Category: Executive 
Price Range: £33,285 to £48,360
Quality cabin, high comfort levels, punchy 2.1-litre and 3.0-litre diesel engines.
Not very exciting to drive, limited headroom in rear seats, gloopy manual gearbox.
Lacks coupe-like road manners despite the Coupe tag - it's more of a comfortable cruiser.
All models include Mercedes' Blue Efficiency technology designed to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. Optimum gearchange indicator, low rolling resistance tyres, energy saving alternators, fuel pumps, power steering pumps and air con that switch off when not in use have all combined to reduce fuel consumption by 17% over the previous model.
Clearly the diesels will be the smart choice if you are trying to keep your costs down. Provisional figures say the 250 CDI will return about 55.4mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 135g/km of carbon dioxide and the 350 CDI will yield 41.5mpg and emit 179g/km of CO2. The 250 CGI petrol has a combined figure of 39.2mpg (167g/km) while the 350 petrol will give you 33.2mpg (199g/km). The 500 is the thirstiest, returning a combined fuel consumption of 25.9mpg (254g/km).
Insurance premiums should be affordable: ratings have yet to be finalised but a Mercedes spokesman reckons they should range between group 13 and 17.
Company car users will find the Benefit-in-Kind rate very kind if you opt for the 250, but not so kind if you go for anything larger. Choose the 250 CDI and you'll pay 18% BIK, against 26% for the 350 CDI and 28% for the 350 CGI.
