So you’ve got $68,225 set aside to buy you years of top-down motoring. But you don’t want to test-drive a convertible in these frigid winter temperatures. Lucky for you, the crew at Autoblog braved the elements to evaluate the Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet.
Autoblog has even saved you trouble of deciding which color to pick. The Deep Sea Blue paint draws the eye down into its fathomless richness. Available power from the twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8 reaches similar depths: 402 horses and 443 pound-feet. A 7G-Tronic Plus auto sends that output to the rear wheels as the E550 makes its way from zero to sixty miles per hour in five seconds. Standard LED low-beams and daytime running lights illuminate the road ahead; LED high-beams are optional.
It must have been easier to compare notes on the road thanks to the E550’s Aircap system, which reduces the wind whipping typical in convertibles. The turbulence cutter now automatically deploys at 25 mph and retracts at 10. The warming Airscarf tech kept the reviewers nice and toasty during their journalistic jaunt.
That all sounds nice and convenient, but should you end up buying this convertible Benz, keep this in mind: “The two individual rear seats are comfortable, although legroom for four full-sized adults will take some negotiating and compromise.”
However many people happen to be in the car with you, you’ll all be carried down the highway on standard Dynamic Handling Suspension, which will allow you to adjust the electric damping control to your liking. Default Collision Prevention Assist and Attention Assist will keep you and your new Mercedes right-side-up. The latter system will keep you from drifting off between 35 and 120 mph. If you really want to take the guesswork out of parking lot equations, you can tick the boxes for the Surround View Camera and Parking Assist Package.
Follow the link at the bottom to read the Quick Spin in its entirety and to learn more about the current and upcoming E-Class variants.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
