You won't notice any of that when you circle the E and then step back for a critical inspection. What you'll notice is how handsome this machine is. Mercedes-Benz has put a new emphasis on styling of late, and the E-Class may be the best example yet.

The E-Class looks like a smaller S-Class, only better. The four-headlight theme introduced on the previous E-Class, now the standard at Mercedes, has been refined to a more sophisticated level. The new E's front end seems lower, and it's more steeply raked. Every line from one end of the car to the other flows and blends. The new E-class is more fluid and graceful than the old, which seems doughty in comparison. The design produces an impressive 0.27 coefficient of drag (great for minimizing wind noise and maximizing fuel economy), but the look is the thing. It's stylish, for certain.

Our E500 wore a glossy, non-metallic deep gray topcoat, very German, very cool. The sport package is distinguished by its dark glass, aggressive-looking wheels and very low ride height for a standard sedan. In a week that included visits to restaurants, a 30-screen movie theater and open house at the local junior high, we heard the word gorgeous five or six times from passersby.

This is a Mercedes-Benz, a brand identified for decades by technological advancements, so there's more to the new E-Class than meets the eye. Underneath are a redesigned multilink suspension, structural enhancements and new technology that delivers tangible benefits to both driver and passengers. Much of this is trickle-down from Mercedes' engineering flagships: the full-size, $120,000 CL600 Coupe and the $90,000 SL roadster.

One such system is Sensotronic Brake Control, which might be called brake-by-wire. The connection between the brake pedal and reservoir of brake fluid is electronic, not mechanical or hydraulic. The advantage? The electronic system can apply brake force to each wheel independently, helping to keep the car traveling straight and true during panic stops, even on bumpy, uneven roads. It will also keep the brakes on full in an emergency situation, as measured by sensors, even if driver eases off, a common mistake. And if it's raining, the system periodically, lightly, applies the brakes to sweep them dry.

Airmatic Dual Control suspension, standard on our E500 and included with the sport package option on the E320, replaces conventional steel coil springs with air springs. This computer-managed system adds more or less air pressure to the spring at each wheel, based on road conditions or driving style, to slightly soften or firm the ride and add or decrease body roll (the left or right lean when the car turns). In combination with electronically adjusted shock absorbers, the ADC suspension can automatically improve ride quality or handling characteristics, or optimize the balance of the two, depending on where the car is traveling and whether the driver is dawdling or going quickly. The system works automatically, without switching suspension settings between sport and comfort.

No new Mercedes would be complete without safety advances. E-Class cars come standard with eight airbags (dual front airbags, side bags for front and rear, and head-protection curtains that run the length of the cabin on both sides). The 2003 E-Class also employs a new airbag management system with more impact sensors, designed to more precisely control the timing and rate of deployment. The system accounts for the weight of a front-seat passenger, and controls seat belt pretensioners according to the force of impact.