Test Drive: Mercedes-Benz S-Class cabriolet blindingly gorgeous

The Mercedes-Benz S550 cabrio is the apex of the carmakers art.
The Mercedes-Benz S550 cabrio is the apex of the carmakers art.
photo The interior of the S-class cabrio is a work of art.

Fast facts

- Model: 2017 Mercedes-Benz S550 cabriolet - Exterior color: Emerald Green - Interior color: Saddle brown - Engine: 4.7-liter V8 - Horsepower: 449 - Transmission: nine-speed automatic - Fuel economy: 25 mpg highway, 17 mpg city - Local Dealer: Mercedes-Benz at Long of Chattanooga - Price (as tested): $161,675


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Looking for a used or new car?

Can a drop-top coupe be drop-dead gorgeous?

In a word, "yes."

The Mercedes-Benz S550 Cabriolet is the epitome of the carmakers' art, blending blinding good looks with advanced German engineering.

This comes at a precious, six-figure price, of course. And frankly, for most of us regular wage-earners in Chattanooga, the S550 drop-top is a fantasy machine. Still, everyone needs an "I-just-won-Powerball" car, and the S550 certainly qualifies - as does any automobile with standard aroma-therapy.

(I'm from the school of thought that if your car begins to stink, you should buy a $2 pine-scented air freshener to hang from your rear-view mirror; or, in a worst-case scenario, stick a Bounce dryer sheet under my cap.)

This week's tester, fresh from the factory in Germany, is an Emerald Green coupe, with a base price of $131,400. Our car layers on about $30,000 in options, such as a $6,400 Burmester sound system and a $6,900 wheel and body accent package, boosting the price to $161,675.

Allan Long, general sales manager at Mercedes-Benz of Chattanooga, says the dealership has one unclaimed S550 Cabriolet in the pipeline, which is expected to arrive in Chattanooga in April. Another S-class cabrio on the way is already sold, he said.

The S550 cabriolet is new for 2017 and comes in three configurations. Our S550, comes with rear-wheel-drive and a 4.7-liter V-8 engine. One step up the trim ladder is the performance-oriented AMG S63 with a bigger V-8 engine and all-wheel-drive, and the awe-inspiring AMG S65 with a 631 hp V-12 engine.

STYLING AND FEATURES

In a word-association game, if someone asks me "best car?" my instinct is to say S-class. Unlike some cars that drift into six-figure land and you wonder where the money went, the S-class seems to be worth every penny.

The best view of the S-class cabriolet is the front three-quarters angle, which accentuates a tasteful chrome grille with the three-point, M-B star emblem, which represents domination of land, sea and air. Indeed, besides its driving prowess, the S-class cabrio's interior has been compared to a high-end yacht, and the top-down profile looks a little like a cruise missile.

Everyone does a double take when they realize that our test car is deep green, not black. For most, it's a pleasant surprise to learn the car's skin color is Emerald Green, which looks more upscale. It also provides a nice contrast to the saddle brown, nappa leather interior seating surfaces.

The show-stopper in the S-class cabrio is the unique dash featuring a sumptuous leather shelf and piano- black lacquered wood accents with pinstripes that wrap-around and fan out into the door panels. The artistry of the dash is impeccable, and the interior door designs are worthy of a modern art museum.

A downside of the S-class cabrio's many features is that it might take weeks of study to master all the controls marked only with icons. Some of the control placements are odd, too. For example, the headlight control dial is angled downward, rendering it hard to read. Oddly, the seat controls are mounted on the doors, and the lock-unlock keys are mounted in recesses that otherwise house the door levers.

Meanwhile, the aroma therapy scent is mounted inside the glove box, and the convertible roof controls are inside the center stack. The roof, which can be activated on the fly in speeds up to 37 mph, can also be retracted and deployed using the key fob - a nice touch.

Interior comfort, as you might expect at this price point, is superb. It's easy to find a good driving position, and air turbulence with the roof down is well dampened. If you put the roof down with the car parked, its whisper-quiet operation is almost magical. That a mechanical operation involving that many big, movable parts is nearly silent is an engineering feat in itself.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

While the S-class convertible has plenty of power - a reported 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds - it's essentially a cruiser built to drive at a relaxed speed. There is some security in knowing that there are 449 horses available if you ever find yourself in a pickle, but they generally stay quiet unless called upon.

Backseat knee room allows adults to ride back there in a pinch, but only with the front seats pushed forward, and never with the intent of stretching out on a long trip.

The nine-speed transmission is silky, never calling attention to itself. The start-stop system, which saves a bit of fuel, is none-the-less annoying in a car whose stated mission is a seamless driving experience. Who wants to rest a half-beat before launch.

The Burmester sound system is a gem. We amused ourselves, heads bobbing through a tony neighborhood while playing the thumping funk classic "Brick House."

Meanwhile, the S-class, "she's mighty, mighty."

BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line on the S-class cabrio is literally the bottom line. While the 1-percenters line up to buy these expensive, but elegant, convertibles, the rest of us can dream. In the meantime, I'd suggest you dig into the couch cushions to see if you can scrape up two bucks for a lottery ticket.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-645-8937.

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