Car Statistics: Mercedes - E Class Coupe Series 09 (4 stars)

Styling (4 stars)

The E-Class Coupe is not conventionally beautiful, what with its blistered rear wheel arches, angular headlights and jutting tail, but it's rakish and handsome enough. As with many Mercedes coupes, this one is pillarless, with all four side windows dropping for an unobstructed side view; an opening full-length glass roof is also available. The interior is sumptuous, if a little clumsily styled in places.

Handling (4 stars)

All E-Class Coupes handle tidily, but the four-cylinder versions on smaller wheels are decisively more entertaining than the V8 E500 on 18-inch rims. The top-of-the-range model offers less steering feel and isn't as well balanced as the smaller-engined models, which handle well enough to please the keen driver in a way that previous Mercedes coupes have never managed. Standard-fit ESP provides effective skid control, too.

Comfort (4 stars)

The sumptuous interior delivers on its promise, providing four very comfortable seats and an impressively commotion-free cabin. The only flaw is some light wind rustle above 80mph. Ride quality is mostly very good on the 17-inch alloys, although sharp bumps and ridges can produce the odd unexpected thump, a flaw intensified on cars with 18-inch rims.

Quality (4 stars)

Mercedes went through a bad patch some years back for reliability and quality of finish, but it's been working hard to regain its once-mighty reputation - for example, the E-Class saloon that this coupe is based on has been the most extensively tested Mercedes ever. The fit, finish and quality of materials are of a high order, if not quite to the standard of the best Audis.

Performance (4 stars)

All engines in the range, including the 250 CGI-badged 1.8 petrol turbo, perform with quiet enthusiasm and are coupled to automatics that usually find the right gear at the right time. The manual transmission is slick-shifting too. The E500 could transmit more V8 burble to the cabin and the 250 CDI sounds more diesel-like than the remarkably quiet 350 CDI, but overall these drivelines perform with the brisk civility that you'd expect.

Roominess (4 stars)

Most coupes sacrifice cabin space for style, but this Benz has plenty of room in the back, even if taller passengers might find headroom slightly lacking. Room in the front is generous and the boot is reasonably capacious (450 litres), even more so when the two individual rear seats are folded. Stowage space for oddments is plentiful and includes big door bins, a centre cubby, plus nets beneath the rear seats and on the transmission tunnel.

Costs (4 stars)

Keener list prices, reasonably complete standard equipment and modest sales ambitions should help this Coupe hold its value, as will its improved standards of finish. Fuel consumption has been usefully reduced, and insurance costs should be competitive, as will those for servicing.

Value (4 stars)

This new coupe costs around 5% less than the outgoing CLK and provides more equipment including leather trim and parking assist as standard, Mercedes deliberately aiming to offer better value than previously. The price climb from SE to Sport also provides good value.

Stereo (3 stars)

A new, intermediate infotainment system offers a more affordable screen-based sat nav than the pricey Mercedes Comand system. The standard stereo has eight speakers and sounds good; an excellent 12-speaker, 500-watt system is optional.