Mercedes Benz E 250 Coupe AMG

There's no question that Mercedes Benz knows how to make good looking cars.
The E Class coupe is a shining example.. It's a real headturner with a "wow" factor in spades, especially this AMG optioned version. A swooping roof turret, aggressive stance with air scoops aplenty up front, 19 inch alloys wrapped in 35 and 30 series tyres, mean you won't ever go unnoticed.

 

 The turbocharged 2 litre four pot is an amazing powerplant.

If you didn't know better you'd think there was a much larger engine lurking under the bonnet.155kw and a mighty 350 nm throws you down the road in a zero to 100 kph time of around seven seconds.

Not bad considering the Coupe weighs just over 1600 kilograms.

It's the smooth unfussed way it delivers that performance that impresses. On the highway there's nary a whisper from wind or road....prod the throttle and the E250 leaps forward in a surge of silent power. Cornering is extremely precise, the car sits flat and composed. Suspension is adjustable from comfort to sport. In Comfort the ride can be a bit floaty at times, but not annoyingly so. Sport stiffens up everything, while retaining good ride comfort.  

To distinguish this AMG model from lesser variants, Mercedes has fitted bright red seatbelts, with seat stitching to match. And to avoid awkward reaching backwards for the front occupant's seat belts, when the car is started, an arm extends forward, proffering the belt to you. Once buckled up, the belts automatically tighten across your chest for optimum tension.A great convenience feature!
Inside the cabin, the seats are firm as in most German cars, but very supportive and well bolstered at the sides,however heated seats are an option.

Entry to the rear seats is a tad awkward, especially for taller passengers, even though the doors open wide and the front seats slide forward electronically out of the way. Once in the back, the seats are fine, but  my head hit the low roofline. Rear seat passengers won't suffer claustrophobia from fixed window glass. All four windows retract completely.
The Coupe has a 12 speaker Harmon- Kardon premium sound system with DAB digital radio.. As mentioned elsewhere in this blog,on other Mercs and BMWs fitted with similar systems, the quality and clarity is astonishing. A console " mouse" operates all the functions on the large central dashboard screen.

Forward visibility however is restricted somewhat, by the large 30x18 centimetre black housing at the top of the windscreen, containing various radar sensors. I found it quite intrusive. Owners would get most likely get used to it, but it could remain as an irritant, as the windscreen is quite shallow. 

The E Class Coupe is fitted with an extraordinary array of safety features, including Active Lane Keeping and Steering Assist. If you let go of the steering wheel, the car's sensors prevent it from drifting out of the lane. Even when cornering, you can feel the servos nudging the wheel to follow the curve.Ultimately the car will flash a display with two bright red hands indicating you take control again.( see E class sedan test for more details.)
Distronic cruise keeps the car a selected distance from the car in front, even slowing down to a complete stop unaided by driver brake input. Blind Spot Assist activates warning triangles in the wing mirrors if a car is coming up alongside. 

Headlights are superb on high or low beam and have an auto high beam mode, that selects the brighter long distance lamps for you when travelling on poorly lit roads.
If you aren't much good at parallel parking,the Coupe will park itself and also automatically drive you out of your parking spot as well! (see E Class sedan test.)
Mercedes persists with an anachronistic foot operated park brake, with a hand release under the dashboard. It's not intuitive and quite fiddly, especially when unobtrusive and effective electronic parking brake systems are fitted to numerous cheaper cars.
The right hand steering wheel wand selects gears.One flick up for reverse and one down for Drive. Park is activated by a button on the wand's end. I found it easy to use and required just a tap of a finger to operate, as it's right next to where your hand rests on the wheel.
Steering wheel paddles allow for semi- manual changes in the seven speed gearbox.The left hand wand handles both wipers and indicators.

The test car also came with a panoramic glass sliding sunroof. When open at highway speeds ,an efficient mesh pop up screen eliminates almost all wind noise and buffeting.
So... if you have a spare 96K floating around and want to be seen in an elegant luxury coupe, your search could end right here.
Peter Sellen