Mercedes E 350 Cabriolet ist wunderbar! It seems that most car manufacturers and particularly the Germans are heading down the same autobahn these days – producing vehicles that are designed to take control in a wide range of situations.
Drivers are finding this technology very attractive - hand over the responsibility and sit back and enjoy the ride – but wait.... the manuals make it clear, these wonderful systems are only aids, the responsibility still lies with you, the driver.
This technological wizardry was never more evident than when we slid into the cream leather upholstery of the E 350 3.5Lt V6 Cabriolet and it promptly handed us our seatbelts. Once buckled, it firmly pulled in the slack. The E 350 was definitely in control from that moment on and we couldn’t help feeling it was best guessing our every move thereafter. There is constant feedback to the driver from the cockpit via audible and visual signals and of course the moment we began to reverse out of the parking spot the outside mirrors automatically dropped down to assist our view and the park assist camera gave us a clear picture behind the vehicle, including handy guidelines on the screen to show us where to steer.
Once out of the car park we just had to put the top down. The roof controls are housed in a James Bond style flip-top panel on the console between the driver and passenger. Instead however of activating the passenger ejector seat the smooth mechanical process of folding the roof commenced. With silent German efficiency everything was locked away in 20 seconds and with the raunchy profile of the car now in view we slipped out into the traffic. The roof can be opened or closed while driving up to 40km/h.
It was a warm sunny day so we headed out of the city to Geelong via freeway and then headed inland to the historic towns of Woodend and Malmsbury in North Central Victoria.
There is a pop-up mesh wind deflector at the top of the windscreen and another between the rear seats which together form the Mercedes Aircap® System, so high speed buffeting from the wind is substantially reduced and one can safely wear a hat without it flying off down the road. The system is designed to effectively retain a bubble of air inside the cabin thus helping maintain a comfortable cabin temperature and substantially reducing the need to shout at each other. Just in case the air gets a little cool the E 350 has the Mercedes Airscarf® System which blows warm air on your neck from discreet vents inside the headrest – a very neat idea! Of course if it gets still cooler you can press a button and heat the seats too.
The Harmon Kardon sound system kept up really well with the outside road and wind noise, so we were still able to play music or listen to the radio and hold a conversation. The E 350 has a 7" colour screen with Sat Nav and multi-media functions, including Bluetooth and all of this can be operated by voice command if you wish. Most other things can be controlled via the 12 button multi function unit on the steering wheel or the plethora of buttons on the dash.
Soft top vehicles are wonderful and do give you a lovely sense of freedom but leave many people feeling they are somewhat more vulnerable in the event of a crash. In the E 350 the combination of reinforced A pillars and dual rollover bars which deploy in 0.3 seconds from the rear head restraints and provide maximum protection in the event of a rollover. The rear head restraints also automatically pop up to their highest setting. Seems they've also got you covered with air bags – there are no less than 9 in the Cabriolet.
As we mentioned at the outset the E 350 likes to be in control and accordingly observes and records the driving style of the driver each time the car is driven. After this initial 'learning' period certain variations in style are regarded as possible signs of weariness and an audible warning with a cup of coffee symbol reminds the driver to have a break. If you're a bit of a wimp about starting on steep slopes, never mind, the Active Brake System will keep you securely in place until you move off. It goes without saying the car also has intelligent headlights and rain-sensing wipers but there is also a myriad of other electronic wizardry which we don't have the space to describe.
All the safety features and monitoring systems aside Mercedes have actually produced a pleasantly responsive car with plenty of guts. No matter where you point the E350 it goes with no fuss German precision. The 3.5Lt V6 produces 215Kw of power and 365Nm of torque and is not only responsive but has a nice growl to it.
Fuel consumption is quoted by Mercedes at 9.8L/100kms (combined) with 229g/km CO² emissions. On our test we averaged closer to 11.0L/100kms.
The E 350 Cabriolet is a lovely thing to look at and an absolute joy to drive. It's also comforting to know this car has your best interests at heart! You can drive away in one from $151,272.00 in Victoria. Our test car had optional gear shift paddles ($1,500) and an Entertainment Package with upgraded surround sound system, TV tuner and Keyless-Go system ($5,950).
