rience California at its finest.
But if you’re not like me with the windows
down and fully enjoying the wind, you can
leverage Mercedes’ technology to minimize
how much you’ll have to adjust and fix your
hairdo when you arrive at your destination.
That’s because Mercedes has what it calls
AIRCAP. Essentially, it is an integrated, electric
wind deflector built into the roof frame so
that it can be deployed. When put into position,
the aim is to minimize how much wind fills the
cabin. Paired with this is a power-operated
wind blocker between the rear headrests. Although
my use of the system was minimal, I
did try it out around town and at highway
speed. During errands in Sausalito there was
benefit at normal speed; however, on the freeway
it didn’t help much at all.
Another trick addition is AIRSCARF. Mercedes
has been equipping its convertibles with
this for years now but it always leaves me tickled
when I get to experience it. As the pioneer
of this technology, the three-pointed star has
built venting into the head rests/seating so that
when the temperatures drop – as they tend to
during the evening hours in the Bay Area – you
can circulate warm air around your neck as
you motor along. Driving along with the top
down and windows up along the bay never felt
so sublime. Honestly, I wish this were an option
on all cars. AIRSCARF is better than having
a heated seat.
This means you can enjoy the E400 in two
ways with the top down. You can have the traditional
convertible experience with a lot of
wind and fun, or you can opt to have a more
isolated experience. This translates to a convertible
that has greater utility than others in
the market.
This brings me to the driving experience. As
this is a standard Mercedes product, it skews
towards the luxury side. While it has sporting
intentions, do not get it twisted: This is a boulevard
cruiser. This is reflected in just about all
of the E400’s driving dynamics. It’s not too
much or too little of anything.
The E is “just right.”
Equipped with a 3.0-liter, bi-turbo six-cylinder
engine, the E400 4MATIC Convertible I
piloted produces 329 horsepower and 354 lb.-
ft. of torque. Paired up with a nine-speed automatic
transmission, zero to 60 happens in
about 5.3 seconds. It’s not lightning fast but it
certainly won’t leave you fretting about merging
onto a highway. One would simply say it’s
“adequate.” NOTE: For the 2019 model year,
the E400 becomes the E450 and it gets a bit
more power.
Flipping between the driving settings, you
have a multitude of choices that adjust the
steering, shift points, throttle sensitivity and
suspension. Choose from Comfort, Eco, Sport,
Sport+ and Individual, the latter of which allows
you to mix and match the configurations
102 BC The Mag FALL 2018