First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio Page 2

This is where we segue to the 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE. On loan from a museum on the west coast, the gold-painted car oozed three-pointed style and nonchalance. Hopping behind the wheel for a brief stint illustrated just how much tradition carries forward at Mercedes, not in the specifics--there's essentially no mechanical similarity between the 280 SE and the new E-Cabrio--but in the spirit. Cruising along at an unhurried 40 mph, top-down, gently rolling in the classic sprung-leather buckets, the enormous tiller in our hands, it's clear that Mercedes' four-seater convertibles have never been about outright performance or visceral feel. Instead, whether new or old, they offer an opportunity to relax, tune out the world, and motor along in serenity, with a partner or without, just enjoying the ride. What's the rush, anyway? There's all this beautiful scenery to soak in, and 360 degrees of visibility to do it. Well, almost 360 degrees, in the new E-Cabrio.

Working in conjunction with the Aircap, there's a wind blocker in the rear, situated between the rear-seat headrests, that rises up to deflect air from those relegated to the rather tight back row. While it does an admirable job at its intended purpose, between the tall rear headrests and the screen, visibility out the back isn't great with the top down--it's actually about the same as with the soft top up. It's not enough to make you uncomfortable behind the wheel, but it does require a little more attention when checking blind spots for passing or when backing up in close quarters.

After a lunch stop, we swapped over to a bright red E 550, the 382-horsepower, 5.5-liter V-8 version of the car. Equipped with paddle shifters, this version is a bit more sporting than its V-6 sister, but it's still better suited to top-down touring. But it eats up the pavement like a good Autobahner should, and in this model we noticed that even at speeds approaching 80 mph, the cabin remained free of turbulence and excessive wind noise, as long as the Aircap and side windows were up. By this point the sun and midday heat were building up, and we decided it was time to kick on the air conditioner. And that's when we found the Aircap system is as good at keeping cool air in and warm air out as it is the opposite. Kudos, Mercedes. Now if only we could find some 150+ SPF sunblock to protect our pale, office-conditioned pates from the golden sun pouring in, we'd have a car that's good for spring through fall, and even winter in all but the snowier parts of the country.

As for the rest of the car, it's what you'd expect from a Mercedes-Benz E-Class--excellent materials throughout, especially the seats and center console area. The dash has the typically German molded soft-touch rubber/plastic thing going on, and some of the lines around the nav display aren't the most elegant, but it's a minor quibble. The center stack buttons aren't entirely intuitive, mostly illustrated with minutely varying diagrams, but once you know the lay of the land, it's easy enough to use. The COMAND infotainment system is also par for the Mercedes course, though it's a notch easier to use than BMW's iDrive or Audi's MMI, primarily because it doesn't rely so heavily on nested menus. The screen and graphics aren't as beautiful as the other Germans or Ford's latest SYNC systems, for that matter, but they do the job well, only rarely washing out in direct sunlight.

Returning to the grounds of the Blackberry Farm after almost seven hours behind the wheel for a no-holds-barred seven-course, five-wine dinner and a stomping good time with an Appalachian band at the resort's Yallarhammer, we closed the experience with what every great journey deserves: a great destination.