2014 Mercedes E550 Cabriolet Test Drive & Luxury Convertible Car Video Review

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup could well be a brand unto itself, so many and varied are its potential configurations. There is of course a four-door sedan—offered in luxury, sport, and ultra high performance iterations. There is also a station wagon, a two-door coupe, and the subject of this video review; a convertible. For the 2014 model year, all E-Class models got refreshed with new styling elements and new comfort, convenience, and safety features. In the case of the E550 Cabriolet, we’re talking about a Mercedes-Benz personal luxury car, so you know you’re looking at the best tech, along with powerful engines and suitably palatial interior accoutrements. For power, the E550 Cabriolet gets a 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V8, which is capable of generating 402 horsepower. The rear drive convertible uses a seven-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted shift paddles to facilitate manual operation. The convertible top offers seven layers to ensure years of quiet operation. Both retractable and deployable at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, the roof stows automatically beneath a hard tonneau for a cleaner look when the car is open. A key new safety feature is the 3D Stereo Multipurpose Camera system. This gives the E550’s active safety systems the ability to judge depth in addition to presence, adding even more accuracy to the model’s suite of automatic safety solutions.