2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4Matic Coupe

Sensibly irrational.

Although they share a basic architecture, the Mercedes-Benz E-class coupe has an entirely different spirit than its E-class sedan counterpart. Going beyond the simple removal of a pair of doors and B-pillars, the E400 coupe’s elegant, airy ambiance makes it the perfect accomplice for both nights on the town and long Sunday drives, these in addition to its core competence as an indulgent transportation device. That the rear compartment is large enough for a pair of full-grown adults to sit comfortably is a welcome bonus.

Personal Luxury

Sharing exactly zero body panels with its four-door counterpart, the E-class coupe is shorter by 2.6 inches in wheelbase and 3.8 inches overall, and it presents a sophisticated silhouette. Even though much of the interior is straight-up E-class fare, the wide swing of the long doors evokes a modern, Teutonic version of the “personal luxury” concept that Detroit and its Madison Avenue counterparts spun up more than half a century ago. Thankfully, you won’t find any button-tufted velour or plasti-wood here. From the standard leather upholstery (saddle brown and black in our test car) to the $1300 Black Piano lacquer wood trim, and from the two-door-specific air vents to the $1050 heated steering wheel and armrests, the E400’s cabin cossets passengers in an environment of exclusivity.

The task of propelling this sybaritic vessel falls to Benz’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, nine-speed automatic transmission, and 4Matic all-wheel drive, the last item representing a $2500 upcharge over the rear-drive model. Producing 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, the turbo six had little trouble moving the 4314-pound car at a pace becoming of a dignified coupe. Mercedes-Benz’s familiar Dynamic Select system is on hand to tailor the response of the throttle, transmission, and suspension (when equipped with optional air springs) to different driving environments or simply to the driver’s tastes. We found that Sport mode does a fine job of balancing ride and performance for most situations, while Comfort offers lower shift points and smooths out harsh road imperfections on long highway slogs. As for the Eco and Sport+ modes, the first is a self-explanatory bore, while the second puts an even sharper edge on the car’s dynamic settings for maximum fun at the expense of a harsher ride and more engine noise due to higher shift points.

Comparisons Are Dubious

At the test track, the E400 coupe completed the zero-to-60-mph run in five seconds flat and punted itself through the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 104 mph. Placing that in the context of the Benz’s competitors is a bit of a challenge. With the recent spate of slinky four-doors corrupting the traditional definition of “coupe” and the ranks of genuine mid-size luxury two-doors thinning, we have to cast our nets a little wider. Looking slightly downmarket, we have the Audi A5 coupe with a turbocharged 252-hp 2.0-liter inline-four and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which posted identical times in both measures. Indirectly across the aisle, we have the Audi A7, a four-door hatchback that parallels the E400 coupe in terms of its all-wheel-drive layout and its engine’s nearly identical 333 horsepower from a forced-induction 3.0-liter V-6, if not door count. The A7 hits the 60-mph mark in just 4.7 seconds and squeaks past the E400 in the quarter-mile at 13.4 seconds at 105 mph. With BMW’s 6-series coupe no longer sold in the U.S. market, the only model in Munich’s canon that comes close to the price and mission of the E400 coupe is the 640i convertible, which in our last test clocked in at 4.9 and 13.6 seconds, beating the E400 by a tenth to 60 mph and matching it in the quarter-mile.

Moving to the skidpad, we pushed the E400 on its Michelin Primacy 3 ZP tires (245/40R-19 front, 275/35R-19 rear) to the limit, noting plenty of understeer on the way to recording 0.90 g of grip. Initial turn-in is precise and the steering response direct, but feedback remains missing in action. Braking surpassed expectations, with the E400’s 156-foot stopping distance from 70 mph shaving five feet from the 161 feet required by the Mercedes-AMG E43 sedan. The pedal is firm, and we experienced no fade under repeated stops. But again, performing feats of dynamic heroism is not this car’s mission statement. Its waft game is strong, and the entire chassis displays more than a hint of that old-school, resolute but cultured Benz personality. Even though the tiny rear-quarter windows are fixed, opening the rest of the windows and piloting the E400 coupe through the natural tapestry of a brisk autumn day produces a euphoria so intense it should require a prescription.

The Price of Luxury

At this point you might think, “Man, that’s a lot of refined personal luxury for about $65K,” and you’d be right. Unfortunately, the value proposition begins to diminish when you stack on the goodies. Our test example’s fetching Lunar Blue Metallic paint added a reasonable $720, and the AMG trim package (body styling accents and metal-trimmed pedals) is $2500. The car also had a set of 19-inch AMG split five-spoke wheels—a bargain at $500, as are the rear side airbags for $420, even if Mercedes-Benz of yore used to make a point about including all of its safety technology as standard. For $950, the massaging Multicontour seats ratcheted up the hedonism factor, although we think the $450 additional cost of the heating and ventilation functions should be included, since few buyers are likely to spring for the decadent massage feature but forego heating and ventilation.

The tour through the list of extras on our test car culminates with a pair of big-ticket items: The sonically impressive $5400 Burmester 3D audio system (23 speakers, 25 amplifier channels, 1450 total watts) and the $10,200 Premium 3 package, which bundles together all of the mod cons that buyers have come to expect in this class (12.3-inch instrument-cluster screen, a head-up display, surround-view camera, wireless device charging with near-field pairing, LED headlamps, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, parking assist, and more). With all these options, the $62,395 base MSRP ballooned to $87,785.

If you’re getting the idea that the E400 coupe has carved out a pretty special niche for itself, you’re paying attention. Buyers who prioritize performance above all might make a case for the smaller, faster Cadillac ATS-V coupe, but that rear-drive car is surgical steel cloaked in John Varvatos duds; the E400 coupe is a Böker pocketknife in Harris Tweed­. With few natural competitors in the wild, the E400 coupe’s toughest competition comes from within: the E-class cabriolet. It’s up to you to decide how much wind you want with your personal luxury.