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E400 Coupe in Bright Sunlight

9K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  erisaman 
#1 ·
I just bought an E400 Coupe. It's a great car and I strongly enjoy driving it, but I have one issue. There is only a screen and the panorama glass roof between the sun and me. Driving in the hot South Florida sun during the middle of the day, I wish I could block out more of the sun. I realize that the glass used in the roof reflects UV, but I would still like it darker in there. The sun can be a bit distracting, when it's overhead. Any suggestions?
 
#2 ·
Congrats on the new car. I consider this a design flaw.

I think Germans don't know what the sun is like in more southerly latitudes! Two possibilities come to mind: having an even darker tint professionally applied to the inside surface of the roof glass, and wearing a visor cap as you might if driving a convertible.

What Mercedes ought to do is offer a replacement of the mesh screen with a solid material.
 
#6 ·
Just off the top of my head...

Some may already own a convertible; some may have had their fill of convertibles,
and some may prefer the additional safety and security of a hard top.
 
#11 ·
I just bought a 2012 E350 Cabriolet. I do enjoy my 2012 C250 with the sun roof open but I have been a convertible guy since 1988 when I bought a new Mustang Convertible. I followed that car with a 94 Mustang Convertible then a 2001 Mustang Convertible that now has "only" 210,000 miles. I wanted to follow the 2001 Mustang with a Mercedes convertible but I could not force myself to pay over $60,000 (in 2013) for a 2012 E350 Cabriolet so I decided to just add the C250 and keep the 2001 Mustang so I could still have a convertible. Now that the 2012 E350 Cabs have depreciated I decided to make the move and purchase the car I have dreamed about. I have only had it a couple of weeks and we LOVE IT!!!! Needless to say once you let convertibles get into your blood it impossible to get them out. By the way....I still have my 1994 and 2001 Mustangs so now I have three convertibles to choose from to blow my hair around......


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#14 ·
Know this in an old thread but wonder if anyone has moved from a hardtop convertible of any type to an E350 or E550 Cabriolet ? Wonder how troublesome the soft top is compared to a folding hard top ? Like what I read about the E550 Cab and it has the same engine as my CLS which is going to be nice but I have always been wary of soft tops cos it feels like they will be a pain to maintain over time. I have been amazed at how solid and trouble free my 11 year old Lexus SC430 hard top convertible has been and it still is a beautiful car to drive but I would prefer a slightly larger convertible where I can put the two kids in the back.
 
#15 ·
I moved from a VW EOS to an E500 cab. The E500 is very quiet and I've had no issues with the roof. The Eos tended to have a very squeaky roof which needed regular applications of krytox to tame. The merc does have some squeaks but in the 3 years I've had it I have only just applied krytox to the seals for the first time.

I expect that in a rollover, a hard top is going to give you better protection so depending on how fatalistic you are, that would be the main differentiator in my opinion.

I had a 96 mustang GT convertible as well - but that's in a whole different (lower) league..
 
#16 ·
I only had one convertible over my whole lifetime - a 2005 Ford Thunderbird (kept it 9 years). It came with a Hartz cloth top that was lined and very expensive looking. The car was as silent with it up as it was with the removable hardtop that also came with the car. The downside is the soft tops are hard to keep clean. Tree sap, bird s--t, etc. can damage them and when you clean it off, you may have to use a water repellant spray on them. I had a garage door opener that dropped some oil on the top that was hard to get off. That convertible and most others I have driven I have noticed the chassis is not as stiff as when it has the hardtop is on or up. I have driven an E350 convertible, and I don't think the chassis is as stiff as the same car in 2dr coupe form. That is just my opinion though; others on this site may feel differently.
 
#17 ·
DCOZ and V8cat, thanks for your impressions. Like what I thought, MB quality will make the E550 Cab a nice car to own but caring for that soft top is just harder and I guess the soft top will not provide the same service life as my venerable old SC430 hardtop. The point about the rigidity of a car with a hard top is right I think - my SC430 with top down jiggles a bit more over uneven roads than when I have the top up. Wish MB would make something like a BMW 435i convertible competitor, ideally with a 4.7l or 4.0l V8. An SLK or SL just will not work for me cos I need the two back seats ....

May still go chk out some E550 Cabs just to learn more but I dunno whether I will eventually stay with MB for this choice of toy car.
 
#18 ·
I went from a SL500 (03 could never get the suspension right) to a E350 convertible and have been pleasantly surprised. With the soft top up 0 wind noise and with it down only a convertible lover would understand the sheer fun and joy of cruising topless. The only issue I have is the outdated navigation system. Looking forward to the 2017. Happy Trails.
 
#19 ·
I have a 2012 E350, Lunar Blue with Blue top. The cloth top will be harder to keep clean than the hardtop. I always vacuum the top before I put any plain water on it to clean it. If it is dirty just a little mild soap and a soft brush usually does the trick. I do use a spray protectant a couple of times a year. The soft tops are lighter than the hard top convertibles therefore the inner workings will not have as much strain to open and close the top. The E350 Cabs are great cars.....


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#24 ·
Resurrecting this old thread again - had a new CLK 500 with sun roof and, of course, pillar-less windows each side, way back in 2004. When asked, I told a neighbour that at my age it would be the nearest I'd have to a convertible. Two years later I bought a Volvo C70, then another, then a MG soft top, a 350 SLK - and loved every topless moment (amazing how you can hear a bird singing and that sound stays with you).

I went 4WD but gave up in 2014 and began looking at another SLK (R172 with Pan roof) but delayed and delayed ....... now looking at 2014 E Class C207 with Pan / sun roof and pillar-less side windows. Yeses!
 
#26 ·
Apologies to OP.

Browsing the thread, I read the query in post #5 and applied it to my own circumstance, jumping to provide a response from my perspective. Then realised I'd gone off track, however, it's appropriate that, as with Scotland, Welsh Wales lacks 'Southern' sunshine but revels in cloud and much rain.
 
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