First-borns lead a charmed life. Parents fuss over them, they grow up expecting the world to do the same, and they never ever wear hand-me-downs.

Sure, that incident between Moses and the Pharaoh was a bit of a bummer. But, on the whole, first-borns have had it good.

The middle child, however, gets a different deal. He is hemmed in between the son for whom the fattened calf is sacrificed and the cute baby of the house.

And thus many are wrought with angst in their formative years - some longer.

In other words, they are normal.

For a spell, Mercedes-Benz got rid of the middle child in the E-class range here. It gave all its attention to a 1.8-litre 'baby' known as the E200 and a 3.0-litre oldest boy called the E280.

(Okay, there was an E350, but it is an aberration which a good salesman could easily substitute with a suitable S-class or a gratuitous AMG car.)

The previous 'middle child' was a 2.6-litre that had a most inauspicious name: E240.

You used to be able to tell the displacement of a Mercedes engine by its model nomenclature.

But these days, things are never that clear-cut. BMW is the other brand with a confusing numbering system. But that's another story altogether.

Back to Merc's middle child. Its absence, however temporary, was noticeable.

Buyers had to choose between a supercharged 1.8 four-cylinder and a 3.0-litre V6. Those who wanted something in between presumably picked a BMW 523i or 525i (both were 2.5-litres).

But just as Nature abhors a void, DaimlerChrysler has filled the galactic gap between the two E's with an E230. No, it's not a 2.3-litre. It's a 2.5-litre, with six pots.

The engine is first seen in the C-class, but is entirely new to the E range.

DaimlerChrysler timed the introduction of the E230 with this year's Chinese New Year. And what great timing.

With the recent descent of COE premiums to 17-year lows, the ad campaign heralding the E230's arrival offered 'free' COEs.

But that's also another story.

The E230, as it turns out, is the best E-class Mercedes-Benz has made in a long while.

It drives exceedingly well, with none of the idiosyncratic 'wooden' feel of E-classes before it.

It is quieter than the E200 Kompressor, and more enjoyable than the E280 despite its more modest performance.

If you drove it blindfolded, and we're not suggesting that you do, you might come away thinking the car is a BMW 5-series.

The engine is primed for action at whisper-low revs and relishes in redline antics at the same time. Along the way, it betrays no reluctance, or any harshness to speak of.

Its seven-speed autobox offers seamless transmissions, and is intuitive enough to be left at Drive. But if you have a memory like a taxman, you could go through seven cogs manually.

It has a ride that Grannies would approve of, and a level of handling that is just short of scintillating.

The car comes with a host of impressive standard features, like keyless access and ignition, memory seats, automatic foldable wing mirrors, cruise control (still the easiest to use), and courtesy lamps galore.

In a nutshell, this 'middle child' has got the best mix of traits from its siblings, plus the bonus of a creamy engine.

Its only flaw was a soft but noticeable whistling from the rear aircon blowers.

The E230's steering - a hit-and- miss affair with this generation of E-class cars - is actually pure pleasure in your palms.

Price: $188,888 with COE
Engine: 2,496cc 24-valve V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic with manual override
Power: 204bhp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 245Nm at 2,900rpm
Top speed: 240kmh
0-100kmh: 9.1 seconds
Fuel consumption: 13.9 litres/100km (city)
Agent: Cycle & Carriage