00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Hey everyone, I'm Miguel Cortina with Motor Trend.
00:05 - And this is Motor Trend's 2021 Car of the Year,
00:09 the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
00:11 (upbeat music)
00:13 This year, because of the global pandemic,
00:17 we were at our test track in Fontana, California.
00:20 Usually, we're at the Hyundai Kia Proving Ground.
00:22 Still, we managed to test 18 different nameplates
00:25 and 30 different models.
00:27 (car engine roaring)
00:30 From there, we selected a handful of finalists
00:33 that went from the $200,000 Porsche Taycan
00:36 all the way down to the $20,000 Nissan Sentra.
00:39 Within those finalists,
00:41 there was one we really liked the most.
00:42 One car that combined the elegant styling,
00:45 a plush ride, a beautiful interior,
00:47 and a broad range of dynamic capabilities.
00:50 It's the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
00:52 From a four-cylinder sedan
00:54 to the straight six coupes and convertibles,
00:56 up to this top-end AMG wagon,
00:59 the E-Class showed an incredible breadth of abilities,
01:02 and it was a joy to drive.
01:04 So why did the E-Class win Car of the Year?
01:07 Well, it really nailed our criteria.
01:09 (upbeat music)
01:13 This E-Class has been around since the 2017 model year,
01:17 and for 2021, it gets some graceful styling updates,
01:20 which keep the E-Class fresh.
01:22 The front is strong and upright.
01:24 The profile is elegant, and the entire shape is polished.
01:29 Inside, the success continues,
01:31 with beautiful leather and wood trim
01:33 that imparts a real sense of luxury.
01:35 In terms of engineering excellence,
01:42 the E-Class stands out for its chassis.
01:44 It's solid, sophisticated,
01:46 and serves luxury and sport-oriented models equally well.
01:50 (upbeat music)
01:53 There's a lot to like about the E-Class,
01:57 because it not only treats the driver right,
01:59 it treats the passenger right.
02:00 From the soft leather materials
02:02 to the comfortable ride and the quiet cabin,
02:05 really delivers a luxury experience for everybody.
02:08 This is a Mercedes, it's expensive, we know that.
02:16 Still, there's a lot of bang for your buck.
02:18 The E350 is the entry-level model, priced at $55,000.
02:22 It has a good amount of standard features
02:24 and delivers a polished, luxury sedan experience.
02:27 Plus, IntelliChoice rates the E-Class
02:29 five-year retained value as excellent.
02:31 The base E350 delivers 31 miles per gallon on the highway,
02:40 which is competitive for the segment.
02:43 With EQ Boost technology in the E450,
02:45 the E-Class gets a mild hybrid
02:47 to boost its performance and efficiency.
02:49 Safety is a big priority for Mercedes,
02:58 and the E-Class really delivers on that.
03:00 With a long list of safety features,
03:02 from adaptive cruise control to lane-keeping assist,
03:05 the E-Class balances active and passive safety.
03:09 It's an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus,
03:11 the highest safety recognition in the industry.
03:15 In short, the E-Class won Motor Trend's Car of the Year
03:18 because of its overall refinements
03:20 and broad range of capabilities.
03:22 And, at the end of the day,
03:23 it was a car that we just wanted to keep driving.
03:26 Congratulations to Motor Trend's 2021 Car of the Year,
03:30 the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
03:32 E-Class.
03:33 (upbeat music)
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