While most auto
junkies lust after supercars, in our opinion, the most fun cars on real
world roads are convertibles. Few things beat the feeling of freedom
when you have no roof, and if you can enjoy this experience with three
others, it just doesn't get better than this
![Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet driving Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet driving](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2012/Apr/mercedes-benz-e350-cabriolet-driving_560x420.jpg)
As brilliant as convertibles are to behold, there is a good reason
that you don’t see too many of them on Indian roads – the weather.
Unless you’re staying in the hills somewhere up north, chances are that
you’ll experience extremely harsh summers, tropical monsoons and enough
dust to fill a swimming pool each time you step out for a spin in the
car. And let’s not forget the inherent danger of vandalism which rears
its ugly head in almost every locality of every city in the country. But
then again, the charm of driving a convertible with its top down, with a
million miles of head room, is undeniable and the attention you get
around town is incredibly flattering. And when you have a convertible
car as handsome as this Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet, you’ll be quick to forget any shortcomings a car with a folding cloth roof might hold.
![Mercedes-Benz E-Class-350 Cabriolet Mercedes-Benz E-Class-350 Cabriolet](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/photogallery/2012/Apr/e-class-350-cabriolet-drive-photo-1_640x480.jpg)
There are no two ways to it. The current E-Class sedan is already a
pretty handsome design. So when you lop the roof off, replace four doors
with two long ones and shorten the length of the car, it can only get
handsomer. With its crystal-cut head lights, angular lines and almost an
absolute lack of curves, it looks more like it should belong floating
in the marina at Monaco, rather than on the black top. And while it does
have a lot of sporty touches such as massive 18-inch wheels shod with
really low profile tyres, it looks like it was designed less for speed
and more for cruising around at a fair clip in comfort, luxury and most
importantly, oodles of style.
![Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet front seats Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet front seats](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2012/Apr/mercedes-benz-e350-cabriolet-front-seats_560x420.jpg)
It’s much the same story on the inside as well. Classy black and
beige leather trim all around which, even though not as modern and
technology laden as some of the interiors you can find in other
contemporary German luxury cars, exudes a sense of panache that is very
typically current-gen Mercedes-Benz. The sportier steering wheel, the
same one we find on the E-Class coupe is a nice touch, and lets you
know, just by touch that you’re driving something more special than the
regular E-Class. Space in the front is aplenty, and even the back seats
can accommodate two adults quite easily. Getting in and out of the back
is a fairly easy task as well, with the front seats folding forward at
the touch of a lever, and only the ones with the most arthritic of
joints will have any difficult in accessing the rear.
![Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet static Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet static](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2012/Apr/mercedes-benz-e350-cabriolet-static_560x420.jpg)
The coolest thing about any convertible is the fact that you can, at
the touch of a button, lose the roof and stun onlookers while doing that
as well. And this is no different for the E350 Cabriolet. The whole
process of opening and closing the roof takes just about 20 seconds and
can be done at speeds of up to 40km/h.
![Mercedes-Benz 350 Cabriolet Mercedes-Benz 350 Cabriolet](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/photogallery/2012/Apr/e-class-350-cabriolet-drive-photo-4_640x480.jpg)
The roof itself is remarkable. Though it’s cloth, it’s almost an inch
thick in places and when shut, provides nearly perfect wind and noise
insulation inside the cabin. Even with the roof down, the optional
Aircap system can lift a little flap over the top of the windscreen
which deflects oncoming air over the cabin, providing wind noise
isolation even during those moments of al fresco motoring.
![Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet engine Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet engine](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2012/Apr/mercedes-benz-e350-cabriolet-engine_560x420.jpg)
When you do decide to give this E350 the stick, while it will snap
your head off your neck with blistering acceleration, you can’t really
call it a slouch; 100km/h from standstill comes up in 8.02 seconds and
the car can hit an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. The
3.5-litre V6 petrol motor makes 272PS of power, but more importantly, it
produces 355Nm of torque spread out from 2400rpm all the way to
5000rpm, which gives this refined mill great driveability. Handling,
while not razor sharp, feels direct and precise enough to have a lot of
fun when the road gets twisty. The Direct Control suspension with its
selective damping system offers a fantastic balance between outright
handling prowess and ride quality.
This makes the E350 Cabriolet a better long distance tourer, able to
cope with most bumps and undulations of the road, while munching miles
at enough pace to keep things interesting. And you can do it with four
people in the car at that. The only thing that holds back its complete
touring potential is the fact that the folding roof occupies a fair
amount of space in the boot, limiting the amount of luggage you can
carry on your road trip, though not to the point of debilitating you.
![Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet back seats Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet back seats](http://static.zigwheels.com/media/content/2012/Apr/mercedes-benz-e350-cabriolet-back-seats_560x420.jpg)
The E350 is frankly a brilliant car. It can do pretty much most
things you can throw at it, from your daily commute to intercity jaunts
to a bit of fun in the sun driving with the top down. But all this
flexibility and fun does come at a price, but one we’d gladly meet if we
could.
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