Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet review

The Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet is a large, luxurious convertible with a focus on comfort and quality. It’s like your favourite sofa had wheels. And a windscreen. And an engine. And a Mercedes badge.

It’s also one of the larger convertible cars around, so it doesn’t have much competition from other models – though you might also consider the smaller Audi A5 Cabriolet if you’re after a four-seater with a drop-top. 

The E-Class Cabriolet shares a lot with the rest of the E-Class range, especially the Coupe version. The bonnet and grille are the same, for example, and the interior is virtually identical if you ignore the switches to raise and lower the roof – and of course if you look up, you can see the sky instead of a roof.

All models now come with a pair of 12.3-inch media screens. One is used as a set of dials, though it can also display all sorts of other information including sat-nav directions, radio station, a trip computer and more. The other screen extends into the centre of the dashboard and is used like a normal media system, where you’ll find your sat-nav input, music, car settings and everything else.

It uses a touchscreen for input, which is good while stopped, but fiddly when driving. The controller on the centre console isn’t much better when moving as it’s a bit imprecise – we’d prefer a rotary dial. Still, at least you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and the user interface is modern-looking and easy to navigate.

The electric leather seats are heated at standard, which is perfect for those sunny winter days where us Brits love to get the roof down. There’s even a special ‘Airscarf’ ventilation set-up which blows warm air on your neck to keep you toasty even on a freezing cold day, plus a wind deflector that keeps the breeze at bay.

The Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet is one of few four-seater convertibles that actually has space in the back for adults. That really is a breath of fresh air.

The Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet’s insulated soft-top stays nice and quiet inside when it’s up, even at high speed. Fold it down and it gets a little louder, but much less than in many other convertible cars. It’s easy to have a conversation at normal volume with the top down, especially with the windows up.

The E-Class Cabriolet has a 385-litre boot, which isn’t too bad for a convertible, and the rear seats fold down. The opening into the cabin is a bit tight but it’s better than nothing and would let you put in a long ski bag. Sadly the boot is a little less usable with the roof down as it impedes into the available space. 

The car comes with adaptive suspension as standard, which you can set to be softer or harder depending on your preference. It’s best to stick to Comfort mode, though, because the E-Class Cabriolet is a cruiser not a sports car. It’s not much fun to drive through corners as it’s heavy, but it excels at cruising gently, with the roof down to enjoy the scenery.

There is a sport E53 AMG model available, but this is more about adding speed to the experience rather than handling, as it’s still not close to a sports car when it comes to handling. It uses a 3.0-litre V6 engine and is the fastest and best-sounding Cabriolet you can get. Weirdly, it’s the only model that comes with air suspension as standard, although, with quite a firm standard setting.

Other engines include a four-cylinder diesel (the E220d), a four-cylinder petrol (the E300), a six-cylinder diesel (E400d) and a six-cylinder petrol (E450). The latter two models come with four-wheel drive, and all cars have a smooth nine-speed automatic gearbox that works very well.

If you’re after a luxurious and comfortable cruiser to put the wind in your hair, the E-Class Convertible is a top choice. Head over to our deals page to find out more and see what offers we currently have available.

Here are the top 10 things you need to know about the Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet and Coupe