The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet looks the part of luxury convertible cruiser in every way. From pretty much every angle, whether you're following the chiseled, pointed front end, bold mesh-backed grille, and uninhibited three-pointed star in front; or the graceful fender crease in back, which rolls through with complexity to the rear lights; it's a beauty.
There's certainly that, but there's more. It's fast. Dial up Sport mode—which commands stiffer damper settings—and the transmission earns a little more eagerness. Disconcertingly serene...and a little detached
The top-down experience in the Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet is disconcertingly serene. The second time I drove the E550, the weather was crisper and cooler, and with both heated/ventilated seats and Airscarf—which gently blows warm air around your neck—turned on and floor heat turned on, we were able to enjoy top-down driving quite comfortably.
The good: The adaptive cruise control system in the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet can bring the car to a complete stop and is also integral to its collision mitigation system. Sound quality is very detailed from the Harman Kardon audio system. The navigation system dynamically routes around traffic.
The bad: The convertible top affects trunk space. The Cabriolet is a new version for 2011, offering open-top driving in a midsize sport luxury vehicle. Unlike competitors, Mercedes-Benz sticks with a soft top for the E550 Cabriolet, rather than the retractable hard tops coming into vogue.
Mercedes-Benz's Air Scarf technology uses fans in the headrests to blow warm air on front passengers' necks, making top-down driving in colder weather comfortable. Tight sound
An optional Harman Kardon audio system made listening to music in the car an enjoyable experience, with the top up. But this system does not adapt well to top-down driving. Although the Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet does not have Bluetooth streaming audio, there is a Bluetooth phone system. This system lacks any text message functions.
Stylish maps
The majority of the car's hard-drive space is reserved for the navigation system's maps, which appear in 2D and 3D.
The E-Class has enjoyed the status of being Mercedes’ ambassador car for quite some time now, so it’s no surprise that the German manufacturer wants to cash in on its mid-size product’s reputation. As a result, the CLK coupe and cabriolet are gone, and the E-Class family is expanding.
You can now get the E in sedan, wagon, coupe and cabriolet body styles. Ok, its soundtrack isn’t as spine-tingling as an AMG 6.2-litre V8. Smooth can also be used to describe the car’s ride. The Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet never feels strained, nervous or twitchy, while the speed-sensitive steering offers good feedback and both slow and fast speeds.
Why not a power-retractable top on the E-Class cabrio?
