E Class Cabriolet

[1066ng]

Hi all
I'm on the lookout for an E Class cabriolet. Prefer 320, but would consider 220. Does anyone out there know if there is anything different, and important, to look at on these models over an E Class saloon. Is the electric hood and seat mechanism reliable? Is the wind deflector particularily desirable? What's the best colour/trim combination?(personal choice, I know!)
How rare is the hardtop?
Many thanks

 

[CoventGardenCabrio]

These cars are generally well looked after; as ever seek out a spotless service history. Obviously check out the roof and test it for leaks by spraying lots of water all over it if you can. I have found the car absolutely reliable since buying mine 6 months ago. That includes the roof mechanism etc.

Test drive it mostly with the roof up, otherwise you won't hear rattles etc. The roof is thick and provides good insulation, do listen out for any clattering of roof seals against windows etc.

Occasionally you see a car with the rear headrests that don't quite work. They function as roll-over bars and are supposed to go up and down at the press of a button on the dash; sometimes they break down and stay up all the time. A pretty obvious problem if it happens, so check that.

Hard tops were never made by Mercedes for this model but I was told that there is an aftermarket supplier who makes them (for quite a lot of money), I forget the name. I have never seen one though.

The wind deflector makes a big difference but is quite easy to get if it doesn't already come with the car (about £200 from memory).

The most desirable cars apparently are Azurite blue with mushroom leather and a dark blue roof. That happens to be my combination of choice as well. A light coloured leather interior gets less hot when exposed to sunshine so it is kinder to your bottom in summer! Try to find an original car that has not been tampered with (stay clear of aftermarket spoilers, lowered suspension, flashy alloys etc).

Some salesmen say the Sportline versions are rare, which is a lie.

They usually come with a 4 or 5 speed auto box. The 5 speed is more expensive to maintain and reviewers say it is no better than the 4 speed. I have never tried the 5 speed box.

All in all a fabulous car, and it's a good time of year to buy one as the prices are at their lowest. www.silverarrows.co.uk have a nice looking 320 for £15,950 which you should be able to beat down. In a private sale you should be able to get a very clean car with average mileage for around £12,000, maybe less. Autobarn in Sussex have a very good reputation and often have one or two in stock.

I am very happy with my 220 engine. You should really test drive both. Unless you regularly drive over 90mph on the motorway (which gets noisy in the 220) I don't think it's worth paying extra for the 320 which uses around 10% more petrol.

Check out www.honestjohn.co.uk's car-by-car lowdown for other tips.

 

[1066ng]

Many thanks. Incidentally, there's a LHD one advertised on the AutoTrader web site, complete with hard top (photo)

 

[CoventGardenCabrio]

Interesting - do you have a link (or can you copy the picture into this thread)?

 

[1066ng]

Hi there,
I had a look for you but unfortunately its now gone. Incidentally, it was a 220 finished in Bornite, with mushroom leather with only 23000 miles! As it was LHD the price was £10,000. The photo was in the dealers showroom (can't remember who it was), with the hardtop on. It looked great!
If I see another one with hardtop on, I'll let you know.

 

[astudio]

Hi there, I have just seen your request and guess what, I have an unusual E-class cabriolet which is mint condition and currently residing in San Francisco but is in fact a European model which I shipped over last year but have left it in storage at a famous Redwood City Mercedes dealership, the owner of which is a personal friend and who is looking after it for me, but not using it I should add .
As I stated, it's a 1995 E-class cabriolet with only 40,000 miles on the clock and is so unused it still has the yellow film on the engine.
It is very eye catching and everyone wanted to buy it in California but I could not get be arsed to get it through the EPA rules for no other reason than they were just difficult because I imported it myself and they like to protect their industry.

I can e-mail photo's and shipping is easy as I do it all the time.
What say you?

Hi all
I'm on the lookout for an E Class cabriolet. Prefer 320, but would consider 220. Does anyone out there know if there is anything different, and important, to look at on these models over an E Class saloon. Is the electric hood and seat mechanism reliable? Is the wind deflector particularily desirable? What's the best colour/trim combination?(personal choice, I know!)
How rare is the hardtop?
Many thanks