how do you like your cabriolet? Is there much wind noise, do you drive much with the top down? Practicality -if it exists in cabs- over coupes?
I have been thinking of getting one but unsure if it is a justified "need".
To try to answer your questions (in order)....
Do I like my Cab?....Like is not a strong enough word. I love my 95 cab...more so than any car I've ever owned! Hope that the day I'm buried...I'll be in it!
Still, can't park, walk away without stopping, and turning back to admire it.
Truly, it brings me more pleasure than I'd even hoped for during my several year search for the "right" one.
Yes I "needed" it....no regrets, despite the huge amount invested.
My top goes down at every opportunity.
The world seen through driving a convertible (top down) is completely unlike any other experience...and for me, is better than a motorcycle (you don't have to put your feet down when you stop).
I drive it all year long.
Wind noise? Seek the OEM windscreen made for MB by BORIS of Germany.
Huge difference in reducing cabin wind turbulence, nice correct "period accessory" but challenging to find. FWIW, BORIS offers a restoration/re-screening for them using their correct original jigs.
Practicality? Of course expect Mercedes legendary quality....but eventually (like any convertible) the top will need replacement. Not inexpensive due to it's 5 ply Sonneland canvas (rubber layers between canvas).
They will ALL eventually display "wear" marks towards the rear from friction/vibration when the top is down...but rarely, if ever, will leak there.
In addition...the 8 hydraulic cylinders WILL eventuall fail/leak, but can be rebuilt.
My experience? Dealer quoted about $10,000 for the job, my MB specialist R&R them for about $1,500...once cylinders were returned to him fully rebuilt.
Justification? Mercedes has now labeled them "classics"...and I expect mine to hold it's value, and someday go up.
Our "depressed" economy makes now (I think) a very good time to purchase one.
Just my 2$ to answer your questions.
Me? Again....Greatest car I've ever owned, can't describe the pleasure it brings me!
Can't say enough good things about it (except, damned seat belt presenters)!
Mine is great. It will be out of winter storage in a couple of weeks and on the road, and I will be the guy grinning like a hound in a head wind.
We drove it through the mountains last fall with the roof down, through some rain showers without getting wet, and loved every minute.
The wind screen behind the seats makes a big difference to the comfort in the cabin.
As for noise, we had a tail wind one autumn afternoon and the cabin was so quiet with the roof down we could hear the leaves rustling in the trees beside the road. I would rather drive the cabrio with the roof down than any car with an open sunroof.
Buy one. Get a decent one for a fair price and you are risking nothing, because someone smart will buy it off you for basically the same money if it turns out you don't want it any more.
Like others in this thread, I like my cab a lot. Having had 6 convertibles of other makes over the last 40 years, I can safely say the 300CE is the most reliable, durable and the only one that never leaks in the rain. I've put over 110,000 miles on mine in the past 5 years and don't hesitate to do long trips.
The down side is obvious: costs more up-front and maintenance will be higher than the coupe. Since it weighs about 400 lbs more than the coupe, it's also is a tad slower on acceleration and leans a bit more in the turns.
I think the 1993 version will be more collectible because only 766 were made for the USA. The '94 and '95 versions were made by the thousands. That said, the nose of the later model is prettier and that might count more than production numbers.
In terms of build quality,they are quite simply one of the best 4 seater convertibles ever made...period (and I don't even own one.) Get a hold of Mercedes enthusiast Feb issue, nice write up on the W124 Cabs and how they keep accruing value.
BTW...used to have a friend who DRANK v9's.
V8 juice + a splash of vodka.
Best,
David
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mercedes-Benz Forum
7.6M posts
693.6K members
Since 1999
BenzWorld.org forum is one of the largest Mercedes-Benz owner websites offering the most comprehensive collection of Mercedes-Benz information anywhere in the world. The site includes MB Forums, News, Galleries, Publications, Classifieds, Events and much more!