TBH in our 200te auto (gina) does very well she kept up with a 56 1.8t passat untill high speed and aslong as you drive properly she can be quite economical the only reason i can see to go for the bigger engine models is to have a nice smile on your face every time you pop the bonnet and see a twin cam o yes please lol also the bigger engine models normaly had more money spent on them so more toys lol even tho gina has rear door handle speakers aparently quite rare lol
I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by the way my E220 performs,I came from a v6 Omega and in normal driving the merc feels just as lively,probably down to lower gearing more than anything else I suspect.