By Andrew Kerr

Motoring writers are often asked to name the best car they’ve driven. Ask me and I’ll return a blank look. The answer lies in the application; one driver’s dream wheels will be utterly impractical for another.

When Mercedes-Benz offered a follow-up drive of its new E350 Coupé, I started asking myself questions. Could this mid-range coupé be the best real-world car? It had all the key criteria: striking design, strong performance, superlative safety, four-seater practicality, excellent refinement, great image and pedigree, and a realistic price. So far, so very good.

Booked for the same week was Skoda’s revised Octavia RS liftback – a turbo-diesel. The RS variants are the quick, top-spec models in the value-for-money Octavia range. At one-third of the Merc’s price, an obvious question arose: Is the RS TDI the best value European car on the Australian market? Again, the prognosis looked favourable: proven VW Group technology, five-door flexibility, potent performance with diesel economy, generous equipment, GTI-like handling, and a modest sticker price.

We devised a 400km road trip to see if each car could live up to expectations. And to add another dimension, we used the same route to test a practical used European car that can be yours for under $10,000 (see panel, far right). Game on.

Skoda Octavia RS

Those not up to speed with Skodas might expect them to be basic transport. Not so. They confidently occupy a middle ground, appearing more restrained than some of the VW models with which they share engines and underpinnings. The Octavia has much in common with the previous generation Golf, an excellent car.

The Octavia RS range was re-launched in Australia last September. It included
a new frontal design with LED running lights, the addition of 18-inch alloys, and subtle mechanical fettling. Our 125kW turbo-diesel came with the optional (and desirable) six-speed DSG transmission, bumping the price up to $41,790.

The diesel power band impressed with its breadth; the 2.0-litre delivers peak torque from 1750rpm but happily spins well beyond 4000rpm. And it sounds fine when extended, too. In Sport mode, you need only brush the accelerator from just above idle to unleash a turbo spurt and enough mid-range pull to rival a tugboat. Sometimes Sport is too aggressive, though, holding gears longer than is necessary or comfortable.

Conversely, with the transmission left to its own devices in ‘Normal’, it can change up too early. Tootling along on light throttle, you endure a pocket of hesitation before the turbo spools and the rush of torque arrives. With no in-between mode, it’s back to self-shifting via the steering wheel-mounted paddles – the most satisfying way to drive the car.

The Skoda rides well for a stiffly sprung mid-sizer with broad feet and a modest wheelbase. And the ride gets better with speed; only around town is it on the wrong side of firm. The RS also excels as a relaxed family cruiser, maintaining 110km/h with the engine ticking over at about 2000rpm in top. And despite being nose-heavy, the front end grips well when pushed, responding with safe, sure-footed cornering.

The brakes are strong but over-eager, while the steering has a meaty feel to it but is a bit dull, giving the impression the Octavia is not as alert to direction changes as it really is. Road noise is fairly well isolated in the spacious, well-built cabin where soft-touch plastics and aluminium-look trim dominate.

A cavernous load space is accessed via the large, bespoilered hatch, giving the Skoda practicality to match its pace.

Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupé

Decades of peerless engineering and design execution earned Mercedes-Benz a reputation as the world’s best car maker. The expansion of the Benz range and a dip in reliability tarnished that reputation. However the latest E-Class range is a resounding return to form; the E350 Coupé is beautifully built for a mass-produced model.

You expect an E-Class Coupé to be a two-door version of the sedan, yet it is based on the platform of the smaller C-Class. This explains why cabin space is less than generous in the rear. It shares many angular design cues with the ‘E’ and the coupé follows Mercedes’ tradition with an elegant, pillarless window design.

Power from the petrol V6 is hardly excessive, yet the E350 gathers pace so stealthily that an inattentive driver can easily court trouble. The motor is smooth and quiet and, to be fair, initially feels a bit lethargic in a 1700kg coupé, despite the excellent seven-speed auto. Sports mode livens things up, and also sharpens steering and damper response.

Pay extra for the Dynamic Handling package and you get steering-wheel-mounted controls to make the most of the engine. The car also looks better with the AMG 18-inch alloys that come with the package – but even with such a large footprint, steering feel is surprisingly light. And the bigger wheels do nothing for ride quality, which although very good doesn’t match that of the E-Class sedan with its longer wheelbase.

The drive is virtually unaffected by wind noise though, and road drone is hushed on all but the roughest surfaces. In fact the Coupé is the most aerodynamic production car on the road – but a steeply raked windscreen and a low, tapered roof line are minuses. They had me sitting too low in the car for absolute comfort and rear-seat passengers longed for extra head room. Passengers up front felt either cocooned or hemmed in.

As with the E-Class sedan, interior quality is beyond reproach and all manner of electric adjustments for the steering wheel and front seats mean you can set yourself up extremely well for a long trip. It’s just as easy to navigate through menus on the centre console with its Comand infotainment system.

You get extra safety at this end of the market: nine airbags, stability control, anti-whiplash head restraints, and new pre-crash and driver fatigue detection systems. And the long doors each weigh a ton, so they close securely but present a problem in carparks and on slopes.

Questions answered

The bottom line is both cars narrowly missed the mark. The E350 Coupé doesn’t deserve a ‘world’s best’ crown and the Skoda is not quite the market darling we anticipated. So it’s back to square one, right? Well, no.

The Skoda is a terrifically capable workhorse, but the new Volkswagen Golf GTI (see Driver’s Seat, p38) betters it for ability, appeal and value. The VW has a smoother turbo-petrol engine, even more advanced transmissions, similar passenger space, more resolved handling, slicker looks, and a better interior design. Priced from $40,490, the five-door Golf GTI is the best-value Euro on the market and appeals almost as much to the heart as the head. Frankly, it makes the Skoda seem a bit expensive.

The E350 Coupé is ultra-refined, brilliantly constructed and makes a big visual statement, but it’s not the most compelling drive for the money. Its sibling, the E-Class sedan, stakes more of a claim as the best real-world car, especially in cheaper V6 turbo-diesel guise. The E350 CDI might not deliver the same sense of occasion, but makes up for it elsewhere.

But before we declare the Golf GTI and E350 CDI the real winners, cast your eyes to the horizon. BMW has launched an impressive 5-Series sedan and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta could be a match for the Golf when it reaches Australia later this year.

Open Road March/April 2010