By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(June 29, 2019) Few things in life are as magical as the sun breaking out on a warm spring day after a long winter. The Beatles’ George Harrison said, “It was one of those beautiful spring mornings in April after a long hard, and dismal winter that led me to writing "Here Comes the Sun."

Of course, for auto lovers, that kind of day means top-down driving and the kind of fun that doesn’t require a fast car, or sports car handling, rather just enjoying the sun in your face, wind in your hair, the smell of nature, and your favorite music on the radio.

Yet, convertible sales have dwindled to what is now just a trickle. According to IHS Markit, sales of convertibles have been on a steady decline for at least a decade and now account for less than one of every 100 new cars sold. Most automakers no longer offer a convertible; Volkswagen was the latest to pull the plug when it discontinued its iconic Beetle this year.

But one automaker, Mercedes, loves convertibles and continues to make more of them than all other luxury automakers combined. Mercedes makes six different convertibles, with multiple versions of each. One is the E 450 Cabriolet reviewed here, a vehicle that is virtually without competition; no other auto manufacturer makes an E Class-sized convertible.

The E 450 Cabriolet is a mildly updated version of last year’s E 400, getting a new name thanks to an upgraded 3.0-liter V-6 biturbo engine that generates an additional 33 horsepower (362 horsepower vs. the previous 329) and 15 lb-ft of torque (369 lb-ft vs. the previous 354 lb-ft). The more powerful engine is connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

My review E450 included a 4MATIC designation, which means it’s full-time all-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive is standard.

Other changes for 2019 are a new three-spoke Nappa Leather multifunction steering wheel that allows the driver to operate all safety assistance systems without ever removing their hands from the steering wheel. There’s a small scrolling pad for each hand on either side of the wheel. There are two additional trim options with matching center consoles.

Exterior looks, while a carryover from last year, are nothing short of striking particularly with the optional and larger 19-inch AMG twin five-spoke wheels and matching smooth finished dark red soft convertible top to go along with the $720 upgraded rubellite red metallic finish. The top is triple layered, resulting in a sound reducing cabin that’s as quiet as an E Class coupe. The top powers up or down in just 21 seconds at speeds up to about 35 miles per hour. Know that the top can be raised or lowered via dedicated switchgear on the center console or with the vehicle’s key fob. Even with the top retracted, we were pleasantly surprised at the ample amount of trunk space.

The E450 Cabriolet also comes standard with a couple of aerodynamic touches including, popup wind deflectors operated with a switchgear button on the center console. One is located at the very top of the windshield that changes the angle of the wind deflector to reduce the amount of turbulent air entering the cabin with the top down. At the same time, there’s a popup wind deflector immediately behind the rear seat headrests that also significantly reduces wind buffeting in the cabin.

Inside, front seat legroom is ample, even for this 6-6 tall driver. Seats are both heated and cooled and adjusted electrically with multiple positions, along with a cushioned thigh extender. There’s a four-way power operated tilt and telescoping steering wheel. We also like the front seat headrest that houses electronically operated fans that draw air into the headrest, heats it and blows it out the front of the headrest as part of Mercedes AIRSCARF system to help front occupants keep warm in cooler weather with the top down.

You’ll appreciate it once you’ve actually experienced it on a cooler fall or spring day. It works wonderfully. Rear seat headrests are fixed and do not adjust and there is a rollover safety protection system built into them.



Rear seat room, while limited, is actually fairly comfortable for average sized adults. I wouldn’t want to spend any longer than an hour at a time back there, but again, it is fairly roomy. We expect, however, the rear seat will see limited use as a passenger conveyance and more likely a roomy place for packages and gear.

The E450 cabin is a sumptuous place to be, with pillow-soft seating complementing superb driving dynamics that are noticeably tuned for comfort rather than sporty handling. Our review vehicle was appointed with the elaborate $4200 optional desino Macchiato beige/Titan red Nappa leather interior package that upholstered the seats and door panels, with contrasting topstitching, upgraded headliner, color mats and chrome door pins. The instrument panel, center console and door panels were trimmed with gorgeous real natural grain light brown Elm wood and laser-machined metal switchgear.

The large 12.3-inch infotainment screen is prominently displayed as the focal point of the cabin. Vehicle operations are displayed on the screen and operated with either the steering wheel touchpads, a rotary knob and touchpad mounted on the center console or by way of voice commands. But we found the system mostly non-intuitive, with a sharp learning curve to master. Functions such as changing a radio station or operating your Smartphone are easily and accurately handled with voice command.

Other options included illuminated door sills with Mercedes-Benz lettering, multi-contour massaging front seats, Air Body Control air suspension, the upgraded Burmester surround sound system, Sirius XM radio, the exterior lighting package with LED intelligent light system, adaptive high beam assist, active parking assist with surround view camera system, the large 12.3 digital instrument cluster, brushed aluminum sport pedals, and the Driver Assistance package that includes active distance assist distronic, active steering assist (semi-autonomous driving mode), lane change assist, automatic emergency stop assist, cross traffic function, evasive steering assist, and additional safety features.

On the road the V-6 is silky smooth, quiet, powerful and propels the E450 to 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds. Handling is predictable, but know that the Cabriolet is not a sports sedan and you’ll experience body leans when cornering, but it is never out of control. With the optional air suspension setting set to Comfort, it’s really the most enjoyable way to top down boulevard cruise.

Overall, our E450 Cabriolet is an exceptionally enjoyable, sophisticated, supremely comfortable, and gorgeous experience, and that should be reason alone to seize your own drop top Mercedes. But the entire car is so over-the-top capable it requires the owner to fully learn and understand everything that’s called “driver assistance” or “active assisted” or “central controller” or “automatic” “dynamic controlled” or just plain “assist.” “Ugh,” you say… but it’s worth it on a warm sunny day, or gorgeous summer evening. As George Harrison sang: “Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right.”

Vital Stats
Base Price: $69,800
Price as Tested: $90,645
Powertrain: 362-hp 3.0-liter biturbo V6 connected to a 9-speed automatic transmission
Fuel Economy: 19-mpg city – 26-mpg highway – 22-mpg combined
Seating: 4

Where Built: Bremen, Germany

Crash Test Results: Mercedes-Benz E450 Cabriolet has not been crash tested by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Competes With:
None

Fab Features:
Top down driving doesn’t get much better than this
Luxuriously elegant interior
A technological tour de force