Face it, most people, if they can afford it, purchase based on exterior styling. We loved the look of the e400 Cabriolet. Having had an earlier Mercedes convertible sedan, we knew what we were getting into. In this kind of car, you trade off style and fun for a certain amount of constraint in the sizes of the passenger compartment and trunk. Still we can seat four fairly comfortably and the trunk can be packed full if the ragtop stays up. With top down, the system for sheltering passengers from wind is very effective, and the "scarf" neck warmers really work. This is our first turbo V-6 and both its performance and fuel economy have been pleasant surprises. So has the near-instant response of the paddle shifters for changing gears. The car handles quite well, with suspension just stiff enough to yield both cornering and comfort. Steering feel is also pretty good, but slightly over-boosted for my tastes. The car is built at the minimum legal ground clearance, so we have to watch it when parking near curbs (long, low nose) or going over speedbumps, drainage, etc. Our biggest complaint is the interface to the entertainment and (especially) the navigation systems. If your standard is iOS or Android, the touchscreen and voice recognition of the Mercedes will seem overly complex and clunky. Who wants to spend that much time learning the interface, which is far from intuitive? Having said that, I do not know of any car with an electronic interface that works much better.
