Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport 2dr Car Review - March 2012

REVIEW
List Price: £39,915
Tax Band: G
Insurance Group: 41
MPG: 47.1
CO2: 157
0-62 Mph: 6.1 secs
BHP: 265 BHP
Range: 684 miles
CarSite Verdict:  4/5
The 350 CDI BE Sport is a great coupe, with a powerful and strong 3.5 litre diesel engine that also benefits from Mercedes’ Blue Efficiency technology, which reduces emissions and means low running costs, especially for an engine of this size. The handling and steering are sharp, especially with the Sport trim.

However, the Sport suspension can be uncomfortable to drive and there is not a great deal of rear seat head and leg room.

Overall though, it is a great coupe with good styling, although the SE trim does offer more luxury cabin features.

PROS:  A fantastic engine with great running costs considering the 3.5 litre size and low CO2 emissions. The handling is great and the steering with the Sport trim is much improved.

CONS:  The Sport suspension can be a little uncomfortable and the coupe isn’t the most practical of cars with the rear seat room being a little cramped.

Behind the Wheel

The E-Class coupe engines all vary vastly in performance, but the 350 is very powerful and quick.

You can select which chassis setting you want for the E-Class and this affects handling and suspension of the coupe. The suspension is absorptive and makes the drive fairly smooth even on rough surfaces.

The engine is 2987cc and uses diesel fuel with a fuel tank capacity of 66 litres. There is a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which provides smooth acceleration.

The engine is fairly refined and the coupe has hardly any road or wind noise.

The 350 CDI Blue Efficiency has a 261bhp engine delivering 457lb-ft of torque at 1600-2400rpm and reaches 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds with a top speed of 155mph.

Looks & Equipment

The interior of the E-Class coupe is well-designed and high-quality, living up to the reputation of Mercedes-Benz as a stylish manufacturer, although some of the features look a little cheap.

The seat and steering wheel adjust comfortably and the dash is fairly comprehensive, although the controls are quite small and fiddly. The seats are supportive and comfortable and the visibility good.

The 350 CDI Blue Efficiency Sport comes with man-made leather seats, power steering, satellite navigation, cruise control, rear parking sensors, climate control, stability control, alloy wheels, Bluetooth, MP3 connectivity and stereo as standard, with optional extras including metallic paint for £695.

The Sport trim also offers firmer suspension and more powerful brakes as well as Mercedes’ AMG tuning body kit, with sharper steering and intelligent lights.

For fuel economy, the E-Class coupe has a start/stop system, which allows for great efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

Practicality, Safety & Reliability

The E-Class coupe comes with all the safety equipment you would expect in a high-quality car including driver, passenger and front side airbags (nine in total), alarm and immobiliser as standard. It also has the stability control, Attention Assist system, which alerts tired drivers, the Pre-Safe anticipatory crash-protection system and a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in the case of a collision.

Mercedes-Benz has a great record in reliability and the E-Class coupe should be no different.

The boot is fairly sizeable offering 450 litres with the rear seats up. The E-Class coupe seats four quite comfortably, but rear seat leg and head room is a little cramped.

Value for Money

The running costs are modest with the E-Class coupe due to the efficient engine stop/start system, although the size of this engine does bump up the economy. The 350 CDI Blue Efficiency model costs £38,880 and has a combined economy of 47.1mpg and CO2 emission rate of 157g/km.

The E-Class coupe has good running costs thanks to the efficient engines.

The resale value on the E-Class coupe is excellent. Mercedes-Benz promise good service and reliability as well. Insurance costs are low, but servicing is expensive.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Sport 2dr Car Review - by 
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