IF there's a more comfortable and versatile all-round family car than the Mercedes E-Class Estate then I'd like to know what it is.
I'm not sure how much of a priority comfort is for Mercedes-Benz designers but it feels like it's the starting point for this car and pretty much everything revolves around it.
From the moment you sit in you feel relaxed and very at home. In fact the at home analogy is quite accurate.
With the possible exception of a Range Rover it's the closest automotive experience I've had to sitting at home and relaxing in my living room.
The seats have the kind of adjustment controls you might expect to find flying club class, to the point where I was still discovering what some of the buttons did after a week. I also liked the fact that you feel as if you're sinking in to them yet they're still incredibly supportive.
At the risk of stating the obvious you actually have to wonder whether the E-Class Estate is just a little too comfortable for its own good - to the point where you're in danger of nodding off at the wheel.
Perhaps with this in mind the designers have very kindly come up with a range of gizmos that will prevent you doing so.
But on a serious note this safety technology is absolutely state-of-the art, all encompassing and actually very useful.
There's a blind spot indicator which lets you know someone might be tucked somewhere you can't see them and a red light in your driver's side wing mirror alerts you to their presence. Quite a few cars have something similar now and it's the sort of thing that could save your life.
Let's face it none of us are perfect drivers and failing to notice someone in your blind spot is one of the easiest driving mistakes to make and the consequences can be fatal.
Another stand-out safety feature is Lane Keep Assist, characterised by a vibrating steering wheel if you change lane or direction in a matter deemed potentially erratic.
If you're nodding off and veering off course this simple but effective tool will really do the trick and even when it engages when not really needed it doesn't irritate too much, though if it does you can disable it.
If you're getting too close to the car in front the Attention Assist function tells you when to brake and if push comes to shove Pre-Safe Brake will actually do the braking for you. It did for me on one particular occasion and I was grateful for it.
These are just a few of the onboard safety features that really do make a difference and also help make the whole driving experience more pleasant and relaxing.
The E-Class Estate has always been one of the most capacious family vehicles and the latest version is no exception, with 695 litres of luggage space with the seats up and 1,950 litres with them down.
That's significantly more than rivals like the Audi A6 or Volvo V70 and if you do want to put the seats down it is simplicity personified thanks to a lever by the parcel shelf.
To my mind the estate looks a little more striking than the saloon, the rear end styling managing to achieve a nice curvy and contemporary look without compromising space in any way.
The comfort theme extends to the car's glide-like ride quality, a Mercedes trademark, and superb noise insulation means you're wonderfully cosseted from the outside world.
For quite a big car it is surprisingly easy to drive too.
It can be a tad soft and willowy through the corners but the pace of the ever so smooth three-litre diesel engine more than makes up for any shortcomings and let's face it sharp handling isn't really what a car like this is about.