Mercedes E220 CDI BlueEfficiency Sports Coupe
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 07 October 2010
I LIKED the exterior of this car better than its interior.
The outside is sleek and athletic whilst the inside reminded me of the colour of an NHS walking frame.
But that is unfair as not all E Class coupe’s will be kitted out in a sort of ivory grey, or Zimmer-frame handle grey, as I cruelly referred to it as.
Jump inside the Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe and quality oozes from every pore. The smell of leather is magnificent and the seating comfort exquisite. Shut the doors and they thump shut with that Germanic solidity. It feels a safe and well screwed together car, but it should do, it’s a Mercedes.
Gun the engine and the car takes off with smooth rapidity but it’s not the fastest coupe on the block. It also feels rather heavy and, at times, quite ungainly. Get away from any twisty country roads and onto the flat black though and you could cruise all day in this beautifully made machine – especially when it is capable of up to 53.3mpg. I’d be very happy to commute for hundreds of miles – even if it meant staring at the awful interior colour scheme.
Despite only having two doors – as you might expect from a coupe - the E Class is a full four-seater, and entry to the back is aided by electrically operated front seats which glide forward and backwards when the back is tilted.
If, like me, you have young children, fitting child seats is easier than you might expect, and if you don’t, adult passengers in the rear can enjoy pleasingly shaped bucket seats. Legroom is a tad limited though, so I’m not sure anyone over 5’ 9 will have as comfortable a journey as the driver and front seat traveller.
Sporty E Class
The Coupe definitely has a sporty presence, but it is still an E Class, so there is a massive boot which makes life easy if you do have young children with bags of kit, or you’re a couple who simply want a car to tour in. There’s also a first-class music system, easy to use satnav, along with the usual cruise control, dual air conditioning and fully electric seats.
The outside shape on the E Class Coupe, as I hinted earlier, is very attractive; with its classic coupe side aspect – no B-pillars and fully retractable side windows – the two-door car is a particularly sporty interpretation of the E-Class's dynamic design.
The whole package looks very expensive, but appearances can be deceptive, because at around £30k it’s an awful lot of car for your money.
PROS ‘N’ CONS
PROS
- Attractive
- Lots of kit
- Comfort
- Economical
CONS
- Interior colour
FAST FACTS
- Max speed: 146 mph
- 0-60 mph 8.2 seconds
- Combined mpg: 53.3 (manual)
- Engine layout: 2143 litre turbo diesel
- Max. power: 167 bhp
- Max. torque: 295 lb-ft
- CO2: 139 g/km
- Price: £30,565 approx.
