2010 Mercedes-Benz S-class / S550 / S600

Unless you’re Rain Man—or an S-class nerd—it’s going to be mighty hard to tell the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-class from the one that’s been on sale since early 2006. The exterior changes are essentially limited to a new front bumper and grille; an integrated exhaust at the rear; and the use of LEDs for the taillamps, daytime running lights, and as accent lights in the headlamps. But the minor aesthetic changes hide more state-of-the-art tech underneath, as well as one unwelcome mechanical change.

The new technologies found in the 2010 S, which goes on sale in August, include much of the stuff introduced with the recently redesigned 2010 E-class. That means adaptive high-beams, the addition of pedestrian detection for the Night View Assist, a lane-keeping system, and the Attention Assist system. Interior changes to the new S include a new steering wheel and ambient lighting that is now selectable to one of three hues instead of one. The 2010 model also gets updated Bluetooth functionality, an SD card reader in the dash, an iPod/media interface in the glove box, and HD radio.

Keep Reading: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-class / S550 / S600 - First Drive Review

2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

We can be pretty sure John Keats wasn’t thinking about automotive sheetmetal when he penned those words in 1818. But if Keats had been scribbling just 191 years later, his inspiration could very well have been this elegant and sexy coupe.

Okay, trying to set one current Mercedes automobile above the others in terms of beauty is tough; theyall look terrific. Still, this coupe version of the latest Mercedes E-class, its sweeping roofline uninterrupted by a B pillar, is on a look-at-me par with the big Mercedes CL coupes, minus their mass and massive price tags.

Do not interpret this to mean bargain. The basic E350 coupe, with a 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, is $48,925. That soars to $55,525 for the E550, with its 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8. Check all the option groups, and you wind up with a package like our test car: a cool $66,375. On the other hand, the most recent previous E-class coupe—the 1994 E320—started at $62,075. Wow.

The new coupe shares architectural elements with the E-class sedan, as well as its techno-goodies and a bevy of safety features, many of them standard. But there are also pieces from the C-class stable, contributing to much tidier dimensions. For the coupe, the E sedan’s 113.1-inch wheelbase has been trimmed to 108.7. That two-door is 6.7 inches shorter and 2.7 inches narrower than the four-door, and its 54.0-inch roof is 3.2 inches lower.

Keep Reading: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe - Short Take Road Test

2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG - First Drive Review

It’s a shame that infomercial pitchman Billy Mays passed away just as Mercedes-Benz is launching the performance version of the 2010 E-class, because he would have done an excellent job of touting the many uses for the New and Improved 2010 E63 AMG. “The 518-horsepower V-8,” Mays would say in his booming voice, “rockets you from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, making quick work of sports cars with less than half the seating. And you can still use it every day to pick Junior up from school and to drop Grandma off at the library.” Not that the E63 is the sort of car that would be hawked via cable-TV ads, but it does promise a “You won’t believe your eyes!” combination of performance and usability. There are no easy payments, however, despite the fact that when the E63 goes on sale in October, pricing should fall below that of its predecessor. Expect to pay just under $88,000 to start.