Auto Review Classic cabrio

SHORT DRIVE

Classic cabrio

• Published: 7/02/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: Life

Merc e-class cabriolet wins big time in appeal and style departments.

WHAT'S NEW?

The cabriolet tradition of Mercedes-Benz has been known since the brand first came to Thai shores a century ago. Now, the highly successful E-class line-up has beefed up its presence with the cabriolet model with its world-first ''Aircap'' wind deflector.
The Aircap is actually an automatic draught-stop activated by a button to reduce turbulence in the interior cabin. It has two components: a wind deflector that can be extended by 6cm with a net in the windscreen frame and a draught-stop between the rear seats.
After going through numerous versions of the E-class, enthusiasts knew it wasn't long before this shapely Merc went topless.
And it did it with tradition, by sticking to a soft-top; BMW and Lexus introduced more complex and heavier folding hard-tops for their 3-series Convertible and IS-C line-ups.

WHAT'S COOL?

The E-class cabrio stands out with its traditional soft-top, as rivals turn to folding tin-tops.
The rear seats fit two adults in comfort.

Besides the on and off cool weather in town, I like the safety features of this Merc. When the roof is down, the rollover protection bars deploy in mere fractions of a second.
Seven airbags are included in addition to the PreSafe positioning system that places occupants in an optimal position to survive a shunt. The usual acronyms ESP, BAS, EBD with brake priming and drying are on the menu.
Head airbags are located in the door panels for head protection. You don't usually find this feature in convertibles. James Dean was driving the wrong car at the wrong time. Not me in this E-class cabriolet.
In short, this E-class offers the most extensive safety equipment package in this vehicle category.
The quality of the interior complemented by rich supple leather is top notch, while the comfort factor is highlighted by the fully electric front seats with pneumatic bolster and backrest adjustment, which offer superb comfort.
In the back, it's also comfortable and reasonably roomy for a four-seat convertible (perhaps I need to borrow the ride again, but I'll stand by that comment). Rear boot space measures 300 litres with the roof lowered and 390 when the roof is raised.
With buckets of usable torque, the E250 CGI's 204hp 1.8-litre turbocharged engine is great next to a V6 that would make the E-class unnecessarily expensive and fuel thirsty.
Lastly, the cabin is relatively quiet with the roof raised.

WHAT'S NOT?

Even after the E20 policy took effect, which knocked off a few hundred thou sand baht from the original 5.60 million baht price tag to the current 5.20 million, I'm prepared to stick my head out and say the price is a tad steep.
And there's that outdated five-speed automatic gearbox which is among the only other smudges on the E250 CGI's account.

BUY OR BYE?

The roof switch is neatly positioned.
The four-pot turbo has plenty of torque.

Forget going topless down Silom Road (there's no hiding from bird poo despite the BTS skytrain). Better to splash on loads of sunscreen and drive someplace outside the city.
The boys from Munich offer the 325i Convertible at 5.20 million baht with a 219hp 2.5-litre inline-six engine, while the Japanese present the IS250C Sports at 5.20 million baht (5.54 million with navigation system) which sounds pretty good value with their bigger and more powerful engines.
You are liable to conclude the rest of the pack have arguably more mechanically sophisticated roof systems or proper six-cylinder performance in this segment.
But the E-class cabriolet still wins big time in the appeal and style departments, thanks to the classy yet capable canvas-top. It's an instant classic, so true cabrio fans should buy it.

 

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