| We’ll admit that
Daimler-Chrysler’s Mercedes-Benz 3.2L SOHC V-6 surprised the Ward’s
10 Best Engines panel. When the numbers were tallied, it stood firmly
in the top 10. Not puzzled about the outcome — the Mercedes 3.2L V-6
continues to be a singularly impressive engine design — but shocked
that this relatively unassuming engine beat some formidable entrants
in what our judges believe was the toughest Best Engines competition
yet. Mercedes’ V-6 quietly is amassing the qualifications to place
it with the company’s more legendary engines. We once suggested —
as have some competing automakers’ engineers — that Mercedes may have
compromised some of its hallowed engineering-above-all-else creed
when it adopted the modular construction design that sees its new
SOHC V-6s sharing the 90-degree vee angle of the V-8 engines built
from the same basic hardware. And Mercedes had never done a V-6 before
the launch of this engine in 1997. Not to worry. Mercedes engineers
had studied before the final exam: To make up for the 90-degree architecture
ideal for a V-8 but not for a V-6, they fitted a balance shaft rotating
counter to the crankshaft at twice its speed. And the clever “regression”
to three valves per cylinder — when the rest of the world was backing
four holes (or five) in each combustion chamber — freed real estate
for a twin-sparkplug arrangement that does wonders for optimizing
combustion and making maximum use of the intake charge. It has proved
the 3.2L SOHC V-6 to be an elegant and effective first effort. “Already
a standard-bearer,” says one Best Engines judge. “There may be flashier
V-6s out there, but this engine just plain gets down to business,”
asserts another. We’re particularly persuaded by the ease with which
this engine handles a wide range of duty: It’s fitted, with slightly
differing power/torque ratings, in the silken E-Class, the lithe CLK
coupe and convertible and even the M-Class sport/utility vehicle (SUV).
Sources say we’ll see it next year as an upgrade for the SLK roadster,
too. And its 2.8L variant is in the entry level C-Class and abounds
in European applications. Versatility, low emissions, proper fuel
economy and outstanding driveability are qualities that stand the
Mercedes 3.2L V-6 apart from the wealth of V-6 engines in today’s
market. Our only beef continues to be with the engine/transmission
interface; response to throttle inputs often is laggardly and deliberate,
despite electronic throttle control that Mercedes engineers swear
speeds response times. There are “flashier” V-6s available. Some can
be found among this year’s 10 Best Engines winners. Yet there’s a
comfortable, durable, confident feel to the Mercedes 3.2L V-6 that’s
difficult to define. The efficacy of this layout simply cannot be
ignored: not a standout in any one area, its impressive combination
of technologies is unsurpassed as a whole.
Copyright 2000 Ward's Communications
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