Used Mercedes E-Class Coupé 2017-2023 review

If you’re after a suave and comfortable four-seat coupé that’s good to drive and wears a premium badge, the Mercedes E-Class Coupé could well be the car for you.

It's classy inside and out, in typical Mercedes fashion, and it shares its underpinnings with the Mercedes E-Class saloon – a good thing, since that’s a very competent luxury car.

Engines and performance: The best seller was the E220d, which consists of a 191bhp 2.0-litre diesel; it's a smooth performer at a cruise, with plenty of punch and reasonable fuel economy, and only starts to turn a little gruff when pressed into action around town. For a lot more power and a little more refinement, there’s the E350d, a V6 diesel that comes as standard only with four-wheel drive.

Of the petrol cars, the 242bhp E300 has plenty of power on paper, but it needs to be revved hard to achieve its best on the road and can be a little noisy. The E400 has four-wheel drive as standard, too, accompanied by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that delivers plenty of oomph – 0-62mph takes only 5.3sec – and makes a nicer noise, but it’ll be costly to run.

At the top of the range, we have the Mercedes-AMG E53. It uses a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six petrol engine that makes a mighty 429bhp. But that’s not all; the E53 gets Mercedes’ EQ Boost mild hybrid system, which uses electrical assistance to add a further 22bhp and additional pulling power. This improves not only responsiveness and performance but also fuel economy.

All engines come with a nine-speed automatic gearbox that does a fine job of distributing power intelligently when left to its own devices and will respond quickly to manual inputs via paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Ride and handling: Two suspension types are available: steel springs with adaptive dampers, which are standard, or optional air suspension. The air suspension does a very good job of soaking up road imperfections at high speeds, although the occasional sharp-edged pothole or particularly rough stretch of road can throw it off. The steel springs work well, too, but smaller undulations can send judders through the car.

In corners, the E-Class Coupé doesn’t match its good performance, quietness and comfort with great sporting agility. The steering’s a little numb and there’s a bit of body lean; should you push on, though, you’ll discover there’s plenty of grip and nicely neutral handling.

Interior and practicality: Inside, it’s easy to find a good driving position, thanks to an electrically adjustable seat and steering wheel. The dashboard is beautifully designed and the larger of the two infotainment options is visually stunning. All the major and minor controls are logically laid out, while all the buttons and switches are superbly damped and easy to operate. The quality of the materials is high, with plenty of leather on show.

There’s a reasonable amount of space for two up front, but the two in the rear won’t want to be there for long, unless they’re short. The boot looks a good size on paper, but in reality, the space is quite flat and access to it is awkward.

Trims and equipment: In terms of trim levels, your go-to is AMG Line. It’s the most common on the used market, plus it's well equipped and features 19in alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, cruise control, LED headlights, a DAB radio and Bluetooth.

Other trims worth mentioning include the AMG Line Night Edition, which adds plenty of extras, such as 20in alloy wheels. Do note, however, that these models are available only from 2020-onwards. Speaking of 2020, the year also ushered in a facelift for the vehicle, which altered its exterior styling and elements of the interior such as its steering wheel, among other changes.

Entry-level E220d and E300 models come with an 8.4in infotainment screen, with sat-nav as standard. With a rotary controller, the system is pretty simple to navigate, too. However, upgrading to the 12.3in screen with the Command Online infotainment system brings more advanced sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and a wi-fi hotspot.

Facelift: The E-Class Coupé was given a facelift late in 2020, which refined the car with sharper styling, new mild-hybrid engines and upgraded interior technology. Unfortunately, updates to the interior include the addition of a multi-function steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons, which was a backwards step for usability compared with the physical controls on the pre-facelift car.

"It might have been off sale for a few years now, but the E-Class Coupé's interior is still a great place to spend time. I like the quality of the materials, as well as the fact there are lots of physical controls, which makes adjusting things like the temperature very easy to do while driving." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

If you're interested in finding a used Mercedes E-Class Coupé, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

You’ll need a budget of around £11,000 to get behind the wheel of this generation of E-Class Coupé. At that price, expect a higher-mileage 2017 or 2018 example, while lower-mileage cars of a similar age typically start from around £15,000.

Prices for 2019 and 2020 models begin at roughly £15,000 for higher-mileage examples, rising to £17,000 or more for cars with lower mileage. Facelifted 2020 models command closer to £20,000, while 2021 and 2022 cars generally start from around £21,000. Later 2023 examples begin at approximately £30,000.

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MPG

On paper, the E220d is the most economical, with official average fuel consumption of 61.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 119g/km. The best-performing petrol car is the E300, which returns an official average of 40.4mpg.

Road tax

Annual car tax for those registered before April 2017 will be based on CO2 emissions, but cars registered after that will pay the current flat rate of £200 per year, which applies to all petrol and diesel cars. However, there is a supplementary luxury car surcharge if your car cost more than £40,000 new, and nearly all E-Class Coupés do – so expect to pay the additional charge, which currently stands at £440 per year for years two to six. To find out more about road tax costs, click here.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance groups are relatively high, ranging from 35 to 41, so expect large bills there. Servicing will be pricey, too, although Mercedes operates a number of servicing plans that will allow you to pay monthly and budget for the cost.

Engine

The E220d model is the one we’d seek out, offering the best blend of performance and economy. The 2.0 diesel engine emits as little as 119g/km of CO2 and it’s a surprisingly strong performer. It’s relatively smooth and quiet, too.

Specification

AMG Line is our trim of choice. It gets sporty styling and good equipment, plus it's the most affordable option.

Our favourite Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé E220d AMG Line

The Audi A5 Coupé has sharp handling, stylish looks and economical yet punchy diesel engines. The interior is also a delight, especially the easy-to-use rotary controller for the crisp infotainment system.

The first-generation BMW 4 Series rides and handles well and won’t cost a fortune to run. One or two of the diesel engines are a little gruff, however, and its traditional BMW interior isn’t as flamboyant as the E-Class Coupé’s.

If you're interested in finding a used Mercedes E-Class Coupé, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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