Auto manufacturers are flooding the market with a wide range of offerings filling just about every possible premium niche. Yet, a handful of models maintain an outsize presence, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class being one of the best examples. It remains one of the most popular luxury models in the U.S. and routinely accounts for 20% of the German maker’s sales here. That’s all the more significant as the current E-Class wraps up its final months on the market by helping Mercedes nudge past rivals BMW and Lexus to take the sales lead in the critical U.S. market.