Should We Get a E Class Convertible?
 

The E Class we now own will never accommodate top down driving. We really used to love driving the SL 500 ... and still do - but not as much.

The E Class has become the go to car for driving around town on the weekends & shorter road trips.

Before having the E Class, we used to drive the SL 500 every time, when the weather was decent.

Would a R230 or higher version make the SL experience more comfortable or engaging?

Should we look for a convertible E Class?

Your thoughts?

New cars are out of the Budget.

So the better question to ask is do you ever have passengers in the rear? If yes, then R230 won't work. The A207 can seat four people, but the rear passengers better not be very tall. Driving around town is about all a small adult passenger in the rear can take. I've had two generations of the E class sedan and somedays I do miss having all that rear passenger legroom, as I now have an E400 Cabriolet. I suppose if I need a vehicle to transport cargo, I can use the minivan or the Range Rover Classic. Now that I've gone topless in an E class, I don't think I can ever go back...

Top down is definitely a great driving experience.

And to answer the important question ... a 3rd and 4th passenger very, very, rare for us. Not really a consideration.

We do like the trunk space of the R129 (soft top) and I imagine the E Class convertible would have decent trunk space as well.

It does, especially when you have the top up. If you leave the guard for the top down, you do lose space, but with it up, it's almost like having a regular sedan trunk. I leave the guard down, as I want to be able to put the top down anytime, so I end up with limited cargo space, but it's enough room for a small grocery trip.

The dog loves the rear as it's all his, but my nephews and niece don't mind the rear when we have the top down.

Very rare for me too, but with the E class, I have that option. It bothered me that I will NEVER have that option with an SL. Just my view...

E class has near market leading rear legroom for its class as the convertible. With a teenage daughter who is over 5' 6" already this was a key factor in me buying one. Headroom and leg room are fine until you get closer to 6 foot where it would be more of an issue. I am 6' 2" and can still manage to get an adult behind me if required, but wouldn't want to tour the country like it.

Boot space is pretty good, with the roof storage panel up out of the way we can get enough in there for 3 people to go away on a 3 week holiday. Flexibility in what you put in is key, so holdalls not hard suitcases etc.

Handling wise it is definitely a cruiser and not a sports car and doesn't handle as well as the W212 models.

I would say the downsides are the interior is pretty bland and boring and the Comand system is way behind the times, but as you have a W212 you will be aware of that and be ok with it. Most of that goes out of the window when the roof is down on a sunny day though.

One addition I would recommend if you get an earlier model is the SmartTop unit to control the roof allowing you to control it better from the remote and improve the controls inside as well. Makes it so much easier to use and you will be more likely to drop the roof due to the convenience. Latest version even lets you control the ECO mode (yet to update it on mine but will soon). http://www.mods4cars.com/sms/shop/in...ode=view&id=90.

From the little research I have done - the 2011 E550 (or E350) A207 did not offer 4Matic. Right?

Does any E550 cabriolet have 4Matic?

Hi Chris, We have the '16 E550 Cab, love it... I'm 6-2 and don't need the seat all the way back to drive... wife is 5-2, so what works good is she drives and i sit behind her .. Then I have plenty of room :) Have to say though the sport seats get uncomfortable on cross country trips... Went to Chicago a few years ago, never again... but 3 hours was no issue...

unsure if they came with 4matic, we are in Florida and ours did not.

fyi, '16 is the last of the V8 E cabs...

LOL, I gave up on V8s a decade ago when I realized +400 HP would mean a lot of speeding tix for me. When I saw the E-Class had a 4 banger in the base model, I know even the V6’s days are numbered.I think i’d rather have an all-electric E-Class than be limited to a 4-banger. OC, over a decade ago, I felt that way about V6’s as an alternative to the V8s, and now I’m clinging to the V6’s...

I am 5’-10” and I would be doing all the road trip driving.

We drove our SL 500 from Vancouver to Key West one winter.

My Wife drives around town and it snows occasionally in Vancouver - thus the desire for 4Matic.

Can any one speak to whether or not the E Class Cabriolet comes in 4Matic?

I do like the V8 motor - because that what I grew up with ... being a 1956 baby.

My

Newer ones can have 4Matic. I would never get 4Matic unless brand new or plenty of warranty left. When I need 4WD, I use my old RRC...

Are the 4Matics problematic?

Or just expensive to fix if they break?

Many Classes offer the 4Matic ... and there are a lot of them on the road in Vancouver. I thought they would be strong and reliable.

Both, but being that you are in BC, I see why you're looking at a 4Matic. My rule of thumb with 4matics is buy new, or it better have been maintained with plenty of meat on the OEM warranty or have an extended warranty.

I can't imagine being in the great white north without at least one vehicle with 4WD, but my preference would also be for that vehicle to have high ground clearance. An E-Class with Airmatic doesn't really cut it for me. Now, a GLE, that might work, but it's no ragtop...

Any one have direct driving comparison A207 compared to R129?

A207 being built on a C Class chassis does not bother me ... there’s lots of C Classes out there - so they must be well built.

I don't know where you guys get the idea that 4 matic is problematic. All of my mechanics say that it is rock solid dependable. My R350 with 4matic is approaching 160k miles and no problems. Just change the fluid every 60k to 80k miles.

Maintenance is the operative word...When you're looking at a used MB with 4matic, you have no idea how it was maintained by POs(s). 4Matic repairs are not cheap, which is why my rule-of-thumb with 4Matics is buy only if it's brand-new or it has plenty of meat left on the warranty bone and you know it's service history. Otherwise, it may be a money-pit timebomb...

Your advice seems to apply to any mechanical part of any Mercedes. Maintenance is essential. I guess your advice would be to only buy a new Mercedes and sell as soon as the warranty expires. Plenty of people believe as you do and that drives down the resale value for me to buy and factor in the extra cost to repair to the total cost of ownership.

In any case, the topic was 4matic and I still have seen no data to disagree with my mechanic's opinion that the 4matic is pretty bulletproof. If you dive in snow country, it is very much well worth while. My E550 cabriolet was not available with 4matic, but I only intend to drive it in Ohio summer or in Florida anyway.

If you look in the W204 forum you'll see evidence of some 722.9 4Matic failures at <100k miles. The repair cost concern is due to the transfer case being integrated into the transmission itself. The sign of eventual failure is bearing whine. I'd guess there are many more 4Matics without issues than there are with.

On the weekend we test drove;

A 2018 E 400 4Matic which is apparently built on a larger frame (S Class frame?)
&
A 2018 C 43 4Matic which is built (I presume) on a C Class frame.

I was surprised how solid the C cabriolet felt. No cowel shake. We liked the cabin size - since it reminded us of the SL size.

The E Class saw very smooth riding.

Both were very nice, lots of room in back seat ... both completely out of our price range.

Question - can any one advise if there is an V8, 4Matic version of the earlier series of E Class Cabriolet. I like the styling of our 2011 E Class ... but that combination may not exist.

Doing a used car search .. I just found
2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 400 AWD

How about the previous CLK version? Did V8 & 4Matic combo exist then? Would probably be giving ip on Nav - which we have gotten used to having. Would not have “air cap” technology.

Any ideas?

The A238 (2018-) E class convertible is built on the W213 E class chassis, not an S class chassis.
The A207 (2010-2017) E class convertibles are built on the W204 C class chassis.

CLK is a massive step back from the A207 E Class models in so many ways. On the NAV front as with the E class cars I would replace the unit in the CLK with and Android unit anyway.

looks like 2017 is 1st year of 4matic in e-class convertible.. E400

The answer to your question is YES!! You will really enjoy owning a MB E class Cabriolet.....
i have owned a convertible of some sort for the past 30 years. The first MB was a 2012 E350. That was by far the best convertible I had owned until now. We decided to bite the bullet and order a 2019 E450 Cabriolet for a European delivery. The 2019 blows the 2012 out of the water. It is surprising how much larger the interior seems since it is built on the larger frame. In my opinion for comfort and style the MB Cabriolets can’t be beat, unless you want to spend TONS of more cash.....
Life is Short.....Enjoy it....

Thanks! I just updated my smartop module to remove the eco function. I didn’t really mind it that much but if I can get rid of it I will!

and I’m still loving my a207 two years on. Plenty of room all around and such a comfortable ride but it can still put on a good run with the OE Tune!

Traded my 2006 SL500 for a 2016 E class 550 cabriolet. Just me and the wife, so back seat is just extra storage space. When I looked at the car, never really noticed that it was the size of a C. I got over that real fast. Rides beautifully on the highway and gets surprisingly good gas mileage. In 7th gear, at 60-65, engine is only turning at @1600 RPM. The dual colored leather interior is gorgeous. The V6 now has as many horses as my Sl500. The V8 is crazy. Biturbo at 402 horses and 442 ft lbs torque. OK, calm down! I keep telling myself, it's just nice car for me and Mamma to ride to church in. Yea, right ;)