FIRST DRIVE
Mercedes E400 convertible is all about calm cruising
Bigger, better and smoother, the classic Benz convertible gets better with age, says Michael Taylor
The percentage of the world’s car buyers who love luxury four-seat convertibles is a rounding error, because the prices are high and the compromises are many. The price for the E400 cabriolet is likely to still be high when it launches in SA shortly, but there are fewer compromises than it has had in its 25-year history. We all know a rectangular box will go wobbly if you cut the top off it. And the bigger the box, the bigger the hole and the wobblier it becomes. Two-seat convertibles suffer less, especially if they’re engineered to be open-topped from the start, like Mazda’s MX-5 or Porsche’s Boxster. But big, four-seat convertibles are a whole other animal. Structural integrity Sure, the E-Class cabriolet loses structural integrity compared to the coupe, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. It doesn’t lose safety, just the ability to keep its core rigid when cornering or rough-road forces are shoved through its suspension. And who does that in their E-Class cabrio? This version of it...
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