At the launch of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-class convertible, the German carmaker brought along some classics from its past. We were thus reminded that golden oldies such as the 1971 280SE 3.5 were great four-place convertibles that could be hustled at reasonable speeds but couldn’t be considered sports cars.
It was a smart move, because the new E-class convertible isn’t sporty like the droptop versions of the BMW 3-series or Infiniti G37. Instead, it’s a beautifully made, solid cruiser that has space for four, drives well, is quick, and has some style.
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has a cabin done in a style that is meant to recall solid, dependable Mercedes from the past. Angles are sharp, the materials first-rate and the look is decidedly somber, especially when adorned in monotone color schemes and dark wood trim -- very German, in other words. The general design is the same regardless of body style, except for the available three-spoke sport steering wheel and electric gear selector (column-mounted in the sedan and wagon; console-mounted in the coupe, convertible and AMG).
All E-Class models come with Mercedes' COMAND electronics interface, which combines a large display screen, a control knob and dash-mounted buttons. There's a bit of a learning curve involved, but it's generally neither better nor worse than similar systems from Audi or BMW.
In terms of space and comfort, the E-Class sedan, convertible and wagon are excellent. The seats are firm, but offer endless comfort and support over the long haul. The coupe and AMG models feature sport seats that offer a closer fit, designed to keep you in place through turns. The sedan's backseat is quite spacious, matching the BMW 5 Series as the most welcoming rear quarters in the midsize luxury class. With the wagon, you get a generous 57 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity, and a rear-facing third-row seat. The convertible offers comfortable seating for four, provided rear passengers are about 5-feet-9 or less, and its cabin is one of the most serene of any convertible due to its AirCap system. In the coupe, the rear seat's legroom is about the same as in most luxury two-doors, but headroom is limited.
A Classic Formula
The E-class cabriolet doesn’t feature a folding hardtop, using instead a traditional cloth roof that’s nearly an inch thick. The top is sealed well and seemed to be nearly as quiet at highway speeds as a metal roof. It takes about 20 seconds to furl and unfurl, with another five seconds added for all four windows to chug up or down. One benefit of the cloth top is that it allows for decent trunk space: 11 cubic feet with the top down and 14 with it up. That’s a great deal more commodious than the trunks of folding-hardtop convertibles when their tops are lowered.
Although the car looks like an E-class sedan with the roof removed, down to the gawky crease over the rear fender, it’s dimensionally closer to the C-class. (Remember, the E-class coupe and convertible effectively replace the old CLK-class lineup.) The wheelbase is 106.9 inches, which is about two inches shorter than the C-class sedan’s and 6.2 inches shorter than that of the four-door E-class. Although the wheelbase is slightly shorter than the cozy BMW 3-series convertible’s, the rear compartment is spacious enough for two full-size adults to hang out and enjoy an alfresco automotive experience.
Gadgets Galore
To make the experience a bit less breezy back there, Mercedes has introduced a gizmo on the E-class called Aircap. This is a retractable spoiler that’s mounted on top of the windshield, intended to divert air over the passenger compartment. It doesn’t have any effect on tonsorial elegance with the side windows down, but with them raised, there was notably less wind whip at speeds up to 50 mph. Aircap, which is standard on all E cabrios, looks a bit dorky when deployed, but you don’t have to look at it while you’re driving, only enjoy its benefits. Mercedes also makes its Airscarf heating system available on the E-class cabrio; it wafts warm (or cold) air around front occupants’ heads and necks via vents embedded in the headrests.
As one would expect with a Mercedes, the car has airbags up the wazoo—no fewer than seven standard, with rear side bags on the options list. The body structure has been reinforced under the floor and behind the rear seats to recover some of the rigidity that’s lost without a fixed roof. The windshield surrounds have been beefed up. Mercedes also fits two hefty, 1.4-inch-diameter tubular roll bars under the rear headrests that pop up in the event of a rollover.
Engine performance and fuel economy has been improved, starting from the base model up. As before, the E350 offers 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, while the V8 E500 cranks out 382 hp at 6000 rpm and 391 lb-ft between 2800 and 4800 rpm. Both models will be offered with all-wheel-drive. Customers can also chose between the the six-cylinder E 350 CDI with an output of 241 horsepower and an even more efficient E350 BlueTEC, developing 211 horsepower and meeting EU6 exhaust emission standards planned for 2014. All the other engine variants in the new E-Class meet the EU5 limits.
The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags, front pelvic airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag.
Also standard is Attention Assist (a driver drowsiness and alerting monitor) and PreSafe (it anticipates an imminent crash and automatically takes measures to better secure occupants). The Driver Assistance package adds a blind-spot warning system, a lane departure warning/correction system and PreSafe braking. Rear side airbags are optional on the sedan, coupe and convertible, while an infrared night vision system is optional on the sedan and wagon.
In government crash testing, the E-Class sedan earned a solid four stars and a perfect five stars for frontal- and side-impact protection, respectively. The sedan also got a "Good" rating -- the highest available -- in both frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
reference:www.caranddriver.com,www.edmunds.com,www.leftlanenews.com
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