Price: $51,690
Mileage: 22 city, 33 highway and 26 combined mpg

By no standard are Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars small, but the E-350 BlueTec is the brand's smaller diesel car and worthy of mention here.

With seating for five, the E-Class cabin is roomy and comfortable. Its trunk holds nearly 16 cubic feet of gear.

Motivating the E-350 BlueTec is a 210-horsepower, 3-liter, turbocharged V6 diesel engine that generates 400 foot pounds of torque. A seven-speed, driver-shiftable automatic transmission ushers engine output to the rear wheels. According to Mercedes-Benz, it goes from zero to 60 in 6.7 seconds.

Standard is the COMAND, or Cockpit Management and Data, system that integrates control of several of the car's systems, such as audio and climate, into a single computer mouse-like knob.

The standard features include full power accessories, heated outboard mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, power-adjustable front seats, nine air bags, power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio controls, sunroof, trip computer, and an eight-speaker audio system with in-dash six-disc CD player and auxiliary input jack.