On a late evening jaunt to the local mall, I noticed a raised kiosk with a 2006 Mercedes-Benz E-Class a-straddle, velvet ropes shielding its shiny paint from corn-dog-greased fingers and heavy breathers. “Win your dream car!” shouted its placard, and a gaggle of mall-goers willingly traded in their personal information for a chance at the pie-in-the-sky sweepstakes. The E-Class is indeed a dream car for many, a business-class entry ticket into genteel bourgeoisory and all its accoutrements. And it won’t disappoint, with its tastefully appointed interior and assertive new V6 engine. Sure, the steering feels artificially underboosted at lower speeds and its brake pedal feel has not been significantly improved since it got a thrashing from the press when this iteration of the E-Class was introduced in 2002, but are these things that will bother the consumer who will enjoy the sheer Mercedes-ness of the Benz? Probably not.

However, discerning buyers who base their purchase on substance over brand and image are well aware that the midsize luxury sedan market is peppered with the best and brightest stars of a carmaker’s stables; the spirited Acura RL, the stately Audi A6, perennial favorite BMW 5 Series, the athletic Infiniti M, the refined Lexus GS. All of these offer much more value, technological advancement, and superior driving experience for the same amount of money. But never mind; for Mercedes traditionalists, nothing but the 2006 E350 will quite do. – Liz Kim