The older I get, the more critical I consider I have been of drop top cars.
A week cruising Adelaide and to the Barossa in the new Mercedes-Benz C300 Cabriolet has provided me insight as to why that might be.
I’ve now realised that it’s not the car (at least not in this case) but me that is the “problem”… because I found myself complaining about the C300 Cab despite it being without doubt one of the more spectacular cars I’ve driven in recent times.
But I only really had a problem with it when the roof was down while driving around during the first real burst of Spring Adelaide can really boast.
You see, the older I get, the thinner I’m getting up top, and the more I feel the impact of our scorching sun.
But give me a convertible and I do want to drive it while making use of its most obvious feature.
Dilema…. but one even I could solve after a couple of false starts.
Hat on head and I set off to really put the C300 to the test. That test being how to travel in style, with performance to boot.
The C300 Cabriolet, priced from $….. is a head-turner. The magicians at Mercedes know how to avoid that other thing that has tended to turn me off of four seat cabs…. having them look a little “boaty” with the tops down.
From front to back, fast-folding canvas roof on or off, the C300 oozes style.
Of course, the wow factor is not limited to the skin but, in true Benz fashion, the interior is both luxurious and functional, with all the bells and whistles expected in any car and quite a bit more.
The first C-Class to have a convertible version, this four-seater has good cabin space and a reasonable boot.
It rocks stylish heated leather seats which reflect ultra violet light to keep them cooler and also slips in Airscarf ventilation and Air Cap wind-deflection systems – no doubt to tackle those issues the likes of myself have had with convertibles – and the AMG sports pack… because we all want that.
The roof folds away in 20 seconds and can do so at up to 50km/h (something I learned in real terms when I accidently leaned my elbow on the central controller toggle.
The drop top does not impact on the impeccable safety offered by Benz which claims five-star rating.
The C300 draws on a turbo four producing 180kW and 370Nm and has a 9-speed auto giving a great combination of sports-like driving and cruising, making this a genuine dual purpose purchase.
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