2014 Mercedes Benz E250E Bluetec One Step Forward, 3 Steps Back

Kudos to Mercedes for carrying the torch of Diesel innovation in the global and US automotive markets. Their newest luxury turbodiesel sedan entrant is the 2014 Mercedes Benz E250 Bluetec which started to ship late last year and is selling fairly well given the extremely high EPA mileage ratings for the 4 wheel drive and the rear wheel driver models. The RWD model is rated at a stellar 45 MPG which is quite an achievement given the fact that it tips the scales at a porcine 4,200 pounds. I believe the DEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid reservoir system is the main culprit adding more weight to an already heavy chassis along with other new electronic accessories and motors added to the mix. What is amazing is that the older Mercedes-Benz 6 Cylinder turbocharged Diesels are just as efficient and because of their lighter weight, are significantly faster than the new 4 cylinder sequential turbocharged 2014 E250 Bluetec.

As I am a current owner of a 2008 Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec, I felt that a comparison between the 2008 E320 Bluetec and the 2014 E250 Bluetec would be a very interesting exercise. To wit:

2008 MB E320 Bluetec
3.2 Liter V6 Twin Turbo  Diesel Engine
201 HP
387 Foot Pounds of Torque
7 Speed Automatic Transmission
Zero to 60 Time in Seconds 6.5
Weight Unladen 3,860 Pounds
EPA Mileage Rating 37 Highway 28 City

2014 MB E250 Bluetec
2.1 Liter 4 Cylinder Twin Turbo Diesel Engine
195 HP
369 Foot Pounds of Torque
7 Speed Automatic Transmission
Zero to 60 Time in Seconds 8.2
Weight Unladen 4,200 Pounds RWD Model
4400 Pounds for All Wheel Drive Model
EPA Mileage Rating  45 Highway 28 City

The main takeaway here is that the 2014 Mercedes Benz E250E Bluetec is almost 2 seconds slower to 60 MPH than the 2008 E320 Bluetec, is about 330 pounds heavier than the 2008 E320 Bluetec
But is rated up to 8 Miles per gallon higher per the EPA highway rating. This can be attributed to the auto start-stop system and higher gears in the 7 speed automatic transmission in the 2014 E250 Bluetec.

I personally would not give up the performance for the higher mileage seen on the highway rating. A V6 Turbodiesel is really a beast of an engine and having almost 400 foot pounds of torque on tap makes it a real sleeper when passing cars on the highway. I also like the fact that the 2008 Bluetec is 330 Pounds lighter than the 2014 Bluetec.