BMW's 540i may have a slight edge in absolute handling, but the distinction
would be hard to detect on public roads. Though the suspension tuning favors
ride quality, we found the car well-balanced in hard cornering and a joy
on typical highway curves. There's no wallowing, no indecision at turn-in,
and feedback from the steering and through the driver's seat is at once
informative and reassuring.
Braking performance, always a Mercedes strong suit, matches the E420's
speed potential and then some.
Construction quality is another area where Mercedes has always scored
high marks, and in the E420 it's almost off the charts.
If ever it could be believed that a car was machined from a single billet
of high-strength steel, this is that car. The doors close so soundly that
you'd swear they pressurized the car. Neither road nor wind noise can achieve
much of an auditory foothold to mar the driving pleasure. Next Page