2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon: First Drive

Mercedes-Benz has updated the mainstay E-Class lineup of midsize luxury cars for the 2014 model year, the latest in a barrage of products from the German automaker. Like the others, this one is also designed to keep rival BMW at bay in the global sales race. I recently had an opportunity to sample one of the nearly 15 new variants of the E-Class, the E350 4Matic wagon, at a drive event in Ann Arbor, Mich. With the E-Class representing 20% of Mercedes-Benz's sales in the U.S., this is an important car for the brand, so it has to be right.

Thankfully the company already had a strong contender to begin with. For 2014, the changes to the E-Class are subtle but thorough. A new front and rear design is smoother and more integrated, and the rear doors and quarter panels no longer feature the bulbous fender of the previous model. The overall look is still recognizably Mercedes-Benz, but sleeker and leaner. Two distinct front-end looks are available for the sedan and wagon: Sport puts the three-pointed Mercedes-Benz star in the grille, and Luxury mounts it more traditionally to the front of the hood. In addition to the sedan and wagon, the E-Class is also available as a coupe and convertible; they're slated to reach dealerships at the end of this month.

Recall Alert: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 71 model-year 2013 versions of the SLK250 and SLK350 roadsters due to a problem with the airbag occupant classification system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured from Oct. 9 through Nov. 20, 2012; check your vehicle's build date on driver-side doorjamb sticker. In these cars, the OCS incorrectly classifies a very light person as being a child and deactivates the airbag. This increases the risk of injury to the passenger in the event of a crash.  

Mercedes-Benz will start notifying all affected owners this month, and dealers will replace the passenger side seat cushion and the OCS for free. Owners can call Mercedes-Benz at 800-367-6372 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Related
Research the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
More Safety News
Check Out Other Recalls

Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

UPDATE 6/7/2013: Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list.

In the more than three years that Cars.com editors have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

The newest vehicle to make our list is the 2013 Nissan Armada. The largest of the brand's SUVs has room for eight passengers and easily accommodates three car seats across its second row.

As we come across more cars that fit three child-safety seats, we'll add to this list. For now, here are the cars from our Car Seat Checks that can fit three car seats in the second row:

Mercedes-Benz Lets You Light Up Your Hood Ornament

Mercedes-Benz's new dealer-installed illuminated logo option kind of looks like the glowing arc reactor in Iron Man's chest — though anyone who's seen the blockbuster films knows Tony Stark's luxury brand of choice is Audi. Still, it's not Robert Downey Jr. who stars in Mercedes-Benz's new commercial, but the automaker's three-pointed star itself, now illuminated with LED and light-tube technology to further punctuate the point, just in case the standard iconic logo wasn’t enough for luxury shoppers.

The video ad, posted to YouTube on Wednesday, features a photographic retrospective of Mercedes models through the decades that have borne the three-pointed star; it's accompanied by a sweeping orchestral score. The ad tempts viewers with the taglines, "Mercedes-Benz has offered the star for years … now we even make it shine," and "Discover the Illuminated Star."

May's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

From Land Rover's posh Range Rover to the redesigned Toyota RAV4, SUVs took 10 of the top 16 spots on May’s fastest-sellers list. Expectedly, redesigns ranked high on the list. The 2014 Subaru Forester is selling so fast Subaru dealers can't keep up inventory, and the Range Rover, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class — all redesigned — have repeat appearances among the fastest sellers.

The updated Mercedes E-Class demonstrates shoppers also respond well to a refresh as they do to a full redesign. And the new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid continues to sell, adding steam to the redesign's slow start. It worked well for Ford's struggling luxury brand: The MKZ had its best-ever May in the nameplate's more than seven years, Ford said Monday.

Then you have the old-timers. The 2013 Toyota RAV4 had its fifth month among the fastest-selling cars. The 2013 Ford Fusion, in hybrid or regular form, has made its seventh appearance in eight months. So did Audi's Q5 SUV, despite being in its fifth model year.

Cars in May averaged 56 days to sell. That's a little slower than April 2013's 51 days and a few ticks slower than May 2012's 50 days. Here are May's fastest and slowest sellers:

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: First Look

• Competes with: BMW 7 Series, Audi A8
• Looks like: A longer, lower, wider S-Class with a more athletic-looking front end and curvier body
• Drivetrain: 455-hp, twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 and eight-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: September 2013
• MSRP: TBD

If it wasn't enough of an opulent and technological tour-de-force before, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class leaves no question now. The automaker's flagship sedan gets a makeover for the new model year, with more athletic-looking styling, a host of over-the-top new comfort and convenience features, and updated safety systems. 

The sedan is longer, lower and wider than the previous version, but rides on the same wheelbase. The new version makes extensive use of aluminum and weighs in at 4,442 pounds, about 300 pounds less than last year's version.

Mercedes calls the car's styling "a modern embodiment of sensual clarity" but it looks to us like the S-Class borrows heavily from the brand's lineup, with the E-Class' new head- and taillight designs as well as some of the CLS's curves. The sedan also wears a larger, more upright grille and more pronounced wheel arches. Mercedes claims it's also the first vehicle in the world that doesn't use a single traditional light bulb; almost 500 LEDs are used inside and out.

Does Reliability Affect Luxury-Car Sales?

Luxury cars have moved past the days of the ignition-challenged Jaguars in AMC's "Mad Men," but many still have faults. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Buick LaCrosse rate below average in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys; the Lincoln MKX, BMW X3, BMW 7 Series and Buick Verano rate even worse. Then there's Jaguar, which earned low marks in J.D. Power and Associates' predicted reliability ratings for its entire 2012 crop. Sibling brand Land Rover fared little better.

Does it matter? Not as much as you think.

It seems luxury-car shoppers care for reliability as much as Don Draper cares for self-restraint. Through April, Jaguar and Land Rover sales are up 12.7%. The Verano outsold Buick's Regal and Encore combined. M-Class sales are down, but it's still Mercedes' best-selling SUV. The MKX is Lincoln's best-selling car. Period.

Are luxury cars unreliable on the whole? The jury's still out. Luxury brands took top honors in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, but they spanned the gamut in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys. That's why Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of auto testing, sees little correlation between luxury and reliability.

Automakers Want NHTSA to Lighten Up on High-Beam Rules

Automakers are asking U.S. safety regulators to lighten up on headlight restrictions. They want to implement new headlight technologies that allow motorists to use their high beams without blinding other drivers. European and Japanese automakers, in recent weeks, have ramped up the dialogue on the issue with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in hopes of bringing to U.S. consumers headlight advancements already used on thousands of vehicles sold overseas.

Volvo in March announced that S60 sedans, V60 wagons and XC60 crossovers on sale this spring in Europe will have "Active High-Beam Control," which uses a camera and an automatic shading mechanism to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, USA Today reported. The system would need government approval before the automaker could sell vehicles equipped with it in the U.S. Audi and BMW also have similar technologies ready to deploy, but are still working with NHTSA for approval, while Mercedes-Benz's enhanced headlight-dimming technology isn't yet ready for the U.S. market, the newspaper reported.

Sorry, Spocks; Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Handles Golf Clubs Just Fine

By now you, and 1.8 million other people, have seen the humorous Audi S7 commercial on YouTube featuring past and present "Star Trek" Spock actors Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.

It's a great ad that cleverly shows the rivalry between automakers. But we've got a problem with the depiction of poor Leonard Nimoy not being able to fit his clubs in the CLS' trunk.

Why?

Well, because we fit a set of clubs in there just fine. Actually, it was two sets and an overnight bag.

Recall Alert: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

Mercedes-Benz is recalling 272 model-year 2013 GL-Class SUVs due to a problem with the second-row seat belt anchors, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Affected vehicles include GL350 Bluetec, GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and GL63 AMG models manufactured between May 15, 2012, and Oct. 4, 2012. The second-row seat belt anchor fitting bolts may not be properly torqued, which could cause seat belt anchor bolts to continually loosen. In a crash, the belted passenger may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.

Mercedes-Benz will begin notifying owners this month, and dealers will check and tighten the bolts of the seat belt anchor fittings for free. Owners can call Mercedes-Benz at 800-367-6372 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236; for more info owners can go to www.safercar.gov.

Related
Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Read About Other Recalls
More Safety News on Cars.com