If classiness ever comes to call, it will probably arrive in something like today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mercedes E450. Finished in Lunar Blue paint over a cabin swathed in cognac leather, it’s about as swank a ride as one could imagine. Let’s see if we can imagine paying what it will cost to experience it.
At a $3,800 asking, yesterday’s 2005 Jaguar XJR offered a lot of cat for that cash. And with Jaguar presently trying to decide whether it wants to be a car company or a lifestyle influencer, our XJR felt like a comforting—albeit “veddy-British“—old friend. Combined, that led to a solid 82% Nice Price win.
Over the years, Jaguar’s main competition has come from Germany, with Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz occupying many of the same niches as the British builder, often to greater success. Today, we’re going to look at one of those cars and see what all the fuss is about.
E Classy
Exhibiting a traditional German sensibility, Mercedes-Benz has long been mostly straightforward about naming its cars. Using a simple structure of letters and numbers, the company’s practice provides clues about the engine displacement and position in the model lineup. A lot of other manufacturers could learn a lesson or two from this method.
This 2019 Mercedes E450 follows that convention to a point but then doesn’t quite stick the landing. The “E” in the model’s designation means this is a member of the midsized E-Class car line, falling in mama bear fashion between the smaller C-Class and larger S-Class.” If we follow the rules, the 450 that completes the name would indicate an engine with four and a half liters of displacement. Except it doesn’t. This car has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 under its hood. In fact, the largest engine available in any E-Class of this generation is a 4.0-liter V8. Regardless, paired with Mercedes’ nine-speed automatic, that 3.0 V6 manages a stout 357 horsepower and solid 369 lb-ft of torque, both numbers that can move the 4,200-pound Benz with reasonable authority.
AMG styling
At one point in time, Mercedes was also quite clear about what an AMG label meant on its cars. These days, however, things tend to be a bit muddier. This convertible has an “AMG Styling” package, which gives it more aggressive facias, fancier 19-inch alloy wheels, and some other gewgaws.
There are not, as one might be expecting, any performance updates accompanying those aesthetic changes, nor anyone’s signature on the engine taking credit for its build.
That’s OK, though, since the car, as a whole, is pretty nice in a kind of Miami Beach sort of way. The color combo is stunning, and the convertible top—which goes up or down in less than half a minute—is smooth as silk. That aggressive styling is paired with a presentation that looks almost as-new, with no apparent issues in the paint or that top. This is a one-owner car with just 55,550 miles on the clock and it comes with a clean title.
Fancy pants
It also comes with just about every option known to man, and a few that may have been sourced from an alien spacecraft. Take those seats, for example. Not only do they look amazing, but they are heated and cooled and include little vents in the headrests to toast your neck, making them look like Dr Who baddies. They also offer a massage function and don’t require a tip afterward.
Those front buckets face a dash with six air vents and a double-screen instrument panel. Dark wood wraps under that and into the doors. In addition to the crazy-cool (or warm) seats, there’s power everything, Mercedes’ COMMAND infotainment system with its weird covered knob control, and more buttons on the steering wheel than you’d know what to do with. There’s also a 360° camera display, Apple CarPlay, and zoned climate control. Everything looks to be in exceptionally good condition for its age. According to the ad, it all works, too, with a boast that the car “Runs and Drives Excellent.
Enough to impress the valets?
Per the ad, the car has a clean Carfax report and passed its state smog test. The Goodyear tires are “like new,” and those miles are claimed to be mostly highway—the best miles there are. When new, this Benz MSRP’d at over $85,000. Now, six years and all those highways later, the present owner is seeking $37,900 for its purchase. That’s quite the drop, but still a lot of cash.
What do we think about this highfalutin Benz and that asking price? Does it seem like a good deal to do a lap of luxury in a convertible Mercedes? Or is this mid-sized droptop priced too high even with the impressive options list and even more impressive presentation?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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