The Mercedes E-Class belongs to an elite group of high-end German cars that aims to offer the best of the best in the market, with BMW and Audi being its biggest nemeses. Oh, and let’s not forgot its Swedish adversaries, Volvo.

Like its competitors, the E-Class comes in a plethora of body styles, from the classic saloon to the drop top Cabriolet, and there’s even an off-road All-Terrain model in the pipeline. But for the travelling businessman, the E-Class Estate is prime picking.

Packed tight with gadgetry and luxury - and ample practicality just in case - the E-Class Estate is all about comfort, with a mattress-esque Air Body Control suspension thrown in for good measure as standard, provided you go for one of its more sophisticated AMG Line models.

But don’t let its shirt-and-tie image fool you into thinking it’s a motorway slouch. There are of course efficient mile-munching diesels available, but the E-Class Estate also packs a potent punch in the form of V6 and V8 petrols, and a V6 diesel. And it’s the latter which we tested.

So how does the Mercedes E-Class 350d AMG Line Estate measure up to its BMW 5 Series Touring, Audi A6 Avant and Volvo V90 competition?

Performance

The E 350d V6 diesel derivative in the E-Class isn’t as obvious performance wise as you may think - which is great when it comes to pottering about. Set out on the motorway or cruise through a busy town centre and you’d be none the wiser. The V6 delivers smooth gear changes, via a nine-speed automatic, and progressive acceleration and braking.

Put your foot down on a straight, however, and the V6 morphs into a whole different creature. With 620Nm of torque and a 0-62mph sprint time of six seconds flat, the E-Class Estate delivers hot hatch performance which, for a five-metre-long estate that weighs nearly two tonnes, is phenomenal. The nine-speed auto keeps up with enthusiastic throttle input too, shifting its way smoothly up the gears.

There is a smidge of turbo lag when putting your foot flat, but unless you are trying to set lap times, this won’t be an issue.

The Sport and Sport+ modes available as part of the adaptive Air Body Control air suspension enhance the V6 diesel’s fun factor too, appropriately heightening throttle response to match its sporty character.

Ride and Handling

Aside to the adaptive suspension, overall refinement in the E-Class Estate is excellent, with minimal wind and road noise, and the V6 diesel is incredibly hushed, sounding more like a petrol than a diesel.

Although the characterful V6 gives you sports car performance, the E-Class Estate doesn’t exactly drive like a sports car, something that Mercedes will hold its hands up to. The steering, while responsive and nicely-weighted, lacks feedback and feels strained when taking on twisty B-roads. Whereas something like the BMW 5 Series Touring is focussed on offering distinctive levels of driver involvement, the E-Class Estate claims to be all about class and comfort - and that’s where it excels. Go for the Air Body Control suspension - £1,500 option or standard on AMG Line models - and you get adaptive dampers, allowing for multifaceted driving. From Eco and Comfort to Sport and Sport+, there are multiple modes that effect the firmness of the ride, with Comfort mode silencing lumps and bumps in the road effortlessly. There is even an Individual mode, where you can tweak the steering, ride and throttle responsiveness to suit your personal preference. Aside to the adaptive suspension, overall refinement in the E-Class Estate is excellent, with minimal wind and road noise, and the V6 diesel is incredibly hushed, sounding more like a petrol than a diesel.

Interior and Equipment

The E-Class range is getting bigger and bigger, with a new coupe version just released and an off-roading All-Terrain version coming soon.

For many, the cabin quality of the E-Class Estate will be what you’ll be paying for and, thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint. As soon as you step in you are hit by a swooping dashboard filled with quad air vents, a huge 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a classy analogue clock display. The cabin is plastered with high-end leather and plastic too, nicely complementing its simple, ergonomic layout. The only real criticism of the layout is the dual controller on the centre console, which can be a bit fiddly and take a while to get used to – it’s certainly not as intuitive as BMW’s iDrive system. Our test model came fitted with an optional £500 12.3-inch TFT screen (8.4-inch screen is standard) behind the steering wheel, which joins with the infotainment screen to create a continuous digital dashboard. This TFT screen has customisable themes, information on sat-nav directions, fuel economy and media. For tech fans, it is definitely worth considering for £500. We also had the optional Driving Assistance Plus Package (£1,700) which includes things like Evasive Steering Assist, Lane Keep Assist and Drive Pilot, which is a semi-autonomous system that can control steering input, throttle input and braking. Aside to options, our AMG Line model came generously equipped with all the high-end tropes you can think of, from self-tightening seatbelts to comfortable heated leather seats, a 3D sat-nav display and 64 different ambient lighting combinations. When it comes to rear passenger space, the E-Class Estate is limousine-esque, with tons of head and leg room - definitely one of the best in its class. You can opt for a snazzy panoramic glass roof for the rear too. Boot space is equally impressive with up to 1,820 litres of space when you fold the seats down. Being the Estate model, the boot opening is nice and wide and the load lip is low, which makes loading objects in very easy. Also, as the parcel shelf is incorporated into the boot lid, it conveniently moves out of your way when the boot is opened.

Cost

We managed to achieve around 40mpg around town and 50mpg on the motorway.

Understandably, the V6 diesel is a fair bit off the frugality of the popular 220d diesel offered in the E-Class. However, we managed to achieve around 40mpg around town and 50mpg on the motorway. CO2 is quoted at 151g/km, which for those after a company car, equates to a 29 per cent BIK taxation rate for 2017/2018. The Mercedes E 350d AMG Line is pricey though, coming in at just under £50,000, or with an enticing list of optional extras like our model, £59,000.

Our Verdict

You’ll pay through the nose for a Mercedes, more so than most of its rivals, be they German or Swedish. Is it worth it though? Absolutely. The E-Class Estate is one of the most grown-up, comfortable, well-kitted cars on sale, and as opposed to merely matching its rivals in the all-important luxury department, it exceeds expectations.