2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe

2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 CoupeAn Aggressive Coupe!

By Charles Donaldson

Luxury cars used to mean conservative exterior styling and plush interiors with lots of wood trim. The new demographics of luxury ownership demands a new set of rules. Square and boxy doesn’t play anymore. Exterior styling must reflect the image of wealth; good taste and a youthful life in the form of sculptured lines, a powerful stance, and a sporty profile. In the past if your driveway held claim to a luxury car it typically was a four-door sedan. This too has changed as the lines between two-and four-door have blurred. A perfect example is the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.

The all-new 2010 E-Class Coupe replaces the CLK-Class in the Mercedes lineup. It is longer, wider and more aggressively designed than its predecessor. The E-Class Coupe is available in two trims: E350 and E550. The E350 Coupe comes with a 3.5-liter V6 motor that generates 268 horsepower, while the E550 carries a 5.5-liter V8 pumping out 382 HP. Both models come with a 7-speed with overdrive automatic transmission with Touch Shift (steering wheel paddle shifters).

The E350 has a starting price of $48,436 and the E550 begins at $55,525, which are fairly comparable to last year’s CLK Coupes. If you need an extra two doors, the E-Class is also available in an E350 Sedan and E550 Sedan both which are available in RWD and AWD versions. The E350 Sedan starts at $49,475 and the E550 at $57,175.

The bodylines of the new E-Class Coupe are more aggressive and deliberate than the CLK it replaced. The roof line is dramatically racked eliminating some head room from the rear seat, not that most folks would be too comfortable in the tight rear quarters anyway. The E-Class Coupe abandons the soft curves for a more masculine edged and cut image. From the pointed nosed grille to the buffed rear shoulders Mercedes integrated aggression into the DNA of this sport-luxury coupe.

The front of the E-Class sports new wrap-around headlamps, a bold grille, and quad lower lamps. The roof is primarily sunroof and designed to give the appearance of all glass. The long steeped roof line leaves room for only a small trunk lid; however, the trunk itself is still very adequate in capacity. The rear tail lamps wrap heavily into the rear quarter panels incorporating themselves into the shoulder lines. Big chrome tipped exhaust completes the look.

The interior is dressed in leather and walnut. Just as the exterior is complex with angles, the interior is also. The dash is molded to come together creating a pointed center cluster. Another requirement of the new generation of luxury buyers is the need for technology and the E-Class is packed with the gadgets we want. Mercedes has included: Bluetooth, telescoping steering wheel, audio system with Sirius Satellite Radio, input jacks for iPod/MP3 players, 40GB hard-drive GPS voice activated Navigation system with Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 surround sound, HD Radio, power rear window sunshade and rear view camera. Note: many of these are available via the Premium Package for a cost of $3,950.

The hand polished burl walnut inlays were beautiful and extended across the front dash and into the doors. The rear seat is designed to hold two people with a storage and cup holder center console. It was a bit challenging getting my son into his car seat; however, we managed OK.

Room for improvement:

· Extremely tight rear leg and head room

Cool Features:

· Voice Activated Navigation System

· Large Navigation Screen

· Integrated NECK-PRO active front head restraints

· Attention Assist Driver Drowsiness Monitor

We wouldn’t expect a Mercedes-Benz not to be loaded with safety equipment and the E-Class is no exception. Safety equipment not already mentioned includes electronic stability control, dual stage front airbags, window curtain airbags, front side airbags, front pelvic airbags, driver knee airbag, anti-lock brakes, a tire pressure monitoring system, roll-over sensor, night security illumination and 24-hour roadside assistance program.

In Summary – The 2010 All-New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is a performance driven luxury sports coupe that expresses the new aggressive yet sleek look of Mercedes-Benz. It makes a statement in its styling and backs it up with tight handling and powerful engine options. Mercedes claims the new E-Class is the safest E-Class constructed yet. If you are looking for a luxury vehicle with sport DNA then you need to check out the all-new 2010

E-Class Coupe. If you need a little more ‘wiggle room’ then check out the sedan version.

Specifications

2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe

Base price: $54,650 as driven: $60,125 (including destination)

Engine: 5.5-Liter 8-cylinder

Horsepower: 382 @ 6000

Torque: 391 pound-feet @ 2800 rpm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with Overdrive & Touch Shift

Drive: Rear Wheel-Drive

Seating: 4-passenger

Turning circle: 35.9 feet

Cargo space: 15.9 cubic feet