Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe E250 Review: Par excellence

What we like:

Elegant yet sporty coupe design. Large boot that doesn’t betray its coupe sleekness. Excellent ride and handling.

What we dislike:

Dated COMAND system.

The E250 is powered by a compact 2.0-litre four cylinder engine that produces 211bhp at 5,500 rpm. The 350Nm of torque is most useful from 1,200rpm which gets the 1.6 ton car up to speed fairly quickly.

While the century sprint time isn’t particularly sporty at 7.1 seconds, one can appreciate the buttery smooth delivery of power right from the start. Despite its humble engine, the car never feels hurried nor agricultural. Each prod of the throttle is met with a wash of forced induction sound as the revs build gradually.

Quite quickly the coupe asserts itself with its excellent steering rack. While steering weight is slightly lighter than we usually prefer, we find it suitable for what is afterall a coupe aimed at the lux crowd. However, with the ‘Sport’ program activated, the steering is sharp and accurate while being decently quick as we strung a series of bends together with ease. The chassis felt balanced despite the exuberant pace while it remained sure footed through the bend.

The ride was exquisitely controlled. Mercedes-Benz found a perfect blend of pliant damping while still remaining firm enough for dynamic driving. Gear changes from the 7G-tronic goes unnoticed much of the time unless hurried with a full load of throttle input and is always evenly matched with the driver’s demands.

While not designed as a GT car, the E250 Coupe will make a nice travelling companion for extended drives with its very pliant ride and decent handling. Though one would expect some compromises when driving a two door coupe, the E250 here presents almost none. Save for the missing centre bolster in the rear.

Most would consider it as a second car in the family but it is adequately equipped to be the only car for a young family.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline