Mercedes-Benz E350 and E550 Coupe Test Drive: Posh Performer Delivers Cool Safety Tech

Mercedes-Benz E350 and E550 Coupe Test Drive: Posh Performer Delivers Cool Safety Tech

Las Vegas—The old CLK was too pedestrian to be a Mercedes-Benz coupe. There, we said it. As much as we lusted for the insanely fun 500-hp CLK63 AMG Black Series, the more conventional models in the CLK lineup looked too much like other two-doors on the market. Some have said the CLK even resembled an Accord Coupe.

Well, Mercedes Benz has fixed all that with the new E-Class Coupe—a car that not only now clearly belongs to the more upscale E-Class lineup, but also looks distinctly different than any other coupe on the market. We hit the road in Vegas recently for a test drive.—Ben Stewart

The Specs

The CLK, as the name suggested, shared much of its mechanical makeup with the previous generation C-Class sedan. Mercedes says the new E-Class Coupe shares 60 percent of its components with the E-Class Sedan we recently reviewed as well as 40 percent of its components with "other Mercedes-Benz products." A look at some key dimensions reveals that the E-Class Coupe shares a nearly identical wheelbase, width and track with the C-Class sedan. The E-Class sedan rides on a 4.4-inch longer wheelbase, 2-inch wider track and is 6.7 inches longer overall than the E-Class Coupe. It's also around 400 pounds heavier. The independent suspension of the E Coupe uses a similar Macpherson strut front and five-arm multilink arrangements as the C-Class.

Under the hood of the E350 Coupe is Mercedes-Benz's 268-hp 3.5-liter V6 that sends 258 lb-ft of torque to a seven-speed automatic. The E550 packs a 382-hp 5.5-liter V8 with 391 lb-ft of torque and uses the same transmission. Mercedes says the V6 cars will hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and the E550 will make that run in 5.0 seconds flat. Aside from the larger 18-inch wheels and sportier rocker panels, you can distinguish V8-powered E Coupes by their square tailpipes. The V6 cars have oval ones.

The E-Class Coupes are equipped with much of the same technology as their four door cousins. Standard on all E Coupes is Attention Assist. The system monitors 70 different parameters to determine if a driver is drifting off to sleep—and will provide a warning to wake him up. Even more impressive tech is bundled with the Distronic Plus package. This option group includes adaptive cruise control, which automatically maintains a preset distance away from other cars and can bring the E Coupe to a complete stop if needed. Similarly, Brake Assist Plus can determine if a crash is imminent and will use partial or fully autonomous braking to avoid or lessen the severity of a collision. More safety tech includes a whopping nine airbags and increased body strength over the previous-generation CLK coupe. Roughly 72 percent of the E Coupe's chassis and bodywork is constructed from high-strength steel or aluminum.

The cabin is more intimate than that of the E-Class sedan; there's slightly less shoulder room and legroom for rear passengers. But, surprisingly, the Coupe has a couple of inches more headroom up front than the sedan. Coupes aren't usually very practical. But this new E Coupe can carry almost 16 cubic feet of gear in the trunk—and even more when the rear seat is folded flat.

The Drive

Mercedes-Benz says the majority of its customers will opt for the less expensive and more fuel-frugal V6-powered E350. It returns an estimated 18-mpg city and 26 mpg on the highway while the E550 delivers 16 mpg city and 23 mpg on the highway. Many times, we too are satisfied with only six cylinders. But that's not the case here. After spending half the day running the E350 across the lonely Nevada dessert and then hitting the curves on a twisty mountain road, we say—get the V8.

The E350s V6 may be plenty quick against the stopwatch, but it doesn't have the same soul as the V8. Toe into the throttle, and the mellow V8 burble combines with a smooth wave of power and torque—passing lesser machines is so easy. The E550 never has to work hard and never sounds stressed. In other words, it's a proper luxury car.

The E550 also comes standard with 18-inch wheels and the sportier Agility Control suspension that automatically adapts to road conditions. The E550 feels more at home on challenging roads than the E-Class sedan. It has quicker ratio steering, a shorter wheelbase and less weight to haul around. The cabin is sportier than the sedan too. The gearshift lever is moved from the column on the sedan to the console—where it belongs. But this Benz still leans more toward refinement and pampering than its more engaging rivals—the sporty BMW 3 Series Coupe and Audi S5.

Styling is subjective, but the more time we spent with the new E Coupe, the more interesting angles and details we saw in the design. The rear three-quarter-angle view—with all the windows down—is the one that best shows off the coupe's wide hips and aggressive tumblehome. And overall this car seems to ape many of the lines of Mercedes' own sleek and successful CLS sedan.

The Bottom Line

The new E-Class Coupe is what a Mercedes coupe should be. It's smooth, luxurious, safe and—in the E550 form—very entertaining. The $48,925 E350 and $55,525 E550 Coupe will arrive in Mercedes-Benz stores this summer. When we pressed officials about the possibility of an AMG E-Class Coupe they hinted that for now, it didn't appear likely. But a year from now we will get an E-Class cabriolet. We say, bring back that AMG Black Series coupe too.