ESTATE cars don’t come much bigger than this. The E-Class estate’s boot measures a massive 695 litres with the back seats still in place. Or 1950 litres with them folded down.

That’s more than the 5-Series Touring (560 litres) or the Audi A6 Avant (565 litres) have to offer and, for some drivers, you could probably end this test right there. When the going gets tough, it’s best to get going in an E-Class estate.

But there’s more to the recently refreshed E-Class than a cavernous load capacity.

Mercedes has given the entire E-Class range a thorough revamp in a bid to shake off its (rather undeserved) reputation for being a bit of a square.

The surgeon’s scapel has produced a facelift of timeless beauty, but the changes are much more than skin-deep. There’s an upgraded cabin that looks and feels more upmarket, fancy new technology, including an automatic parking system, and a tweaked engine line-up that’s even kinder to your wallet. Prices start at £32,400 for the E 220 CDI SE with six-speed manual transmission to £73,720 for the mighty E 63 AMG.

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ON THE ROAD: ​ The most obvious change is at the front where the old quad headlamp arrangement has been swapped for a sportier single headlamp lens design. The bonnet line has been redesigned so it wraps tightly around the new light units, bridging the gap between the headlamps and the imposing Mercedes grille. The bonnet mounted “gun sight” three-pointed star has gone but, with that massive three-pointed star floating in the middle of the grille, no one will be left in any doubt as to what make of car you’re driving, It’s a more complex - and visually interesting - design with an array of convex and concave shapes. The dipped beam uses LED bulbs which are longer lasting, use 70 per cent less power and emit a brighter, whiter light.

Moving backwards, the old car’s chunky rear wheel arches have been slimmed down and the rear lights and bumper have been revised.

The E-Class is one of the mainstays of the Mercedes range and, as such, the company offers a wide series of engines - two petrols, a trio of diesels and a hybrid. Confusingly, you can’t judge an E-Class by the badge on the tailgate. An E250 doesn’t have a 2.5-litre engine as you may imagine. In fact, the E220 and E250 are both powered by a 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel the only differences being the power and torque outputs. BMW pulls the same stunt (the 520 and the 528 both have a 2.0-litre powerplant).

Baffling badges aside, if you can afford it, the E250 offers a useful performance gain over its E220 stablemate. Although your road tax bill will be 15 quid dearer, it’s a full second quicker to 62 mph and near-as-makes-no-difference as cheap to run.

Start/stop - which switches off the engine when the car is stationary - is standard on all models. In slow-moving traffic this is a real boon, saving fuel and reducing tailpipe emissions, but the re-start needs to be snappier - the engine cut out on me twice just as I was preparing to pull into busy traffic.

​ON THE INSIDE: ​ Mercedes’ designers have concentrated on improving the visual and material appeal of the car’s cabin. The dashboard and the doors are trimmed in artificial leather with visible stitching. The air vents are the slimmer design first seen on the CLS coupe operated by classy knurled metal rings, there’s a nicely-understated analogue clock sitting in the middle of the dash and subtle mood lighting in the door panels. Your hands grip a leather-stitched steering wheel and the centre console is uncluttered by a gearshifter or a handbrake. Sadly, the latter only means that Mercedes is doggedly sticking with its old foot-operated parking brake system which snaps on and off like a light switch. Granted, a hill-hold feature prevents the car running backwards on an incline, but I still think an electric parking brake would be a better solution.

There’s loads of room for a driver and four adult passengers plus, with that formidable boot, enough capacity to carry everyone’s luggage, too.

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WHAT DO YOU GET: ​ As well as slimming down the exterior, Mercedes has slimmed down the entire model range. There are just two trim levels - SE (based on the old Avantgarde model) and AMG Sport (an enhanced version of the previous Sport trim level) - plus the full-fat smoking AMG specials.

The dashboard is trimmed in Artico artificial leather. Real cow hide is used on the seats of SE models, while AMG Sport versions have a combination of Artico and microfibre black sports seats, plus stainless steel pedals with rubber inserts and AMG floor mats.

Every model has the impressive COMAND Online infotainment system with a DAB digital radio tuner. Active Park Assist with Parktronic scans for a parking space and does the arm-twirling bit for you, steering smoothly into the space and making you look like a parking champion.SE versions also gain power-folding door mirrors and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, 17-inch alloy wheels shod with wide 245/45 section rubber sitting on 15mm lower suspension, twin exhaust pipes and a sport grille.

According to Mercedes, that represents more than £4,000-worth of extra kit for a price increase of £2,280, which makes the new E-Class much better value.

All models, apart from the entry-level E 220 CDI, have an automatic transmission as standard.

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HOW PRACTICAL IS IT? ​ Every version has sleek chrome-plated roof rails.

The tailgate opens automatically to reveal a deep and long boot - perfect for everyone's suitcases or several golf bags. Self-levelling rear air suspension keeps the body steady, even with a full boot.

The rear seat backs can be quickly folded by pulling a handle in the boot or the cabin. Drivers with young children may be interested in the optional rear-facing leather child seats and caravanners will appreciate the braked towing weight of up to 2,100 kg.

​ RUNNING COSTS: ​ Depending on the model, 50 mpg shouldn’t be out of reach with one of the diesels on a gentle cross country canter - an excellent figure for such a large car. Exhaust emissions have been reduced across the range.

​ VERDICT: ​ The E-Class celebrates its 60th birthday in 2013 but it shows no signs of entering its dotage. Interestingly, the estate version used to be contracted out to a specialist body manufacturer - a reflection of its “niche” status at the time. Since 1977 (when manufacturing was taken in-house) well over one million examples have rolled off the production lines making the estate a very important member of the E-Class family.

People carriers are great, but there are still times when only an estate will do. An E-Class estate can carry five adults in complete comfort but, more importantly, it can accommodate all their luggage, too. Compare that to the tiny boot on so many people carriers when all the seats are occupied.

The E-Class also upholds Mercedes’ reputation for build quality that wouldn’t disgrace a bank vault and high residual values.

Big, bold and better than ever - as an all-rounder the E-Class takes some beating.

 

Mercedes E250 SE CDI Estate.

 

Price: £ 38,750.

Spec:​ Engine: ​2143cc/four-cylinder/turbodiesel Power: ​204 bhp @ 3,800 rpm Torque: ​368 lb/ft @ 1,600 rpm Top speed: ​144 mph 0-62mph: ​7.8 seconds Fuel economy: ​51.4 mpg (combined) CO2 emissions: ​143 g/km Insurance group: ​39 Equipment: ​Active Park Assist including Parktronic, Adaptive Brake System, Attention Assist, Bluetooth, COMAND Online system, cruise with Speedtronic variable speed limiter, DAB digital radio, electronic speed-sensitive power steering, electric height and backrest adjustment for the front seats, heated front seats, leather upholstery, power folding door mirrors and auto-dimming rear view and driver’s door mirrors, multi-function three-spoke steering wheel and gearshifter trimmed in nappa leather, LED headlamps with halogen main beam and indicators, and LED tail lights, automatic wipers, twin exhaust pipes, tyre pressure loss warning.

​ ALTERNATIVES:​ ​BMW 5 Series Touring: Sleek looks, great driving dynamics, excellent engines.

Audi A6 Avant: Arguably better-looking than an A6 saloon, the Audi is a smooth operator.