Grace Under Pressure
There are BMW people and then there are Mercedes-Benz people, and never the twain shall meet. Or at least it seems that the two automakers' target audiences are very different, ironically negating them from being true competitors at all.
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| Having owned six BMWs and only one Mercedes, I probably have a unique and somewhat unorthodox perspective on the new Mercedes E500. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
But I've had a Mercedes. It was a 1973 280 SEL that I drove in 1994, mind you, not exactly a car that required me to re-mortgage the house in order to claim as my own. I've also lived with a single Audi over the years, plus just one Jaguar. In retrospect my car buying exploits have been extremely one sided, being that six BMWs, the last of which I ordered new from the factory, have graced my garage. This fact could either make me overly biased when discussing the new E500, or possibly might give me an unorthodox and therefore valuable perspective. You be the judge.
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| Exquisite is a word that describes E500's interior design details with no exaggeration. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Once I caught a glimpse of the E500 press car, its silver metallic paint glistening in the sunshine and ultra-cool glass roof transforming the roofline, I have to admit to becoming a little excited. Sliding in behind the steering wheel, what seemed like an open sky above cast a unique pattern of light and shadows across the E's exquisitely designed dash. Yes, exquisite is a word that describes this new model's interior design details with no exaggeration. It's plain and simply gorgeous. Hardly plain and simple in execution mind you, the jewel-like silver-faced gauges actually caused a little tingle to cascade up my spine - I'm a major design buff. A thin strip of charcoal stained wood, bending downward slightly at center, gives traditional customers an expected "luxury" cue without being overbearing. From a design perspective alone, the E Class offers a classically styled cabin ideal for those not impressed with flashy trends or me-too gadgetry.
