It’s been a bit of time since I last drove a Mercedes-Benz. Now that a few years have passed, it looks like the luxury attached to a Benz is starting to re-appear. Yes, Mercedes vehicles have always been great on ride and handling, but for far too long M-B vehicles displayed an annoyingly blah and button-filled interior. During my one-week/520 mile test drive of the gasoline engine-powered E320 (a diesel version joins the E-class for ’05), I was happy to see crisper styling inside via a better flow of controls as opposed to the seemingly haphazard center console appearance in the past. Although I still favor an even more streamlined interior, the ’05 E320 sedan reflects a more intuitive placement of controls. The dials (for audio volume, passenger and driver air/heat temperature settings) are at a really nice size, too. The E320 – as you might expect – is loaded with standard fare, including a number of safety staples like dual front airbags, head protection curtains, and front and rear side airbags. In the car I tested, the 221 horsepower V6 gasoline engine showcased its power at both high and low speeds – underscored by having a 232 pounds-feet torque path spanning the 3000 to 4800 rpm range. The 4MATIC behaves as a smooth shifting transmission. On the option side, the $680 heated front seats are a nice feature as is the $1,550 sunroof package that includes a glass sunroof and power rear window sunshade. The gasoline powered E320 grabs per gallon estimates of 19 city/25 highway. MSRP is $51,000.