The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

A glorious day, an open road, a beautiful destination and a great car. What more could one ask for?

Ok, maybe a cool million or two and a beautiful significant other, but the first option (the open road, the beautiful destination and the great car) were easier to obtain on short notice.

Suffice to say, one recent weekend, I was lucky enough to test the Mercedes Benz CLK320 Cabriolet on a quick ride up through Central New York. The roads were familiar, but it had been a couple years since I had ventured to this part of the Empire State.

My luck seemed to have run out as I left. After a summer-long drought, Mother Nature suddenly seemed intent on ending it the day I decided to leave on a weekend getaway.

The clouds hung low. You could hear the rain drops laughing with a refrain, “How’s the convertible, how’s the convertible?” The temperature plummeted and as I drove into the hills of Pennsylvania, I was wondering if I would find frost.

Of course, the Mercedes Benz CLK320 Cabriolet would melt the frost in anyone’s heart. This mid-size convertible uses the same structure as the regular CLK coupe, although only the front end of the car shares any sheet metal, aft of the windshield, its all unique to the convertible.

The engine is a lovely thing and although 3.2-liters and 215 horsepower may not sound like much, this single-overhead-cam engine is well mated to its five-speed automatic transmission that allows for seamless shifts, even at redline. It provides a sure, strong, steady stream of power that makes this car feel like the true grand tourer it is. The transmission adapts not only to a driver’s driving style, but also to road grades, delaying shifts when going uphill for example.

Of course, all this power would be useless if mated to a chassis that wasn’t stiff enough to handle all the demands of a powerful, if topless, car. The CLK320 Cabrio succeeds in that it was designed as both a coupe and cabrio from the start.

So this car has a firm foundation. Cowl shake is non-existent, as are water or wind leaks, important when driving through the rain.

Just as important, it helps minimize road shocks while putting all the power to the ground. A double wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension give this car an amazing athleticism.

This car goes exactly where its pointed, and stops on a dime. You’d expect that out of a Benz and you get it.

So the driving experience is quite nice, even in the rain. It’s sports car-like handling with a firm, if absorbent ride make for a fun car that goes like hell. The speed builds quickly, and you’re going a lot faster than you think you are.

But my luck being what it is (read: none), I knew it was going to be a cold, rainy weekend.

As I listened to the engine’s note, tooling north on I-81, my heart warmed to the thought of what a delightful automotive companion this car would be, r ain or no rain.

Mile after mile piled up along I-81, passing mountain after endless mountain. I wondered how soon the mountainous desolation would end. I soon found out. “Endless Mountain Region next six exits,” read the sign.

Oh, great.

It’s a good thing that I at least had an entertaining car. It certainly was more fun than anything that could be found in the towns that dot the interstate exits. I often wonder what people did in these towns besides serve truckers and tourists. Didn’t bingo become boring? Was going to church the biggest activity on a Sunday?

After serving four years in college, it suddenly all came back to me how boring Central New York actually was. Then, just as I neared Homer, N. Y., about a stone’s throw from Preble, the clouds parted and sun came out. I thought maybe my luck was changing.

I quickly found a rest area and put the top down. This is fairly easy to accomplish. Unhook the roof and hold down a bu tton. The c ar does the rest. The trunk lid opens, swallows the roof and shuts again. This is truly a grand opening and more entertaining than Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” What was just another car very quickly becomes an object that make grownups go weak in the knees.

And this car does that. A beautiful blonde at a rest stop flashed me a smile when her boyfriend wasn’t looking. Normal people do impossible contortions to sneak a peak. But the attention isn’t as satisfying as driving the car itself.

And riding in the car is as enjoyable as driving it. Wind management is superb. Your hair gets jostled, but the back of your neck never does. Noise levels are tolerable for a set of topless wheels.

Four passengers will feel very coddled. The rear seats are surprisingly roomy; the front ones even more so.

Arriving in Central New York, I took a quick spin out to Cazenovia, N.Y. This little lake resort is packed with magnificent 19th century housing, a beautiful lake and a main street that is so quaint, it’s almost sickening. Tooling around, I stumbled across the end of a Franklin car show. The Franklin, an air-cooled luxury car, was built in Syracuse until 1934, when like so many other auto manufacturers, it succumbed to the Great Depression.

While the inside of the Mercedes didn’t have the drawing-room splendor of a custom Franklin, it did contain serious amounts of luxury.

Dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, walnut trim, 10-way power seats with three-position memory, express down (but not express up) power windows, heated, power side mirrors, anti-theft alarm, cruise control, AM/FM/cassette/weatherband sound system are all standard.

It’s also a much safer car to drive than a Franklin, with traction control, anti-lock brakes, front and side air-bags and brake assist, which aids in braking.

Buzzing back from Cazenovia, I was going to make a quick stop in Manlius, home of Stickley’s factory showroom. Mercifully, this car didn’t have enough room to cart back any furniture.

Cargo space is tight with the top down (think only of carrying a couple of overnight bags.), but sufficient with the top up. A cargo shade in the trunk defines the useable space. A first aid kid is included, as is a windblocker that mounts aft of the driver.

But this is a grand, grand tourer, with all the power, panache and handling one could want in an automobile. Even the most disappointing part of the journey, the drive home, seemed more enjoyable looking out at the world from behind the wheel of the Mercedes Benz three-pointed star.

My luck had changed. And it dawned on me, I should have gone to the Indian casino while I was up there. Just my luck not to think of it.

>> 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 320 Cabriolet

Vehicle type: Mid-sized convertible
Engine: 3.2-liter SOHC V6
Transmission: 5-speed aut omatic
Wheelbase: 105.9 inches
Length: 180.2 inches
Weight: 3,655 pounds
Cargo volume: 9.5 cubic feet (top up), 5.8 cubic feet (top down)
Tires: P205/55R16
Base price, test model: $47,200
EPA rating: 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway
Test mileage: 23.9 mpg
Fuel type: Premium
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