2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

What's old is new

Although the general shape of the E-Class coupe and convertible carries over for the new model year, both cars have now been graced with the latest version of Mercedes' design language. Up front that means a more aggressive bumper and LED “winged” headlights. Changes to the rear of the cars are less noticeable, but both the coupe and convertible get new-look taillights and a more up-scale looking lower bumper for 2014.

Paired with 18-inch wheels, the styling tweaks add up to a decidedly sporty look, even if the E-Class remains more of an autobahn stormer rather than a canyon carver. But more on that later.

The interiors of the E-Class coupe and convertible have also been given a once over for 2014, with a restyled center stack and three-pod gauge cluster hailing as the most prominent changes.

The E-Class coupe and convertible score high marks for a new leather-covered dash, but other interior surfaces come across as underwhelming. The E-Class' door tops would be perfectly acceptable in a $25,000 mid-size sedan, but feel out of place in a car that carries a price tag north of $50,000. The E-Class' aluminum trim doesn't really move us, either, but other finishes will be on the options list.

Just about anyone will be able to find their perfect driving position in either the E-Class coupe or convertible thanks to multi-adjustable power seats – which include two separate lumbar supports – but we found the seat cushions a bit too firm to be comfortable during an extended drive. Your results may very.

Twin-turbos ho!

The E-Class sedan is scheduled to lose its V8 option starting next year but, thanks to an 80 percent take rate, the eight-cylinder will remain on offer indefinitely in the E550 coupe and convertible. Rated at 402 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, the 4.6L twin-turbo mill actually feels stronger than its numbers would suggest. Our E550 coupe test car had no problem keeping pace on the autobahn and seemed to have pulling power everywhere in the rev band.

The E350 coupe and convertible will live on for another year in the U.S., but will be replaced by the twin-turbocharged E400 in 2014. The E400 loses half a liter of displacement compared to the E350 – 3.0L vs. 3.5L – but the twin-turbos add up to far more power; 333 horsepower and 353 lb-ft of torque, to be exact.

We were able to sample a Euro-market E400 convertible and came away quite impressed with the new engine. We didn't notice any turbo lag and the twin-turbocharged V6 felt as strong as a typical V8. In fact, we'd be surprised if the E400 didn't eat into the E550's 80 percent take rate when it arrives on these shores during the second half of next year as a 2015 model.

Both mills come mated to Mercedes-Benz' seven-speed automatic transmission.

Although we can't fault the E's drivetrains, we were let down by the coupe and convertible's steering, which felt numb and and lacked an on-center feel. True, most E-Class coupes and convertibles will be used for cruising, but if Mercedes thought enough to include a “Sport” suspension setting, shouldn't the steering have at least some semblance of a sporting feel?

In case you get bored with the E's steering altogether, Mercedes' optional Intelligent Drive system can assume driving responsibilities. Essentially the same system that recently debuted in the new S-Class, Intelligent Drive uses all of the car's systems – cameras, radar sensors, etc. – to keep the E in its assigned lane and brake for traffic ahead. We found the system worked well overall, but we did experience some wandering within the lane markers.

At autobahn speeds, the E coupe felt a little more planted than its convertible counterpart, but the drop-top exhibited far less flex than we were expecting. The convertible's optional Aircap system – which deploys from the top of the windshield at 25 mph – does a fairly good job of deflecting wind at moderate speeds, but can lose some of its effectiveness on the highway. When you eventually tire of the wind-in-your-hair feeling, the convertible's triple-layer soft top does an excellent job of keeping ambient noises at bay.

Leftlane's bottom line

The E-Class coupe and convertible have progressed nicely since ditching their CLK roots, but there is still room for improvement -- we're not blown away by the E's interior appointments and the cars lack driving excitement.

But if you're simply in the market for a high-dollar boulevard cruiser that looks good and goes like stink, the E-Class coupe or convertible could be just the car for you.