2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet: First-class luxury

There are some cars that are so beautiful they’re a work of art.

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is a perfect example.

The designo Black Piano Lacquer “Flowing Lines” wood inserts that curved around the dash of the test vehicle visually draw the eye, and the elegance and simplicity perfectly match the overall theme of the vehicle.

The dizzying scatter of silver drops circling the tri-star Mercedes emblem on the grille is both stunning and mesmerizing – and probably my favorite design feature on the vehicle.

Even the speakers that accompany the Burmester 3D surround system look like they could be extracted from their housings and framed.

The entire vehicle is an exercise in stunning visual delight. And I suppose it should be with an as-tested price tag for the S550 Cabriolet that tops $150K.

Design

To me, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always come off as more austere than elegant, but that changes with the current generation of the large luxury sedan. The S-Class underwent a complete redesign 2 years ago, and the 2017 Cabriolet models – the S500, S63 AMG and S65 AMG – complete the lineup.

There are definitely some hard lines surrounding the S-Class, but there are just enough soft lines and creative design touches this new cabriolet is both handsome and elegant.

The silver drops on the grille are mimicked by the available Swarovski crystal accents in the headlights, creating another stunning visual centerpiece on the exterior.

It’s been a while since I’ve driven a Mercedes, but the overall impression I had from previous interiors was attractive but disjointed. The 2017 S550 Cabriolet, however, has an amazing attention to detail that all works together to create a pleasing and comfortable interior.

The diamond-quilted inserts and reverse stitching on the available designo Nappa leather seats provide an attractive façade to an extremely comfortable seat – the available massagers didn’t hurt either. During a 4-hour road trip, I played around with the highly adjustable side bolsters, and ended up feeling well-supported.

The test vehicle came in Ruby Black Metallic paint that shows black in the shadows but has a gorgeous merlot hue in the sunshine. It was nicely complemented by a Dark Red top, which on paper shouldn’t work but in reality looks amazing.

Ride & Handling

The S550 Cabriolet test vehicle was equipped with a 4.7-liter bi-turbo V-8 that is itself another work of art. It delivers 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque that creates seamless and smooth acceleration – as well as a few heart-thumping moments when pushing higher-speed mergers for the highway.

My road trip took me over both smooth highways and some rough-road surfaces, and the S550 Cabriolet was even and competent on both. Fast when necessary but more certainly a luxury cruiser designed for cool comfort.

In case you’re curious, it has a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds -- and that’s in a vehicle that weighs 4,731 pounds.

Fuel economy

Who cares? I mean that in the nicest possible way, but if you’re buying an S-Class, it’s not for its fuel-sipping capabilities.

But if you must know, the EPA estimates that the S550 Cabriolet should achieve 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. I averaged 18.8 mpg in almost 400 miles of mostly highway driving, which is just below the estimated 20 mpg combined driving rating.

Tech & gadgets

One of the most interesting things about the S550 Cabriolet is the technology is not only cool, but it also blends in well with the design. Rather than looking separate or added-on, it’s well incorporated.

Take, for example, the 12.3-inch infotainment screen on the center stack. It actually looks like it is part of the dash design rather than an add-in, snap-on screen. The gauge cluster between the speedometer and tachometer is the same – well-designed and perfectly incorporated into the styling.

The S550 Cabriolet test vehicle had most of the available tech packages, so I was able to test the full range of safety features from the adaptive cruise control all the way to the surround view monitor.

A particular fave: Distronic Plus with steering assist. This is a semi-autonomous function that feeds into the adaptive cruise control. In addition to using radar to set cruise control and maintain a set distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, it also helps steer the vehicle and ensure that you stay planted in the center of the lane lines.

This feature does not give you license to take your hands off the wheel or play with your phone while driving – after about 15 seconds of taking your hands off the wheel, the system will give you an audible and visual alert. If you don’t heed it, the system shuts off. So, you must keep your hands on the wheel at all times and remain alert to changing conditions.

I think this system is particularly useful in stop-and-go commuter traffic, where your attention can start to wander after a long day at the office. It serves as more of a wake-up call than a babysitter.

Trims

S550 Cabriolet: This rear-wheel model comes equipped with the 4.7-liter V-8 engine, and has standard features such as collision prevention, Burmester premium surround sound, push button start, passive entry, Nappa leather seats, park assist and an intelligent climate control. Starting price is $132,325.

S63 Cabriolet: This model has an all-wheel drive powertrain and upgrades to the 5.5-liter V-8, biturbo engine that delivers 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. It also adds standard features such as the seat massage function and head up display. The 0-to-60-mph time is 3.8 seconds. Starting price for the S63 Cabriolet is $177,325.

S65 Cabriolet: This top-tier trim goes back to the rear-wheel drive powertrain and switches to a 6.0-liter V-12 biturbo engine. Standard features include the Burmester high-end 3D surround system, heated steering wheel, heated front armrests, heated rear seats, lane keep assist, Distance Pilot Distronic, cross-traffic alert and Pre-Safe Brake with pedestrian recognition. Starting price for the S65 Cabriolet is $248,825.

Safety

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have rated the S-Class. Ever. So, it’s hard to say how it performs in any crash tests. However, it is chockfull of safety features to ensure occupant safety.

Standard safety features include collision prevention assist, attention assist, adaptive highbeam assist and a backup camera. But it’s the available features that give any driver a leg up, and they include: blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, night view assist, lane keep assist, and Distronic Plus with steering assist.

Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here.

New for 2017

The Cabriolet models are all new for 2017.

A few of my favorite things

I loved the overall quietness of the S550 Cabriolet. This is sometimes difficult to achieve with a soft-top convertible. But the triple-layer top mimics a hard top from the soft suede liner to the tomb-like silence it helps to create.

The interior of the S550 Cabriolet is downright sumptuous, and the front seat massagers and contoured seats will make every drive comfortable.

I also really liked the Distronic. I thought it was just the right amount of “help” during a long drive. It worked really well, and I didn’t find it to obtrusive – though I have to admit it was a bit odd at times to feel the tug at the wheel when the car didn’t like the line I was taking on a curve.

What I can leave

It seems like everything on a Mercedes is an option. I suppose at the S-Class level, it bothers me less than at the C-Class level, but when you go in to build the cabriolet on the website, you actually add the price of a new car in options to get all the cool goodies. Packages range from just under $2K to just more than $6K.

But if you’re plunking down $130K on a car, what’s an additional $25K in the grand scheme of things?

While I had fun playing with the color of the interior accent lighting, I thought it was an odd thing to have in a car that costs more than $100K. To me, that’s something that would appeal more to a 20-year-old than someone who would likely own this car.

The bottom line

I really loved the S550 Cabriolet. Sure, it costs more than many people’s homes, but I believe Mercedes managed to cross every “T” and dot every “I” with this vehicle. It’s luxurious, comfortable, fast and stunningly beautiful.

If you want something else this nice, you’re going to have to look toward the Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible ($231,800), and while the Bentley is certainly a status symbol, it costs more at a base level and the technology isn’t as well integrated into the car or the design. In short, it looks better outside than in – where the driver will spend most of his time.

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