Mercedes-Benz E 350 Cabriolet Review: Elegantly Topless

What we like:

A classy car with a sexy design and well-balanced drive to bootWe don't

What we dislike:

It's price tag and slightly stiff chassis

Either with the top up or down, the E-Class delivers a well balanced drive. There is no scuttle shake to speak of - thanks to the rigid chassis. But in return, you do get a rather stiff ride. Not that the suspension doesn't do a good job of soaking up the road blemishes, but you will feel the vibrations transferred, almost verbatim, when the road gets rough or bumpy. Some people might mistake it and foolishly pass it off as scuttle shake, however.

It's a little compromise, if you may, for a well sorted handling and road-holding. With a well distributed front-rear weight ratio, low centre of gravity and wide track, the E-Class feels sure-footed with its 18-inch rubbers. It takes corners and tight bends with great panache, with little hint of squatting.

Power is provided by a 3.5-litre V6 motor that pushes out 272 bhp and 350Nm of torque from a rather usable 2,400rpm. The power is put to the tarmac through an excellent seven-speed automatic transmission that shifts at lightning quick speeds - whether you are selecting the cogs manually or letting the car do the work for you. The car can be propelled from standstill to the 100km/h benchmark in 6.9 seconds. It certainly isn't a bruiser, but it's neither a cruiser as it's certainly sportier than one might expect of a luxury car.
That said, the E350 cabriolet still isn't a sports car per se. You'd not win many drag races as the traffic light, neither are you going to dominate at the race tracks, but what it does perfectly well is to turn heads as you cruise down Orchard Road with the top down (air-con at full blast, of course).

The grandmas stop and stare. The girls peek at you from the corners of their oversized Prada shades. The men give you envious looks. Children point with curiosity. And the guy in the F430 on your left looks at you before gunning it when the light turns green.

Credits: Story by John Toh Photos by Raymond Lai