The first luxury car I ever drove was a 1973 Mercedes Benz 240 diesel. My parents bought the vehicle new in Germany, drove it around Europe on vacation and had it shipped to California. I was 18 at the time, and when my father let me take the car to the market or when we took the car on father-son journeys, life couldn’t have been better. Mercedes had more luxurious cars then, just as the manufacturer does today. But more than 30 years after driving father’s Benz, I now own a 1979 Mercedes Benz, a 280CE. It’s not the same, of course. It’s 26 years old and has its issues. But it’s a Mercedes I can afford and it’s the same interior and exterior color as my dad’s car, and that makes it all good. That’s also plenty of fodder to explain my fondues for Mercedes Benz automobiles, and it’s among the reasons I can’t help but like the 2006 Mercedes Benz E350. It’s everything that’s made the Mercedes brand what it is: a well-crafted and quiet luxury car made for the open road. The Autobahn, the German superhighway comes to mind. My weekly test drive of the 3.5-liter, 24-valve, V6, 268-horsepower E350 didn’t include any high-speed missions on the Autobahn. But around town and during various freeway treks, the vehicle had it all: comfort, luxury, great handling and a commanding presence. Add the vehicle’s pewter exterior color, and it was hard not to get the approval of onlookers, particularly the crowd that appreciates simple elegance. Of course, like other luxury brands, Mercedes is not for the economically inclined, unless you’re in the market for quarter-century-old choices, like I was. The E350 has a base price of $50,050. Beyond paying for the premium price of the brand, standard features on the E350 are plentiful and include, among other items: a 7-speed automatic transmission, 16-inch, dual-spoke alloy wheels, electric adjustable tilt and telescoping steering column, 10-way adjustable front seats with three-position memory, nine-speaker audio system with AM/FM, single disc CD, leather seats, burl walnut trim, power windows and cruise control. Beyond its obvious comforts and performance highlights, the E350 had two convenient functions I particularly enjoyed. Unlike other top-end manufacturers’ approaches, the E350’s myriad seat position controls are located on the side door panels. They’re easy to use and offer a solution to inconvenience of having to reach under the front seat to maneuver settings. Another nice E350 touch combines Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil