Standard equipment levels now include the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that can stop a car from going out of control is now standard across the E-Class range, as are curtain side airbags and door-mounted side airbags, now in all four doors.
There's also a multi-function steering wheel on the 2000 model line of E-class, as well as Touch Shift, which allow the driver to manually select any one of the automatic transmission's five speeds immediately, thus at least partly providing the semblance of manual shifting.
Mercedes' 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system is also now available on the E430 sedan, the first time 4MATIC has been mated to a Mercedes V8 driveline. That model lists for $78,550, whereas the regular rear-drive E430 carries a sticker of $74,750.
Other E-class models are the E320 Sedan 4MATIC at $70,950, the E320 Wagon at $67,950, the E430 Sedan at $74,750.
The other big safety addition to the E-class line is optional and fairly unusual -- the Tele Aid system, which provides both convenience and emergency services at the touch of one of three buttons through a special cellular connection.
For emergency help, there's an "SOS" button above the rear-view mirror which immediately makes voice contact with the Mercedes-Benz Response Centre, which can dispatch local police or other emergency services. This also transmits crucial information including the precise location of the vehicle (through GPS tracking), the model of car, and its color (to help emergency services locate the car quickly).