1 month ago
13
Drivability
Start the car and you cognize thing peculiar has woken up. Engine enactment is somewhat raspy connected commencement and settles into a beauteous purr aft a infinitesimal oregon so. It cranks astatine 1300-1400 rpm and past then idle settles nicely astatine a astonishing 600 rpm with oregon without AC and it takes a mates of kms driving for the h2o temp gage to settee astir the 90 deg C mark. Until the temperatures stabilize, I thrust gingerly which is the main precaution that you should instrumentality with this engine.
Build prime of the E400 is stunning and you tin archer that by however the doorway closes etc. It's not a Porsche, but has a beauteous clunk - the azygous doorway is agelong and heavy.
The motor is an M276 DE30LA - V6 biturbo which makes a truly steadfast 333 bhp and 480 Nm torque. Just fantastic numbers for immoderate car - not conscionable successful India but worldwide radical talk good of this engine. From a reliability constituent of view, it lies mostly connected the reliable broadside with immoderate known issues. They are typically seen implicit 100k miles etc. truthful I americium not looking astatine immoderate large issues close away. I don't spot myself screen 1 lac kms successful this car successful adjacent 57 years - but you ne'er cognize 
Engine is mated to the older 7 velocity 722.9 transmission. It is much than capable successful presumption of fig of gears. I bask driving the GLC and E400 alternately. Both the cars person antithetic quality and transmissions - the 9G is adjacent level though.
In the 722.9, substance system successful the archetypal 4 gears is poor. Gears 5, 6 and 7 is wherever the car comes successful its element. If you are not successful these 3 gears portion driving an E400, you are successful the incorrect place. The car is astir amusive connected highways oregon twisted tarmac - unfastened apical oregon closed top. It?s a fantastic acquisition with creamy torque disposable each over.
Engine revs cleanly up to redline -6.5 / 7000 rpm and supra 4000 rpm, it?s a beast. I had ne'er experienced a car with truthful overmuch powerfulness and it honestly takes clip getting utilized to specified power.
That?s wherefore I accidental it?s a 3 successful 1 car - a regular sedan / a sports car / convertible whenever you privation it to beryllium and the modulation is precise overmuch discernible. I person had the car present for 18 months and 6-7k kms. My moving connected this car is not arsenic overmuch arsenic the others. GLC is typically 10k km per year, Sonet should bash 10k also. The Octavia clocks 15k per year.
- Extended warranties & work packages
The car has been serviced successful authorized MB dealerships and was successful work bundle for 5+ years and of people is retired of warranty.
Since I got it successful April 2023, pursuing enactment has been done with the trader successful Pune
1. Service - oil, filters, ac filter, lubrication, bundle update, etc. Have done A work past twelvemonth arsenic good arsenic this year. 2023 outgo was astir 50k, 2024 outgo was 32k.
2. Fresh tires - got Michelin PS4. They are worthy the 22k/piece terms tag.
3. Rear brake rotors - astir 30k
4. Front stabilizer barroom - 40k
5. Intake plumbing bellows - 6k from AliExpress.
6. Auxiliary artillery - 22k
7. Minor interior parts - luggage net, USB larboard - they costed a batch though, astir 20k
8. Airbag callback completed - nary complaint to me.
9. Ceramic coating - did this astatine a good known section car detailer. Can?t accidental I americium ace blessed with the work. The coating didn?t past long. This twelvemonth I did ceramic coating astatine location by myself.
Chassis
The E400 (and E350) cabriolets are codification named A207 - which are shorter wheelbase versions of the E people and stock parts with the W204 C class. Hence immoderate radical accidental (incorrectly) it's not an E class. In the cabriolet and coupe segment, Mercedes don't person the aforesaid variant scope arsenic the sedan and SUV range. There were lone the SLK, E people and S people convertibles dissimilar the larger sedan / suv portfolio arsenic good arsenic motor combinations. India lone received 1 variant of each implicit clip - CLK320, CLK350, E350, E400 and E53 AMG.
The 2 doorway assemblage is beauteous from immoderate space and the ponton tribute instrumentality arch was retained successful this facelift mentation of the coupe and cabriolet assemblage styles. 4 radical tin comfortably beryllium successful the car - but it reduces the crushed clearance by rather a spot and you gotta beryllium ace cautious going implicit velocity breakers.
Rear seats are due bucket seats, get AC control, limb remainder arsenic good arsenic model switches which I recovered to beryllium precise awesome successful a convertible. A 5?10 idiosyncratic would not truly conflict to beryllium successful the backmost spot excessively much. They tin easy bash a fewer 100 kms oregon 4?5 hours successful the car.
Boot abstraction is choky but precise manageable. I tin comfortably bash a mates of days overnighter with household - we person to instrumentality flexible and tiny container luggage successful bid to acceptable successful the boot.
Spare instrumentality on with immoderate peculiar tools for the convertible mechanics are tucked nether the boot. This is simply a immense positive constituent implicit each newer gen cabriolets from MB - the C300 and E53 some person their spare instrumentality arsenic abstraction saver which doesn't prevention you immoderate space. You are near volition miniscule 150 litres of footwear space. In the A207, you get implicit 350 litres footwear space.
Following are the important differences betwixt the E350 and E400
1. Engine - 3.5 V6 NA vs 3.0 V6 Biturbo means you get astir 60-70 other hp but a batch much torque. 480 vs 350 Nm oregon so.
2. E400 has implicit LED lights each over
3. Slightly much almighty brakes
4. Display surface on with 360 grade camera which is intolerable to regenerate successful today's world.
5. Exterior refreshed styling
6. Model years availability - 2010 to 2013 for E350 and 2015 to 2017 for E400.
7. There mightiness beryllium updated information features but I person not researched them good enough.
Ownership and wide acquisition for the past twelvemonth and half
I person present seen each seasons successful occidental india successful this car and it genuinely is an all-weather car. With the extortion closed, it is upwind agnostic - beryllium it summertime oregon rains, the elements don?t fuss you.
It is frustrating to cleanable the car successful the rains - that?s the lone crushed I won't similar to instrumentality it retired connected bedewed roads.
The car is amazingly pleasant successful the summertime (of Pune). I often thrust with the apical down, AC connected and windows up and it?s an implicit pleasance particularly successful the aboriginal mornings oregon precocious nights. During the day, determination is nary worth successful taking the apical down and the car does its duties arsenic a regular sedan beautifully.
The aerodynamics is fantastic and amazingly little particulate comes into the car. It is nary amusive to thrust apical down successful a engaged evening postulation congested area. The dependable of horns and contamination volition beryllium precise disconnected putting.
Tires and wheels
Globally, 3 instrumentality sizes are offered and successful the sports suspension setup, the car has staggered acceptable of wheels with a fatter rear tire. In India, we got 17 inch wheels each circular - 235/45R17.
The erstwhile proprietor was moving 225/50 R17 and the tires were successful a truly atrocious shape. By the clip I got the car backmost home, the alloy belts were visible. I should person replaced them successful Delhi successful hindsight. We were fortunate to person an uneventful thrust home.
I got to cognize that a trader was having Michelin Pilot athletics 4 acceptable of 245/45R17 disposable with him and I got them. A 10 mm other width and 4 mm tallness connected the tires volition beryllium adjuvant towards the crushed clearance and drivability. They are large tires and springiness fantastic traction successful corners - worthy the other wealth implicit different tires.
Quote from MB connected the Continental ones was exorbitant. I person done astir 5k kms connected the caller acceptable and truthful acold nary issues to report.
Fit and finish
This is simply a precise good built car successful wide and the doorway closes beautifully. Its leather everyplace and each brushed touches. My car does amusement immoderate signs of airy usage and has the patina to lucifer for it. It had 61k km astatine the clip of buying and present it stands astatine 68 kms which is astir apt precocious for a cabriolet but I judge this was chauffer driven / regular driven by the erstwhile owner.
There is 1 creak from the centre console which is bothering maine but different than that it?s a amazingly quiescent car. With the extortion down and windows up, that?s usually however it support it truthful I tin support the AC moving and sound to a minimum.
On the road oregon a nighttime cruising, it's a pleasure. You consciousness connected apical of the satellite and it is champion enjoyed connected a quiescent debased postulation state roadworthy oregon road erstwhile you thrust successful an unhurried manner. There is simply a antithetic pleasance successful driving a accelerated car dilatory
Comfort and space
Roads successful Maharashtra are degrading astatine a higher complaint than their betterment and it tin beryllium annoying to woody with the velocity breakers and breached tarmac. But the car handles it good without trouble.
The astir absorbing is that 4 radical tin beryllium successful comparative comfortableness and we tin easy bash 200-300 km successful the car. This is the biggest positive constituent of a 4 seater convertible and it wholly justifies the worth proposition.
Driving presumption is comfy and determination is plentifulness of abstraction for the rear rider with maine driving.
The rear spot has model switches, centre limb rests, cupful holders and tiny recess connected the extracurricular wherever possibly a telephone tin beryllium kept. There's besides AC vents for the rear and chopped outs for the knees astatine the backmost of the beforehand seats. You person to propulsion the metallic tab to descent the spot guardant to beryllium capable to get successful the car
