The two letters “GT” get applied to all manner of cars, right down to the most mundane compact sedans. Of course, they are the abbreviation for “Grand Touring,” or “Gran Turismo” if you prefer, and they have been seen on cars for many decades now.
The classic GT car is one in which you would be very happy to drive all day, far away from the city, in great comfort and speed. A GT is different from a sports car, despite it having some sporting credentials, in that it is softer edged, quieter, more luxurious and roomy, but still making a statement about the owner’s success and good taste. And, it is most likely to be a two-door coupe.
By that definition, there aren’t many such cars left, short of the exotics. But Mercedes-Benz still builds big GT coupes, and one of them is the E-Class, in this case the E53 Coupe which has been massaged by AMG. It fits the definition of GT in many ways.
First impressions count for a lot, and the E53 makes a good one, with an elegant, high-class design that was perhaps a bit understated in the Obsidian Black Metallic of our tester, making for a stealthy look on the open road. Thankfully, the attractive optional 20-inch wheels were not also black, despite the spec sheet saying that the car is equipped with black ones.
The look continues in the interior, and really, who is doing more attractive interiors than Mercedes-Benz these days? In a luxury car like this, one expects a certain level of comfort and convenience, but the design of the E53’s interior makes an immediate visual impression, especially at night with its blue ambient lighting and the bright screens. Our tester carried the all-black theme inside, with aluminum and carbon trim adding a touch of techno elegance to the traditional quality of high-grade leather.
It goes without saying that the front seats are multi-adjustable and will provide support and comfort for all but the extremes of human body dimensions. The comfort continues in the rear seat, to a point; getting in to the rear takes some contorting, naturally, but there is more headroom than you might expect with such a sloping roofline above you. That back seat folds down in 60/40 ratio to add greatly to the cargo flexibility, and there is a ski pass-through door in the middle of it, as well.
Like most Mercedes vehicles above the entry-level ones, the E53 has the MBUX infotainment system that is activated not only by voice, but by touch on the 12.3-inch centre screen, via the touchpad on the centre console, or via the haptic buttons that you don’t even need to actually touch, on the steering wheel. The extent of this seems a bit like technology for its own sake, but once you figure it all out, there is almost no end to the operational variables of this car.
You might not have expected the engine in the E53 to be a straight six. For years, we have been treated to the “63” models that, most recently, denote a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 with over 600 horsepower. The cars so equipped are made to compete in the high-end horsepower wars that still rage on, but you can see Mercedes (and others) scaling down the outrageousness in this day and age of at least some social responsibility, to a level of power that is completely adequate and satisfying in any regular passenger car.
In the C53, that means 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque from but 3.0 litres thanks to supercharging (for low-end boost), turbocharging (for mid-to-high end boost), and a small electric motor called EQ Boost that adds momentary power in full-throttle instances. This engine definitely has you covered in the power department, generating 0-to-100 km/h runs in the mid-four-second range, and a quarter-mile in the mid-12’s. That, we say, is plenty of speed to make for a very satisfying feel when the throttle is buried. Also very appealing is the typical straight-six wail, the volume of which you can adjust from the driver’s seat, which might make you forget about V8 rumble.
Completing the mechanical story is a Speedshift TCT nine-speed automatic transmission massaged by AMG, and AMG 4Matic+ all-wheel drive which, in this car, allows all the power to be sent to the rear wheels, which certainly ups the performance “feel” of the chassis. Brakes are large and confidence inspiring in normal use; we didn’t test their effectiveness on a track. Our tester was equipped with 20-inch winter tires; standard are 19-inch wheels.
There are six Drive Modes to choose between, from Slippery, Individual and Comfort at the “normal” end, on up through Sport, Sport Plus and Race, of all things, these last three varying things like throttle sensitivity, damper settings and traction control for ultimate performance driving. We suppose the E53 could be driven at a track day, so being able to vary these parameters would be helpful and fun. Sport will be plenty of performance feel for most people, as going up a level to Sport Plus adds quite of bit of harshness on normal road surfaces. You’ll notice that a typical mode is conspicuously absent – Eco – which might say something about how Mercedes is positioning the E53. We observed 12.5 litres (of premium gas) per 100 km/h in normal urban driving, which we think is quite reasonable for a large luxury car that weighs about 2,000 kg. The official ratings are 11.7 urban and 8.4 highway.
The E53 Coupe we drove was a 2021 model that had a base price of $90,900, but the latest 2022 model which is essentially the same now costs $95,900. There are several options packages available, as you’d expect, and our tester had most of them. Their prices are mostly up for 2022, and we are not going to begin to compare which package has what features in the two model years, but suffice to say that the bottom line for our 2021 car was $109,300, and you can expect to pay several percent more dollars for the 2022 car, comparably equipped. As always, check the manufacturer’s website for the latest info.
No matter the price, the Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe is a Grand Touring automobile by any definition. Classy, understated in an avant-garde way, crammed with technology and luxury features, and immensely capable without going overboard in the power department. And, we think a pretty good value as well, considering what you can spend for high-end two-door coupes these days.
