Madrid, Spain - As I sat comfortably behind the wheel of the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, crisscrossing the cold Madrid countryside, it occurred to me: you'd be hard-pressed to find a midsize premium sedan that's more competent, more balanced and more technologically advanced than this one.

The new E-Class is setting the bar even higher in terms of driving dynamics.

Sure, a couple of German and Japanese rivals offer something similar and, admittedly, pretty well executed (Audi and Lexus immediately come to mind), but they lack that little je ne sais quoi which makes the new E-Class a segment leader.

No, the car is not perfect, but let's face it: actual complaints about this sedan are overshadowed by so many obvious qualities that it nearly deserves to be called "flawless".

An iceberg of sophistication
Before going any further, you must know that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is one of the world's most comprehensively-equipped machines with regard to safety and electronic assists. It's virtually impossible to catch the vehicle off-guard, no matter how sporty and aggressive your driving style is. Even a former rally driver, who was on hand for the media launch, admitted defeat. So, good luck trying to hang the tail out or maintain any kind of drifting because ESP and ASR act effectively but subtly to prevent wheel spin and skidding.

Yet, none of the cars available for this first test-drive featured the automaker's 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. That won't be the case of upcoming Canadian models, though, so expect even more stability and confidence on the road.

That said, I felt some heaviness in the steering at low speeds despite the addition of Direct Steer technology. The most striking instance came during a short drive through a major residential area of Madrid; I had to make extra efforts to turn the wheel in order to avoid clumsiness when carving tight corners. Anyhow, the driving feel is not compromised regardless of your velocity.

I felt some heaviness in the steering at low speeds despite the addition of Direct Steer technology.