2008 Mercedes Benz E Class Styling

STYLING | 7 out of 10

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class retains its distinguishing design inside and out: sleek and sophisticated to some, while stately and a little stuffy to others.

Various reviews read by TheCarConnection.com have good opinions of Mercedes-Benz' 2008 E-Class design. The standard E-Class sports a classic and tasteful interpretation of a formal Mercedes-Benz grille and roundish headlamps. Higher-performance models get a more aggressive front air dam and bigger wheels, but the car never looks "boy racerish." The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has a "sleek and dignified design," and specifically, the E550 has "a classy yet powerful presence," says Edmunds. "Changes for 2008 are minimal, with an AMG appearance package now available on the E350 and E550 models," reports Cars.com. That package equips 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 350 and 550 sedans with "front and rear aprons, 18-inch, five-spoke wheels, and dual chrome exhaust tips," they add. A lone dissenter of the Mercedes-Benz 2008 E-Class love-fest is Car and Driver, who snipes that "after five years on the market, it is showing some gray around the temples." A new E-Class is expected soon after the current model year.

Inside, Edmunds admires the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class' "sleek and dignified design" but dislikes its "antiquated and confusing control layout." The Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan provides "an airy two-tone cabin, where supple seats and coordinating soft-touch surfaces are complemented by elegant wood inlays," they add. Kelley Blue Book describes the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class interior design as "a tasteful mix of leather and wood" and notes "standard burl walnut wood trim and black gauges give way in Sport Package-equipped models to black bird's-eye maple trim." Cars.com appreciates the Mercedes-Benz E-Class placement of seat controls "on the doors where every manufacturer should put them." However, they note that the larger Mercedes S-Class' interior is "splendid" and even the "entry-level" C-Class is better in some respects than the E-Class. They feel "the next E should...leap forward."

Conclusion