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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Comfort

In typical German fashion, the seats in the Mercedes E550 are firm but ideally shaped to provide proper support. On a long trip, you realize the purpose of this design, as even our staffers' most fickle lower backs had no complaints after a couple hours driving up the coast. Still, we were a bit miffed that the lumbar support adjustment is manual, not power as one would rightly expect in a luxury sedan costing $60 grand. With the power tilt-telescoping steering wheel adjustment and 10-way power seat, finding an agreeable driving position is easy.

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Dodge Journey R/T
Design/Fit and Finish

Recent Chrysler products have by and large featured disappointing interior materials and construction — the Dodge Journey is no exception, even if it is a slight improvement. For instance, there's squishy, soft-touch plastic on part of the dash top, but the doors' upper sill and armrest (areas you actually touch) are hard. Most of the plastics look and feel cheaper than those in competitors. To brighten things up, the Journey gets splashes of chrome on the two dash-top bins, control knobs, the doors and center console. Unfortunately, it's all prone to catching sunlight and flashing in the driver's eyes. Fit and finish on our test vehicle also left something to be desired. For example, the outboard air vents bend slightly inward, but they meet straight surfaces, creating an unfinished appearance.

Articles David Shamansky Saturn Outlook XR AWD Function

One of the best attributes of this eight-passenger crossover is the acrobatic second-row bench seat, which splits, tumbles, flips forward and slides easily to allow wide-open access to the third row or provide room for more cargo. Second-row captain's chairs are optional for increased seating comfort but reduce capacity (to seven).

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