Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe 2009 Pictures 
The Haves and the Has-been`s
For some time (some might even say, too long) Mercedes have never had a problem extracting cash from the high net worth. As we all know, things are a little different now. Those who were fabulously rich a year ago find themselves just merely well-off, and those who were just rich are now simply poverty stricken.
gallery (5 photos)
So for the oxymoron of the cash-strapped wealthy, any new luxury car has to have the added attraction of offering more than just a gleaming moniker to impress chums at the golf club, it has to offer value for money, too. The latter of which, is a whole ocean of uncharted waters for Mercedes. Ah, but that was then, and this is now, and Mercedes seems to have picked-up the gauntlet of this challenge and grasped it with both hands. Enter, then, the new E-Class coupe; a car which appeals to the narrative of hope rather than the resentment of fiscal megalomania.
It’s glamorous in an eccentric, Euroglam sort of way. The body, which sits on the same shared platform as it’s slightly longer 4-door brother, is oddly penumbrous and very masculine. There’s a whole gamut of sharp angles interspersed within its swoop-droopy silhouette. You sit inside and any doubts over its Cirque du Soleil architecture are soon forgotten about. In fact, there’s a feeling of self-loathing. Loyalties you might have had to, say, a well-equipped Lexus are quickly betrayed after the realisation this 2+2 seat, 2-door coupe could be sitting on your gravel driveway for a smidgen over £33k (leather included and a host of other on-board standard goodies).
This particular E-Class is more than just a four-wheeled chocolate body-wrap though; it can deliver the goods when called upon too. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here; it isn’t about to turn you into a Horseman of the Apocalyptic. Not even the 5.4-litre V8 flagship E500 is going to have you screaming like an Edvard Munch painting. There’s no mugging when you’re least expecting it with a wallop over the head from a zealous amount of torque.
Even switching the auto transmission from comfort mode to sports’ can’t entice it to stick its tongue down your throat and leave you gasping for air. What it does, and this is the same right across all five of the different engine options, is deploy its power in a subversive, gentile, manner - particularly the forecasted biggest seller, the 250CDi diesel. And that’s a shame, because whether you care for the styling or not, it does give the illusion a good shafting might be on offer.
Who will this car appeal to? Well, my guess is exactly who Mercedes are looking for; the niche market of those who have had to downsize both home and car but still need to keep up appearances for the sake of the neighbours. See, Merc know they are still a must-have brand in certain circles of society, and more to the point, this coupe comprehensively gives a two-fingered gesture – albeit a chipped-varnished one – to the doom and gloom of the recession. And for some that’s reason enough to buy one, whether they can afford it or not.
Technical Spec:
PRICE/AVAILABILITY: £33,280 - £43,360. On sale June 2009
TESTED: E250CDi BlueEFFICIENCYwith five-speed automatic transmission
POWER/TORQUE: 204bhp@4200rpm/369lb ft@1,600 – 1,800rpm
TOP SPEED: 155 mph
ACCELERATION: 0-62mph in 7.2sec
FUEL ECONOMY: 55.3mpg (combined provisional figures)
CO2 emissions: 158g/km
VED band: D £145
VERDICT: amnesia for toxic debt
ALTERNATIVES: Audi A5, from £26,355. BMW 3-Series Coupe, from £26,300. BMW 6-Series from £50,945
ON THE STEREO: “I want money” by the Flying Lizzards
STAR RATING: four out of five
CAR MAKE & MODEL
Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe 2009 Pictures
CAR REF NUMBER
22121
CAR COLOUR
Silver
VIEWS: 46
TOTAL VIEWS: 2,030
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