Diesel King of the Hill: Audi A6 TDI vs. BMW 535d vs. Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec – The Green Car Driver –

The E250 BlueTec was introduced as part of the mid-life refresh Mercedes-Benz gave the E-Class for 2014, which received one of the most extensive facelifts we’ve seen, resulting in the appearance of an entirely new model with design language first introduced on the new CLA-Class and S-Class.

The E250 took the place of the E350 BlueTec in the E-Class lineup and claimed the entry-level spot with an MSRP of $51,400, making it the least expensive in our test group. The Benz gets Prius-like fuel economy on the Autobahn with 42 mpg (5.6 l/100 km) while providing a fully Teutonic driving experience.

The Benz is very well equipped with safety features such as Collision Prevention Assist, which uses radar-based technology to alert the driver when approaching a vehicle or stationary object at a speed that could result in a collision. Attention Assist (which TDD Editor Jonathan Spira renamed Coffee Cup Assist) has a coffee cup icon pop up on the display whenever the car’s computer determines the current driving pattern indicates that the driver is too tired to be behind the wheel. The Sport Styling package, which includes a sport suspension, is a no-cost option.

While the E250 is a fuel economy contender, this comes at a performance price (at least to some), specifically a 0-to-60 time of 7.9 seconds (8.2 for the 4Matic all-wheel drive version). Its frugal fuel sipping ways as well as the slower acceleration are all due to Mercedes’ use of a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 195 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. While that may not sound like a significant difference, it means that the Benz needs roughly 50% more time to get to 60 mph than the Audi.

Once one adds the 4Matic all-wheel drive to the Benz its fuel economy rating drops to 38 mpg (6.2 l/100 km) on the highway, a substantial drop given that the addition of all-wheel drive to the BMW takes it only from 38 mpg to 37.

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