2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe Review

The normally conservative E-Class just shed much of its conventionality with the introduction of the 2010 Coupe and Cabriolet variants. This week’s tester is the E 350 Coupe.

Excitement versus temperance
The E 350 Coupe manages to blend both excitement and temperance into its new form. Retracting the side windows reveals the excitement, epitomized by a sweeping, uninterrupted opening to fresh air. The pillar-less crescent-shaped laceration is the design highlight of this mid-size coupe.

The E 350 Coupe manages to blend both excitement and temperance into its new form. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com)

The remaining bodywork is attractive yet tempered. Clearly, the pens at Mercedes-Benz didn’t want to alienate the conservative sensibilities of its target market. Overall, the Coupe closely resembles its E-Class Sedan sibling, however, in terms of dimension the E-Class Coupe has more in common with the CLK Coupe that it replaces.

Conservative cabin contains noteworthy highlights
The Coupe’s cabin ascribes to the most recent Mercedes-Benz design theme, and again closely resembles that of the E-Class Sedan. Particularly noteworthy in my tester were its front seats, which could be infinitely adjusted thanks to the presence of numerous pneumatic bolsters in the seat cushion and seat back.

The E-Class Coupe supplies a two-occupant rear seat that’s sporty looking but cramped. This isn’t a vehicle that one buys if hauling passengers is a regular undertaking. Yes, it’s great to have a functional rear seat when the occasional need arises but in this case ingress and egress can be difficult despite the power-operated Easy Entry System, which automatically moves the front seat forward.

Once seated in the rear, larger occupants will encounter compromised head and legroom. Accommodation deficits aside, I was impressed with the clear, straightforward gauge cluster the E 350 Coupe presents to its driver. This setup was a pleasure to scan day or night.

Less pleasurable in my mind was Mercedes-Benz’s Command Controller technology, which is used to interface with the vehicle’s settings and programs. Mercedes-Benz claims it’s now the best of such electronic devices that have become so popular in hi-end vehicles. In my mind, the jury’s still deliberating that.

I was impressed with the clear, straightforward gauge cluster the E 350 Coupe presents to its driver. This setup was a pleasure to scan day or night. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com)