2011 Mercedes E250 BlueTec

As I have mentioned in my previous posts......German auto manufacturers are planning to flood the U.S. with diesels and diesel/hybrid vehicles. The other side of the equation is whether U.S. buyers will buy these green vehicles. Many manufacturers have doubts that buyers will flood new car dealer showrooms to purchase green vehicles. The main factor that will improve sales of diesels or green vehicles is the price of fuel.

Mercedes is bringing out the new 2010 E-class to the U.S. with the 3.5 liter V-6 and the 5.5 liter V-8. It is testing the waters in the U.S. to see if buyers are ready for a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder turbo-diesel version of the its popular E-class. The E-class was selected for the 2.5 liter since Mercedes wanted to meet the new CAFE standards in the U.S. without downsizing vehicles.

At the 2009 New York Auto Show , Mercedes introduced the E250 BlueTEC, a diesel concept designed specifically for North America. This model is powered by a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel which produces 204 hp. when compared to the E320 BlueTec V-6’s 211 hp and 398 lb-ft figures.hp and 369 lbs.-ft. of torque.

The 2.5 liter motor is currently available in Europe and around the world. The diesel motor features some high tech features as high-pressure common-rail direct injection and twin Lanchester balance shafts for smooth operation. The only transmission is a 7-speed automatic.

The emissions system has been changed to meet stringent U.S. emission laws, the E250 BlueTEC uses a particulate trap, two catalytic converters plus an AdBlue urea injection system to reduce NOX emissions.

The car is equipped with a 25 liter tank for urea(component of urine), which is scheduled to be replenished at about 15,000 miles. If the tank is not replenished after a short period after the urea is empty.....then the vehicle will not start.

The mileage for the E250 BlueTec is actually quite impressive at 28/39 mpg city/highway versus 18/26 mpg for the 3.5 liter motor which is standard in the E-series.

Mercedes line of diesels (Bluetec) will qualify for the federal alternative powertrain tax credit. This credit was only for hybrid vehicles, but it has been changed to allow diesel vehicles. A decision has been made that the diesels meet the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit standards of the IRS. The credits vary based on the vehicle.

Pricing has not been announced for this vehicle!

SUMMARY:

The Mercedes E250 BlueTec should be a great green machine. This should allow someone to drive a green luxury car with great mileage...without sacrificing driving dynamics. Based upon the horsepower....the E250d will be slightly slower than the E350d which has a respectable 0-60 times. They have not announced the speed and braking information.

If fuel goes over $4.00 per USG these vehicles will sell like hot cakes!

Infinity M35

Today's post is about a car the Infinity M35...that is exceptional buy in the luxury class...but a sleeper. Most people in the luxury class will purchase a Mercedes E350, BMW 5-series without taking other brands for a test drive.

The M35 is powered by a 3.5 liter V-6 version of Nissan’s VQ engine family, rated at 303 hp. The M35 motor has very satisfactory performance....the motor accelerates quickly and has a demeanor that says "it is ready for action". The M35 is a rear wheel drive mid size sports sedan....handling and braking is exceptional for the luxury class.
Pricing for the 2009 M35 starts at $45,800 USD plus options. One of the most requested packages is the Sport Package..... which adds the sport suspension and 19 inch wheels for $1,650. The M45 with starts at $52,965. The M35 is equipped with a 7-speed automatic transmission. An all wheel drive option is available also.

BMW filed a lawsuit in Canada alleging that some people were confused by the M designation. BMW has the M-series M-3, M-5. The court actually granted an injunction requiring Infinity to change the advertising and badging on the cars.

Check out the cars.com video review!

SUMMARY:

The Infinity M35 is a real sleeper in the automobile world. The M35 is a real drivers car....with good acceleration, great braking and great handling. For people who know how well the M35 drives, that it does so at an attractive price makes it that much more impressive.

Reliability should be excellent! In fact, a used M35's are a reasonable alternative to a new mid size vehicle. The driving dynamics are excellent......along with great reliability make this a nice ride for a good price. A used 2006 M35 can be purchased for approximately $25K.

The only fault that I noted with the M35 is that the sound deadening is not as quiet as the competition.

2010 Mercedes E350 Coupe

Today, I would like to bring up a trend in German cars that I have not seen in the American or Japanese brands. The Germans are focusing on coupes or sedans that appear to be styled like a coupe. Coupe sales have dropped significantly over the last ten years. Mercedes has replaced the CLK coupe with the E-class coupe for 2010. The CLK was based on the C-class and the new E-class couple is a blend of C-class and E-class components.

A full-length moonroof will be standard, if you want more of an open air motoring experience the E-class convertible will be introduced as a 2011 model.

The new coupe will also follow a similar powertrain program as the current CLK, with the current 268 hp., 3.5 liter V-6 as the base motor and the 382 hp., 5.5-liter V-8 as the upgrade. Each motor will be attached to a new seven speed automatic transmission. Standard on all coupes is a variable-damping “Agility Control” suspension, which has not been explained how it works. I would suspect that it similar to GM magnetic ride control which controls the pressure in the shocks depending on driving conditions. There are no immediate plans for an all-wheel-drive model to compete with the Audi A5.

It is anticipated that Mercedes will manufacture an AMG version powered by the fabulous 6.2-liter V-8, which should have about 507 hp.

The E-class coupe has all the safety features of the E-class sedan. An interesting feature is the PRE-SAFE system...which attempts to reduce the severity of crashes by applying the brakes and tightening the seat belts when a collision is imminent. The E-class also has a new monitoring system, called Attention Assist, which tries to alert the driver if it detects that the driver is sleepy. The E-class coupe made its North American debut at this April’s 2009 New York auto show.

My take on the E-class coupe is that Mercedes has decided to make attractively styled cars. I would recommend that you put it on your shopping list.

Jaguar XF

Today's post is about one of my favorite cars the Jaguar XF. I had a friend that had two Jaguars in the 1990’s. I inquired why he had two since he was single. He said that he really enjoyed his Jaguars but that he needed one to drive since the other was usually at the dealer for repairs. Since, then Jaguar quality has improved, see my post Jaguar And Buick Overtake Lexus On Quality.

The Jaguar XF was selected by Car and Driver as one of the Ten Best for 2009. The XF is the first Jaguar ever picked for this award in the twenty seven years that Car and Driver have given out the awards.

The styling is radically different from the S-type that it replaced. Gone is the traditional British styling, instead there is a new aggressive stance. I have to admit to being partial to the traditional styling with my S-type. But, the new styling is attractive! Check out the Ian Callum video who designed the XF, Ian Callum is an exceptional British designer. He designed the Aston Martin DB7, DB8, Vanquish, and Jaguar XK.

The driving dynamics of Jaguars has also changed during the period that Ford owned the brand. The XF is a now a dynamic, agile, athletic drive. The XF has a supple suspension meanwhile handling the curves beautifully.

The base 4.2 liter V-8 motor produces 300 hp, while the 4.2 liter V-8 supercharged has 420 hp. The 0-60 time on the supercharged motor is 6.2 seconds. The stopping distances are excellent at 70-0 in 155 ft.,which is sports car territory. For additional information see XF video!

The base price starts at $49,975, which is a good price compared to most of the competition, which have a V-6 equipped model to compete in that price range. The competition is the BMW 535i, Mercedes E350, Cadillac STS, Infinity M35, and the Acura RL. All of those models are rear wheel drive with the exception of the Acura RL.

Jaguar had been a financial drain on Ford Motor Company since Ford acquired Jaguar. But, Ford did have to put in a substantial amount of money to make the brand competitive. The bottom line is that they were successful!

The XF has brought Jaguar onto the world stage with a highly competitive and dependable car. In the end, I think that Ford will regret selling Jaguar to Tata Motors at a bargain basement price, just when Jaguar started paying dividends.