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Old 12th October 2024, 09:52   #1
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My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Likes
1. 3 in 1 car - convertible, sedan and sports car like behaviours.
2. Practical 4 seater convertible.
3. Seeing this as a car which will hopefully appreciate in value - 2 door convertible Mercedes should never go out of style. The other comparable cars Mercedes have in current portfolio in India are the E53 AMG cabriolet which is over 1.6 Cr on road and the very recently launched CLE300 cabriolet. The CLE is more or less a direct replacement to the A205 C300 Cabrio which was sold from 2016 to 2020/21.
4. Outstanding 3 litre V6 biturbo engine (gets used in a wide range of mid-range performance Mercedes cars - GLE400 & 450, all the 43 AMGs, SL400, etc.)
5. Nice build quality, supple and comfortable ride
6. Understated looks, beautiful proportions
7. People love looking at this car on the road and it invites some nice appreciation which is enjoyable to experience. Kids love the car!
8. Rare car - I anticipate that MB imported less than 100-150 of these in the country. Anyone with a more credible number please chime in!
9. Complete paradigm shift - this is truly an all-weather car not just a fair weather machine.
10. Fully usable boot as the spare wheel is full sized and under the boot floor.

Dislikes
1. Relatively poor ground clearance. With 4 people, you have to be extremely careful on speed brakers, and still might scrape the belly.
2. Used convertible cars are commanding very high premiums - especially these annoying dealers who are not ashamed of asking even 25% premiums / finder's fees. I had to pay considerably more than a 2015 W212 sedan. Worldwide, this delta is less - convertibles are 20% more expensive than their sedan counterparts. But in India, this ratio is more like double. As the cars get older, the 4 door convertible Mercs tend to settle into one price range.
3. Suspension is not robust for Indian roads. Ride quality goes down quickly if the suspension is not in good shape. If you are buying a cabrio pre owned, definitely budget for a suspension refresh in early years of your ownership.
4. Perceived lack of practicality
5. The seat belts don’t retract properly and I hate Mercedes for this.

Realities
1. This is a daily ride for me as it was probably for the previous owner.
2. My office is less than 2 km from the house and I have flexi work. So my weekly work commute is not beyond 20 km even if I go to office daily. The car is very much ok for this level of driving and I have covered parking in both places.
3. This is a leisure and happiness car for me. I have used it for late night / early morning drives, family overnighter trips, coffee meets etc.
4. Most of the opinions about convertibles in this country are wrong - they are wonderful all weather cars. I got the car in peak summer and experienced it in the summer of 2023. I have seen 2 summers and 2 rains. The car is most enjoyable obviously in winter. However it is truly weather agnostic.
5. Convertibles (at least these 4 seater ones) are more practical that people think they are.
6. The fabric roof is a lot less hassle than I thought it would be, it needs a different kind of care compared to the metallic surfaces that we are used to. It attracts dust and in my case, weekly cleaning is sufficient.
7. Fuel economy is about 4-6 kmpl in city and 9 to 11 on highway and long trips. The first 4 gears are not really meant to enjoy the car.

Introducing the car to you all

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Dear GTO and admins, please move the thread to appropriate location. This is not really a supercar, but an import. Hence I have put it here.

Last edited by nitrogary : 12th October 2024 at 09:53.
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Old 12th October 2024, 09:59   #2
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All the alternatives that were considered, and why this particular car

The GLC is maturing nicely and has covered over 65k kms on the odo now and continues to be a fantastic family car.

Our other 3 cars before the E400 arrived were the 2011 Skoda Superb, 2014 Octavia and 2016 Ameo (sold in May 2024). A 2024 Kia Sonet has been added as replacement to the Ameo. The Superb was ailing and I therefore sold it in Jan 2023. Wife is using the Octavia as her daily. The Sonet does family duty for my parents and as an alternate car for me.

I really don't need a commuter car and even the Aprilia SR 150 does the job of office commute fairly well.

In 2021, we were blessed with a baby girl and my time spent with family started increasing hence I wanted a convertible to experience the joy of motoring with them in addition to riding the BMW R1200GS.

Hence, I was looking for a convertible only and that too a 4 seater so the options were strictly limited.

Mercedes-Benz E350 cabriolet A207 (2010-13):

The A207 is my first option. Fell in love with the stunning design, simplicity and elegance of the E350 and I saw quite a few of these cars that had come up for sale. Most of the E350's that I saw had over 30-40k kms on them and had had minimum 2 owners and were in dire need of significant restorative effort (financially as well as time wise). This is one car that can lose its condition very quickly if not taken care of properly. I saw 10-15 cars in total in the past few years. New E350s were sold for roughly 70 lacs new and the asking price on this car is typically over 25 lacs. For cars close to completing their 15 years, I felt this was a bit high for my comfort. I firmly believe that the asking prices may not come down significantly on these or any convertibles any further. In fact since early 2023, I have hardly seen any decent E350 cabrios for sale. I suppose the good ones are already snagged up by collectors.

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-db1745173c47467991040efef94f8bcc.jpg

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Other E400s considered
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Mercedes-Benz C300 cabriolet A205 (2016-2020/1):

Wonderful car the C300 cabrio! I adore the black with red color scheme on this and had almost finalized one, but it got sold before I could transfer the token. Would have definitely liked to have one in the garage (still do if the opportunity comes! :P)

The interiors of the C300 are (almost) same as the GLC other than the special convertible interiors and a different color scheme. In a way it makes sense to not get the C300 due to this. Plus it gets the 2 litre engine which is more readily available in many mercs.

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-ce37608947234eed91cfcb67f4e75073.jpg

Audi A3 cabriolet:

The only car that I was no too keen on was the Audi A3 - mainly because of its smaller sized engine. It’s a great car and a very usable 4 seater convertible but I wanted a bigger engine if possible. I recently sold the Superb 1.8 TSI and have had an Octavia is 1.4 TSI MT since 2014 in the garage. Both these cars have similar engines that come on the A3 which doesn't come in quattro. Seemingly A3 cabrio asking prices are high. Any A3 owners here? Please add your ownership experiences.

Audi A5 cabriolet:

What the A3 cab lacks, the A5 more than makes up for it. A unique car in India with diesel, 4wd quattro and soft top. These were very rare to find back then (still are) and seem to have a higher asking price. Would like to get feedback from owners of the A5 cabrio on their experience and would they trade theirs with the E400?

I suppose the E400 might be sportier of the two. The A5 could be a wonderful 2nd car even, being diesel you can literally use it daily for boring commutes as well as weekend trips etc. Petrol is not the biggest ownership cost of a Mercedes, but the V6 turbo petrol in the E is thirsty.

BMW E93 330d:

Never was able to drive one. The 3 litre straight six diesel would be a nice car to have. Have no personal experience but am slightly concerned about the reliability of the hard top based on what I heard. Over time, the metallic parts develop play and become slightly loose.

Again, it's not common to see this car up for sale and I didn't see any good ones in my search. In late 2024, I do see a few E93s on OLX but I am not aligned on the asking price.

Comments on other 4 seater convertibles in India:

Mini Cooper - bit small but wonderful for 2 people, Maserati Gran Cabrio - exclusive, super rare here, BMW 6 series convertibles - not seen many, but I was scared of their reliability and parts availability horror stories. Again in late part of 2024, I am seeing a few 6 series convertibles 640d/650i and am convinced this is a wonderful car. Its probably longer and more GT like than the E400. If you have a 6 series convertible, please let me know if you would like to meet with the car and take a few photos together!

Not really counting the Rolls Royce Dawn and Bentley GTC convertibles in my list because these are really exclusive cars and are beyond my budget.

I am aware of the older gen E class convertibles which are the A208 and A209 - CLK cabriolets. These are rarely seen available for sale and should not really be considered as daily drivers.

I had the opportunity to buy a very low mileage A209 but it was not at the right time. The A207 and A209 seem to have similar asking prices so I am going to consider that they have bottomed out on the asking price. I am aware of a few CLKs in the country but it’s not an easy car to take care of. The buying price is critical of a CLK because you almost certainly will need to spend a lot to bring it up to factory spec.

Last edited by Aditya : 14th October 2024 at 18:35. Reason: Image orientation corrected
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Old 12th October 2024, 10:12   #3
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Getting the car home

I enjoy the chase of getting something that I really want. This was a long process and lasted a very long time. Not here to tell the story of the chase, but yeah this is over 2 years’ worth of preparation for me. I recommend for anyone to experience a few cars at least before buying. I test drove over 15 E350 convertibles. The E400 cabrio was the first time I even saw one. Had considered 4-5 E400s seriously before this one, but their histories were shady so it didn’t reach the point of visiting and seeing the cars.

The car was owned by the CEO of some company, which I think got closed down in covid. The car was sold to a dealer via Mercedes Benz dealer in Chandigarh.

I was working with this dealer for about 6 months on the price. Me being a first time buyer, it took a lot longer to close the deal. Someone who is used to getting such rare cars might be able to close it out in a month or less too. For my next buy, it may not take so much time for me. But with dealers, it's always a concern on the sale price. Rare cars like these might remain unsold for months or might get sold in a few days. If I bought it from an owner directly, I could have saved a few lacs at least. Between multiple dealers who advertise the same car, I noticed a few lacs difference in asking price. I will not really share the exact buying price, but can discuss it on DM if someone is very seriously interested.

Eventually I travelled to the dealer and after a day's negotiations and over a few drinks, we agreed on the price. Took a couple of days to transfer the money and I was suddenly the owner of an E400 cabriolet!

Prior to the purchase, I wanted to make sure that everything was ok on the car and requested help via some contacts with Mercedes. They assigned an AMG trained engineer to guide me with the paid inspection and he was extremely knowledgeable. He gave a few pointers on the kind of work that would be needed to be done but gave a clean chit to the car. Since getting the car, I have now completed all of the recommended work on the car from the authorised dealer.
Few key people to thank here

1. Mercedes dealerships in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar - Joshi Motors. Excellent experience!
2. BHPian M// - with whom I was able to keep the car for a few weeks until I could plan the journey of bringing the car home.

There are innumerable number of people who helped and guided me on getting this dream car, they know who they are! I want to express my gratitude to you all.

Pics credid: Bhpian M//
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The car was brought home in 2 legs. First was up to Delhi where M// graciously agreed to keep the car for a couple of weeks.

Post that, in late April I had a day off on Friday and my dad had some work in Delhi. Used this opportunity to bring the car home from Delhi.

Day 1 - Delhi to Tonk (left at 3 pm after our meetings)
Day 2 - Tonk to Dhule
Day 3 - Dhule to Pune
Some pics from the trip
Attached Thumbnails
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Last edited by suhaas307 : 13th October 2024 at 19:43. Reason: Spacing and formatting
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Old 12th October 2024, 10:24   #4
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Owning the car - other details

Drivability

Start the car and you know something special has woken up. Engine note is slightly raspy on start and settles into a lovely purr after a minute or so. It cranks at 1300-1400 rpm and then then idle settles nicely at a surprising 600 rpm with or without AC and it takes a couple of kms driving for the water temp gage to settle around the 90 deg C mark. Until the temperatures stabilize, I drive gingerly which is the main precaution that you should take with this engine.

Build quality of the E400 is stunning and you can tell that by how the door closes etc. It's not a Porsche, but has a lovely clunk - the single door is long and heavy.

The engine is an M276 DE30LA - V6 biturbo which makes a really healthy 333 bhp and 480 Nm torque. Just wonderful numbers for any car - not just in India but worldwide people speak well of this engine. From a reliability point of view, it lies mostly on the reliable side with some known issues. They are typically seen over 100k miles etc. so I am not looking at any major issues right away. I don't see myself cover 1 lac kms in this car in next 57 years - but you never know

Engine is mated to the older 7 speed 722.9 transmission. It is more than sufficient in terms of number of gears. I enjoy driving the GLC and E400 alternately. Both the cars have different character and transmissions - the 9G is next level though.

In the 722.9, fuel economy in the first 4 gears is poor. Gears 5, 6 and 7 is where the car comes in its element. If you are not in these 3 gears while driving an E400, you are in the wrong place. The car is most fun on highways or twisted tarmac - open top or closed top. It’s a wonderful experience with creamy torque available all over.

Engine revs cleanly up to redline -6.5 / 7000 rpm and above 4000 rpm, it’s a beast. I had never experienced a car with so much power and it honestly takes time getting used to such power.

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_5620.jpeg

That’s why I say it’s a 3 in 1 car - a regular sedan / a sports car / convertible whenever you want it to be and the transition is very much discernible. I have had the car now for 18 months and 6-7k kms. My running on this car is not as much as the others. GLC is typically 10k km per year, Sonet should do 10k also. The Octavia clocks 15k per year.

- Extended warranties & service packages

The car has been serviced in authorized MB dealerships and was in service package for 5+ years and of course is out of warranty.

Since I got it in April 2023, following work has been done with the dealer in Pune
1. Service - oil, filters, ac filter, lubrication, software update, etc. Have done A service last year as well as this year. 2023 cost was about 50k, 2024 cost was 32k.
2. Fresh tires - got Michelin PS4. They are worth the 22k/piece price tag.
3. Rear brake rotors - about 30k
4. Front stabilizer bar - 40k
5. Intake plumbing bellows - 6k from AliExpress.
6. Auxiliary battery - 22k
7. Minor interior parts - luggage net, USB port - they costed a lot though, about 20k
8. Airbag recall completed - no charge to me.
9. Ceramic coating - did this at a well known local car detailer. Can’t say I am super happy with the work. The coating didn’t last long. This year I did ceramic coating at home by myself.

Chassis

The E400 (and E350) cabriolets are code named A207 - which are shorter wheelbase versions of the E class and share parts with the W204 C class. Hence some people say (incorrectly) it's not an E class. In the cabriolet and coupe segment, Mercedes don't have the same variant range as the sedan and SUV range. There were only the SLK, E class and S class convertibles unlike the larger sedan / suv portfolio as well as engine combinations. India only received one variant of each over time - CLK320, CLK350, E350, E400 and E53 AMG.

The 2 door body is beautiful from any angle and the ponton tribute wheel arch was retained in this facelift version of the coupe and cabriolet body styles. 4 people can comfortably sit in the car - but it reduces the ground clearance by quite a bit and you gotta be super careful going over speed breakers.

Rear seats are proper bucket seats, get AC control, arm rest as well as window switches which I found to be very impressive in a convertible. A 5’10 individual would not really struggle to sit in the back seat too much. They can easily do a few hundred kms or 4–5 hours in the car.

Boot space is tight but very manageable. I can comfortably do a couple of days overnighter with family - we have to take flexible and small bag luggage in order to fit in the boot.

Spare wheel along with some special tools for the convertible mechanism are tucked under the boot. This is a huge plus point over all newer gen cabriolets from MB - the C300 and E53 both have their spare wheel as space saver which doesn't save you any space. You are left will miniscule 150 litres of boot space. In the A207, you get over 350 litres boot space.

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Following are the important differences between the E350 and E400

1. Engine - 3.5 V6 NA vs 3.0 V6 Biturbo means you get about 60-70 extra hp but a lot more torque. 480 vs 350 Nm or so.
2. E400 has complete LED lights all over
3. Slightly more powerful brakes
4. Display screen along with 360 degree camera which is impossible to replace in today's world.
5. Exterior refreshed styling
6. Model years availability - 2010 to 2013 for E350 and 2015 to 2017 for E400.
7. There might be updated safety features but I have not researched them well enough.

Ownership and overall experience for the past year and half

I have now seen all seasons in western india in this car and it truly is an all-weather car. With the roof closed, it is weather agnostic - be it summer or rains, the elements don’t bother you.

It is frustrating to clean the car in the rains - that’s the only reason I won't prefer to take it out on wet roads.

The car is surprisingly pleasant in the summer (of Pune). I often drive with the top down, AC on and windows up and it’s an absolute pleasure especially in the early mornings or late nights. During the day, there is no value in taking the top down and the car does its duties as a regular sedan beautifully.

The aerodynamics is wonderful and surprisingly less dust comes into the car. It is no fun to drive top down in a busy evening traffic congested area. The sound of horns and pollution will be very off putting.

Tires and wheels

Globally, 3 wheel sizes are offered and in the sports suspension setup, the car has staggered set of wheels with a fatter rear tire. In India, we got 17 inch wheels all round - 235/45R17.

The previous owner was running 225/50 R17 and the tires were in a really bad shape. By the time I got the car back home, the steel belts were visible. I should have replaced them in Delhi in hindsight. We were lucky to have an uneventful drive home.

I got to know that a dealer was having Michelin Pilot sport 4 set of 245/45R17 available with him and I got them. A 10 mm extra width and 4 mm height on the tires will be helpful towards the ground clearance and drivability. They are great tires and give wonderful traction in corners - worth the extra money over other tires.

Quote from MB on the Continental ones was exorbitant. I have done about 5k kms on the new set and so far no issues to report.

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Fit and finish

This is a very well built car in general and the door closes beautifully. It’s leather everywhere and all soft touches. My car does show some signs of light use and has the patina to match for it. It had 61k km at the time of buying and now it stands at 68 kms which is probably high for a cabriolet but I believe this was chauffer driven / daily driven by the previous owner.

There is one creak from the centre console which is bothering me but other than that it’s a surprisingly quiet car. With the roof down and windows up, that’s usually how it keep it so I can keep the AC running and noise to a minimum.

On the highway or a night cruising, it's a pleasure. You feel on top of the world and it is best enjoyed on a quiet low traffic country road or highway when you drive in an unhurried manner. There is a different pleasure in driving a fast car slow

Comfort and space

Roads in Maharashtra are degrading at a higher rate than their improvement and it can be annoying to deal with the speed breakers and broken tarmac. But the car handles it well without trouble.

The most interesting is that 4 people can sit in relative comfort and we can easily do 200-300 km in the car. This is the biggest plus point of a 4 seater convertible and it entirely justifies the value proposition.

Driving position is comfortable and there is plenty of space for the rear passenger with me driving.

The rear seat has window switches, centre arm rests, cup holders and small recess on the outside where maybe a phone can be kept. There's also AC vents for the rear and cut outs for the knees at the back of the front seats. You have to pull the silver tab to slide the seat forward to be able to get in the car
Attached Thumbnails
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Last edited by suhaas307 : 13th October 2024 at 19:46. Reason: Spacing and formatting
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Old 12th October 2024, 11:21   #5
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Living with a cabriolet

This has been a fantastic welcome addition to the garage and the family. Everyone loves it and we enjoy the family time that we get in the car. With the top down, it does invite attention and curious looks. Some people do walk up and enquire about the car and I am happy to share the details with them.

The best driving experience is on a pleasant day with the top down and if needed, the air conditioner on to your preference. Put on your favourite music along with your loved ones and leave all your worries behind.

Driving position is very good and with all electronic adjustments a comfortable seating and driving position is never an issue.

Rear seats

Getting in and out is slightly difficult, but better than a coupe even with the roof closed. The front seat slides forward so that you can go behind. The trick is to go in and go out rear first. That ways you don't hit anything.

With the roof open, it’s easier to get in than a sedan.

You need to inform people not to touch the glass because they are not supported and leave horrible smudges. It is just something that needs time to get used to. I have now started closing all car doors in that fashion - by holding the door, below than the glass to close. This type of door closing is a lot more satisfying anyway.

The centre arm rest, ac vents and window switches make a lot of positive difference.

Aerodynamics

You can activate the aircap feature which is a spoiler above the windshield and along with that the rear head restraint and a central curtain pops up. With the windows up, the front passengers feel no annoying air draft at any speeds. The rear head restraints also help in roll over protection.

I know climate activists etc will feel offended, but this is a recreational car. There is almost no impact on the fuel economy that I have seen. Maybe 2-3% extra fuel gets consumed but I just don't drive if I want to save fuel.

The Roof

This is the party trick of the E400. The top is made of over 200 moving parts and is an inch thick, made of 3 layers - the top layer which is weather resistant, middle layer which is an insulating layer and the head lining. It is all very beautifully put together and the hydraulic cylinders activate the roof via hydraulic fluid that runs across hoses. These hoses are a potentially weak link and over time must be replaced as part of periodic maintenance. I have not yet done that, but I will in case there is some major work that needs to be done in due course of time.

One interesting observation is that the roof doesn't have the grab handle due to obvious reasons. Few people I know are used to holding the grab handle while sitting in the passenger seat and their hand keeps searching for this. They tend to fiddle around with the roof lining / roof sections. I don't quite like it because that portion of the car is unique and possibly delicate.

Rear glass is part of the fabric roof and offers perfect visibility. It comes with the heated / defogger option. I have not really used it but the windshield also has a defogger due to the open top driving condition resulting in sudden fogging of the front glass.

NVH

With the roof closed, the car is just like any sedan or coupe. In traffic you can hear conversations that other people on two wheelers next to you are having so maybe they can hear the music that I play or if I am on phone, it may be audible outside.

The ride is stiff. My other comparison car is the GLC. Between the cars, the GLC rolls more but is a lot more comfortable compared to the E400. The seats on the cabriolet are hard and have less cushioning on them. This is not a comfort oriented car though.

Handling

The steering is sharp and light. You get excellent feedback and the car being SWB is very responsive. You have to be careful with giving the throttle mid corner as the car easily oversteers and the rear steps out. You can hold the slide comfortably with throttle control. However, this being a turbo engine, sometimes there is a risk of excess power going to the wheels or too little power to the wheels. This can upset the balance a little bit and the car twitches as if its giggling.

The other element is the cabriolet scuttle - the lateral shake that you experience due to absence of a closed roof structure. I watched a lot of car reviews and they kept mentioning it. Honestly it's not even a big deal and you just notice it's there.

This is not intended to be a Porsche Boxster or maybe even a Z4 BMW or the SLK. Those are 2 seater sports cars. This is however a 4 seater GT car which you can do longer distances in a 2+2 seating layout with sufficient space for luggage.

With a full load, you really need to run high pressure on the tires else the car will be unhappy.

Front rotors are ventilated and drilled and they have very nice bite and progressive feel. I am tempted to say that with the power that this car has, it can do with better brakes.

Ground clearance is lower than your typical sedans and for big potholes you need to be careful and maybe even go diagonally on the bumps. Short wheel base helps here. With 4 passengers, big speed breakers are inviting trouble without the correct tire pressure. I have travelled in multiple states in this car now and I have not struggled on 99.9% of roads. The car is obviously not an off roader and beyond broken tarmac it's not sensible to take the car on worser roads.

Maintenance

The car is no worse than a regular Mercedes to maintain. I am following the service recommendations to the last line and am hoping that the car serves me well long term.

A service - 25k
B service - 45k - 55k
Transmission oil change - due this year.. It may be 35k.
Brakes set - not known yet for front brakes. Expecting it to be 30k for rear and 40-50k for front.

I spent a little bit of money fixing a few broken things in the car and am still not 100% there as per my liking but I like work in progress cars.

This sums up what I have to put together for this car. I am hoping that you find this enjoyable and useful, I was unable to find a convertible ownership review, maybe there is one somewhere hidden, but certainly very less is written on the E400.

Would be happy to answer any queries from you all and will look forward to updating the ownership thread on a regular basis.

Last edited by suhaas307 : 13th October 2024 at 19:49. Reason: Spacing and formatting
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Old 12th October 2024, 20:32   #6
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Beautiful writeup of a beautiful car. This E400 Cabrio is in very safe hands and I am sure it will be well taken care of. Knowing you and your dedication for everybody automotive, I can vouch for this !

The amount of pain and effort you have taken to find that “right” E400 is noteworthy. Only an enthusiast would go that extra mile to find the perfect example.

This was time taking, but after reading your ownership report, I am certain that everything was well worth it.

One click of the car when it was in my custody

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_20230404_111704_original.jpeg
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Old 14th October 2024, 09:21   #7
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

This is really Alluring. Congrats on the purchase and Happy open top motoring !
It is indeed a very functional car. I suspect the rear seats are only good for kids.

Every time I bump into my friend and his 3 Series (E93) Hardtop convertible, it triggers a desire to buy one of them. However, reality strikes that one can only drop the top only for a few months in a year where I live - Finland.
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Old 14th October 2024, 10:16   #8
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by 14000rpm View Post

Every time I bump into my friend and his 3 Series (E93) Hardtop convertible, it triggers a desire to buy one of them. However, reality strikes that one can only drop the top only for a few months in a year where I live - Finland.
Au contraire - it would be sublime to drive with the room down after snowfall with the heater on!
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Old 14th October 2024, 10:23   #9
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Re: Living with a cabriolet

Thanks for sharing your new car nitrogary.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nitrogary View Post
The best driving experience is on a pleasant day with the top down and if needed, the air conditioner on to your preference.
I have a few queries when it comes to your specific Convertible car:

-Given yours is a Cloth roof and not a metal one, do you feel a lot of heat in the cabin?, especially being from Pune?

-Does the AC perform adequately despite cloth roof/leaks?

-Is the Noise Insulation is noticeably worst than a proper metal roof vehicle?


Thanks for your time : )
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Old 14th October 2024, 11:53   #10
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

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Au contraire - it would be sublime to drive with the room down after snowfall with the heater on!
. That is some wild and wicked Idea.
Spring and Autumn is stretching it already and some do exactly what you suggest and the rest take them off the road till sun shines again.

Guess we can continue this on my other thread about Finland and leave thread back to the E400.
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Old 14th October 2024, 21:28   #11
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by //M View Post
Beautiful writeup of a beautiful car. This E400 Cabrio is in very safe hands and I am sure it will be well taken care of. Knowing you and your dedication for everybody automotive, I can vouch for this !

Attachment 2666552
Very kind words Dada. This is probably not the mintiest of the E400s in the country. But its a nice car with known history and decent usage. I looked at the driving data and the car has not be misued at all.
There are a few E400s being abused in the country. Recently there was one in Indore who was caught doing donuts on the street!

Quote:
Originally Posted by 14000rpm View Post
This is really Alluring. Congrats on the purchase and Happy open top motoring !
It is indeed a very functional car. I suspect the rear seats are only good for kids.

Every time I bump into my friend and his 3 Series (E93) Hardtop convertible, it triggers a desire to buy one of them. However, reality strikes that one can only drop the top only for a few months in a year where I live - Finland.
Thank you 14000rpm
The rear seats can comfortably accommodate adults up to 5'8 or so without any issue with a 5'10 driver like in the front seat. See pics with the roof open and closed. Thats 5 of us in total. Pune to Mahabaleshwar is easy like this.

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_5695.jpeg

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_5239.jpeg

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_5600.jpeg

The E93 is a lovely car.
For you in Finland, you can definitely get a newer E cabriolet as well. Those are 4matic and much nicer. I can connect you to a fellow E400 owner in the Scandinavia. He's been enjoying his cabrio out there. Look at the A5 quattro as well as BMW 6 series as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajmat View Post
Au contraire - it would be sublime to drive with the room down after snowfall with the heater on!
Agree 100% on this! I would love to experience the car in snow.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maky View Post
Thanks for sharing your new car nitrogary.

-Given yours is a Cloth roof and not a metal one, do you feel a lot of heat in the cabin?, especially being from Pune?

-Does the AC perform adequately despite cloth roof/leaks?

-Is the Noise Insulation is noticeably worst than a proper metal roof vehicle?
Thanks for your time : )
1. There is no difference in the heating. In fact the fabric roof acts as a wonderful insulator. It is 3 layer and is about an inch thick. With air gaps in between, no heat / cold gets transmitted from the roof but rather only from the windows. In case it gets hot, its so much easier to just open the roof and let the warm air out Bet you didnt think about this!

2. The AC is beautiful. I don't know how, but nobody in the media has explained what a pleasure it is to drive the car open top, with AC on. There are no leakages from the roof.
The roof gets sealed from the front with hydraulic locks and from the sides by the windows which slot inside the roof. There is a rubber lining on the side for the window glass to sit in.

3. The noise insulation is definitely worse than a sedan / suv. The GLC is noticeably quieter, but GLC is like novicaine. It is meant to isolate you. E400 is involving and very enjoyable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 14000rpm View Post
. That is some wild and wicked Idea.
Spring and Autumn is stretching it already and some do exactly what you suggest and the rest take them off the road till sun shines again.

Guess we can continue this on my other thread about Finland and leave thread back to the E400.
Please do discuss your ideas here
If you can take pics of a convertible with the Aurora, Mercedes should pay you for it!

By the way, here's a walk around video of the car when I went to see it.
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Old 15th October 2024, 00:09   #12
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by nitrogary View Post
Likes


Introducing the car to you all
Hi Nitrogary ( aka Sarang),

The Mercedes Cabriolets are like poetry in motion... smooth, quiet and just affording the driver to sink in the feeling or a relaxed and fun trip.

Love your car. Just doesn't show the age. Attention to the details and beautifully written. Hope to see it in person when I visit Pune.
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Old 15th October 2024, 08:35   #13
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Excellent post. Congrats on the purchase, such a beautiful car. Thanks for taking the time and detailing out every aspect of the convertible. Reading this make me not afraid of owning one maybe in the future !!!!
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Old 15th October 2024, 10:04   #14
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Re: My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience

Quote:
Originally Posted by nikhilarni View Post
The Mercedes Cabriolets are like poetry in motion... smooth, quiet and just affording the driver to sink in the feeling or a relaxed and fun trip.
Love your car. Just doesn't show the age. Attention to the details and beautifully written. Hope to see it in person when I visit Pune.
Thank you for the kind words! You are absolutely welcome lot of nice places nearby for a drive. Bonus if you visit in the winters.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sp4589 View Post
Excellent post. Congrats on the purchase, such a beautiful car. Thanks for taking the time and detailing out every aspect of the convertible. Reading this make me not afraid of owning one maybe in the future !!!!
Thank you sp4589! This was my main intent actually. Convertibles come with a perception. Global number of convertibles sold is significantly reducing. This is courtesy a few things
1. Road conditions and preference of SUVs and pseudo SUVs which offer vertical space
2. These are only seen as status symbols and hence very few affordable convertibles exist now a days for sale (India even so).
3. Post covid people have a different sense on spending their money.
You should most certainly consider a convertible.

They may not be easy to have as primary first car, but are excellent 2nd / 3rd /4th car. Feel free to bounce your thoughts on buying a convertible here or on dm.
Best regards.
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Old 22nd October 2024, 11:45   #15
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AMG Emotion Tour

Late last year, I received a text from the Pune MB dealer if I'd be interested in attending the AMG Emotion Tour on one of the weekends. Hell yeah I would! This was truly an exclusive event and included the following
1. cockpit experience - a flight experience in a small capacity propeller airplane
2. Autocross - timed lap competition of a closed circuit
3. Drift school - Car drifting experience with Sirish Chandran
4. Drag experience on the drag strip
5. AMG cars experience

The event was managed extremely well.

I couldn't wait and added my wife as my +1. She was equally excited about this experience.
I had missed the GLC launch event held at the Turf Club in August 2023 and was regretting it Definitely didn't want to miss out on this one.
We were supposed to assemble at B. U. Bhandari dealership in the morning at 830. Schedule was
Arrive at 830
Breakfast up to 9 AM
Arrive at Aamby Valley - 12 pm
AMG experience - up to 630 pm
Return back to Pune 8 pm

I was asked to get the E400 cabriolet which Mercedes does classify under "dream cars" as they do for all AMGs and Maybachs. So I spent Saturday evening detailing the car - washing, vacuuming, tire dressing, everything - couldn't wait for Sunday morning!

We reached a bit late and after meeting the team at BU Bhandari, everyone proceeded in a nice orderly formation and took the expressway to head to Aamby Valley. The drive was beautiful and driving along such beautiful cars was incredible beyond belief. I hope everyone else on the road also had a good time admiring these rare beauties.

The event was on the Aamby Valley air strip where we could experience outright acceleration on the airstrip as well as the cockpit experience. The hospitality was outstanding all throughout and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Food was wonderful as well - as expected from Ritz Carlton.

We were divided into 3 groups so that the organizing team could manage better and the teams could rotate themselves. Will let the pics speak for themselves.



My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-230e49c0ccda48599f6e800ac9c6cdc9.jpg

With Sirish Chandran. I believe this was co-organized by Evo magazine

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6885.jpeg

Can't say I am super attracted to the Electric cars.

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6888.jpeg

With the Cessna

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6895.jpeg

Attaching a video of the take off and aerial view from the biplane



Drifting the A45s



My lap of the A45s



Some of the cars on display

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6913.jpeg

C300 cabriolet

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6926.jpeg

With a gorgeous S500 cabrio

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6930.jpeg

Other eye candy that was there..

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6941.jpeg

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6961.jpeg

With the latest E53 cabriolet

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6948.jpeg

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-img_6949.jpeg

Wrapping up the day for a wonderful drive back home

My Mercedes-Benz A207 E400 Cabriolet Ownership Experience-30f8cae756a24ba78b3298424d863936.jpg

Last edited by nitrogary : 22nd October 2024 at 11:48.
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