electrical system that powers the flywheel starter sees to that.

Mercedes put a lot of work into quieting the sounds of combustion, which is understandable in a luxury wagon. But this is an engine you might like to hear more from. This, incidentally, is why several $50,000-plus cars that have these fours also have sound augmenters, to make them sound like something else.

At The Curb

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