Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Wagon: 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender

We Like: The well-engineered wagon

We Don’t Like: The underwhelming coupe

Never in recent memory have two variants of the same model been so wildly divergent. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe and wagon are both heavily revised variants of the latest E-Class sedan, yet they both feel like they come from different planets.

The E400 wagon is the more charming of the two. Although it shares its 329-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 and nine-speed auto with the coupe, its longer wheelbase and less aggressive wheel/tire package make it an absolute sweetheart to drive. “It feels carved from steel and rebar-reinforced granite,” Jonny Lieberman said. The interior is special, as well, with thick leather and elegant pinstriping. The back seat’s space was disappointing, but Mercedes makes up for it with two old-school rear-facing jump seats in the spacious cargo area. “The E-Class sedan is the heart of Mercedes-Benz, and the E-Class wagon is its soul,” Angus MacKenzie said.

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So what does that make the coupe, then? The appendix, apparently. The Engineering Excellence that went into the wagon is missing from the coupe. Steering is heavy and ponderous, its suspension is prone to harsh vertical motions, and the chassis doesn’t have the grip or composure to deal with the twin-turbo V-6’s power. “The E400 coupe is a louche boulevardier,” MacKenzie said. “It’s not a sports car. Not even a GT. It’s all mouth, no trousers.”

With few exceptions, Car of the Year is traditionally an award given to a whole lineup, and as good as the E-Class wagon is, it isn’t good enough to pull up the coupe with it.

	2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 (coupe)	2017 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC (wagon)
BASE PRICE	$59,825	$63,295
PRICE AS TESTED	$87,585	$89,135
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe	Front-engine, AWD, 7-pass, 4-door wagon
ENGINE	3.0L/329-hp/354-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6	3.0L/329-hp/354-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	9-speed automatic	9-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	4,194 lb (54/46%)	4,464 lb (52/48%)
WHEELBASE	113.1 in	115.7 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	190.0 x 73.2 x 56.3 in	194.2 x 72.9 x 58.1 in
0-60 MPH	5.0 sec	5.2 sec
QUARTER MILE	13.5 sec @ 104.4 mph	13.8 sec @ 101.5 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	109 ft	108 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.85 g (avg)	0.90 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.0 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)	25.7 sec @ 0.73 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	20/26/22 mpg	19/25/21 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	169/130 kW-hrs/100 miles	177/135 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.87 lb/mile	0.91 lb/mile

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