Replacing the E350's conventional suspension, and in place of the Airmatic air suspension found on the E550 sedan, the E550 coupe uses a new system called Dynamic Handling. It uses computer-controlled adjustable shocks to allow both a smoother ride and better body control than the E350's. Mercedes says it chose this new system instead of Airmatic because it provides a more sporty driving experience. We suspect cost--the air-spring system isn't cheap--played just as important of a role in that decision.
The two E coupes share their steering gear--a rack-and-pinion layout that has an overall ratio of 14.7:1, much quicker than the E-class sedan's 17.0:1. Indeed, the quicker steering helps to make the E coupe feel lighter and smaller than the sedan-but then again, it actually is smaller and lighter than the sedan. Over the road, though, it doesn't feel small at all: road and wind noise are unusually well hushed. In fact, the E coupe seemed to provide near S-class levels of quietness on the open road, even at its 130-mph speed limiter.
The E coupe is more of a high-speed grand tourer than it is a sports car. The seven-speed automatic is smooth in normal driving, but can be slow to react and clumsy in manic driving. Typical of most Mercedes, the steering is devoid of feedback on-center, where there's an appreciable amount of play in the system. In crosswinds, the E requires more input than one would expect to keep it traveling in a straight line. Unfortunately, there is also a substantial amount of lateral compliance in the rear (C-class-based) suspension, which results in an unsettling yaw moment as the rear takes a set.
There are no complaints about the E's cabin, which is filled with first-rate switchgear and very high-quality materials. It lacks the E-class sedan's ambient lighting, but it uses the sedan's new, straightforward climate control, which operates effectively and quietly. The front seats (optionally heated, ventilated, and highly adjustable) are aggressively bolstered and very comfortable. The rear seats are also buckets, and there's plenty of legroom, but the low roofline restricts headroom for passengers approaching six feet tall. Headroom is tight up front, too, for very tall adults. The optional Harmon/Kardon stereo plays well with iPods and offers excellent sound reproduction.
It's the interior's feeling of quality that's the E-class coupe's best attribute. Like the CLK, this two-door will sell on emotional appeal rather than logic. (In other words, people will buy it because of the way it looks.) It's in that area that the new C207-chassis is a little awkward. It's a mish-mash of styling cues from all over the map, including rear fenders that have a modern interpretation of the rear flare from 1950s Ponton-fendered Mercedes. Not only do the fenders look a little out of place on a vehicle with such an aggressive face (especially on the E550, which gets standard AMG body-styling), it's obvious that they were flared to help distract the eye from what would otherwise be a big ol' expanse of plain steel. The relatively short doors leave an emormous rear quarter panel. And the LED taillight treatment-though pretty-isn't particularly distinctive.
As with most modern Mercedes-especially the S-class-the E coupe looks best in motion, painted in a dark color. Under such conditions, the eye notices less of the awkward details and more of the traditional Mercedes cues-the trapezoidal grille, CLS-like arching roofline, and get-out-of-my-way headlights. It's then that the new coupe becomes glamorous enough to proudly wear its E-class badge.