2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E350 Coupe
MSRP $48,850
Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a Mercedes-Benz. They have a few vehicles that are competitive with the more expensive American luxury cars. Though you won’t get the same car you would for over $100,000, the E350 at half that price delivers a lot of the things that attract people to Mercedes-Benz in the first place.
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe has a 3.5 liter, V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower. It has 17-inch wheels, rear-wheel drive, and a 7-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. 4Matic 4-wheel drive is available as an upgrade.
The E350 comes with a power tilt-telescope steering wheel, power-adjustable front sport seats with driver memory function, 2-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, auto-dimming mirrors, MB-Tex premium vinyl upholstery, and the COMAND electronics interface. The audio system has Bluetooth, 8 speakers, AM/FM radio, a 6-CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.
The Premium upgrade package is available as an upgrade. It has voice controls, a hard drive-based navigation system, a rearview camera, voice controls, and a Harman-Kardon surround-sound system that has satellite radio, HD radio, digital music storage, and a USB/iPod interface. Other packages are also available. You may purchase as much luxury as you need.
The E350 is full of airbags. It has front airbags, front pelvic airbags, driver’s knee airbags, side front airbags, and side curtain airbags. It also has anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. It also includes Attention Assist, which alerts you when you are becoming drowsy, and Pre-safe, which anticipates an impact and better secures passengers. The Driver Assistance package with even more safety equipment is avaiable as an upgrade.
The E350 got scores of 4 stars for frontal impact and 5 stars for side impact in government testing. In addition, it got perfect scores of “good” in all tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
This may be a “half price Mercedes,” but you certainly wouldn’t know it from the interior. It exudes the typical German understated luxury that one has come to expect from Mercedes-Benz. The materials are all high-quality, and the design is practical. The wood trim is a nice and traditional touch. There is plenty of legroom in both the front and rear seats, and plenty of headroom in the front seat. The 2-door Coupe design, though, limits headroom in the rear seat a bit.
The E350 is a paragon of understated luxury. It doesn’t do anything flashy, but it does everything well. The steering and suspension are world class. The steering is responsive and gives great feel for the driver, but the suspension isn’t so tight that it detracts from the ride at all. When you ride in an E350, you will definitely know you are in a Mercedes. The engine accelerates smoothly and maintains highway speeds in silence.
The verdict: highly recommended.
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