Written by Adam Binnie Updated: 11 September 2024

Overview

If you want a big and luxurious convertible, Mercedes has long been an excellent place to put your money. Its latest drop-top is the CLE Cabriolet, which is the result of Mercedes consolidating its C-Class and E-Class Cabriolets into one model.

Joining the CLE Coupe, the key selling point of this Cabriolet is that it offers top-down thrills for four passengers, with a boot big enough for more than a weekend away. It’s actually larger overall than the E-Class Cabriolet and features the more youthful and high-tech interior of the C-Class, so on paper at least it looks like the best of both worlds.

A more-than-subtle nod at improved aerodynamic efficiency hints at the high levels of refinement offered by the CLE Cabriolet – this is wind-in-your-hair motoring with a surprising lack of, well, wind in your hair. It was designed to be used with the roof down as much as possible, and we’ll go into how and why it accomplishes this later in the review.

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Rivals are falling by the wayside these days with no Audi A5 Cabriolet to compare this car to anymore. That means we can afford to look a bit further afield from the BMW 4 Series Convertible, its main competitor, to the Ford Mustang Convertible, to the vastly more expensive Maserati Grancabrio.

We were impressed by the CLE Cabriolet on the initial launch in Tenerife, but now we’ve had access to it back on home soil, and with the British weather to go with it, to see if it impresses us in the same way. You can read more about how we test cars at Parkers.

So is the CLE Cabriolet a convertible that manages to blend the C- and E-Class’ talents together, or is it a wasted opportunity? Read on to find out, or if you’re short for time, click through to our verdict page.

What’s it like inside?

Instantly recognisable from the C-Class, the tech-laden dashboard is a mixture of traditional curves and next-gen tech. Trim panels are available in wood or carbonfibre depending on spec, with leather on the dash top, all highlighted by colour-customisable LED lighting accents.

There’s quite a lot going on here, to put it one way, and it’s likely that you’ll either love it or not. One thing’s for sure though, if you want to catch the attention of passers-by when the roof is lowered, the CLE will not disappoint.

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It comes with two large screens – a 12.3-inch driver’s display, accessed by two rows of touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, and a portrait-oriented 11.9-inch central touchscreen. This can be tilted electronically from 15 to 40 degrees to combat glare with the roof down. It’s no gimmick – we found it worked surprisingly well.

Most of the car’s auxiliary functions (air-con, sat-nav, media, etc) are accessed via the bright and responsive central screen, and the main menu contains large, easy to jab buttons. It took a bit of time to acclimatise to this set up the car park, but it works well on the move, and is less distracting that other manufacturers’ touchscreens.

The system now allows third-party apps including TikTok, and even has a “date night” function that plays romantic music and turns the interior lighting pink. It’s targeting a younger audience than the old E-Class, that’s for sure.

Perhaps more usefully (or maybe not in the UK) is a special leather coating that reflects the sun’s rays so the seats don’t get so hot in direct sunlight. Even left out in the midday heat, our test car’s black seats remained remarkably cool.

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Overall it’s plusher in the front, but that’s to be expected. The back seats aren’t as well cushioned and feel quite upright in comparison, but there’s loads of shoulder room between the passengers, and a useful amount of leg room even behind a tall driver. It’s impressively spacious for a convertible.

That said, if you have the roof up and are over six feet tall, your head will be in contact with the fabric. Rear passengers will also need to tilt their necks forward when the roof opens or closes as it marginally impedes into cabin sapce.

Interior storage space is reasonable with a multifunction centre console housing two differently sized cupholders (not the case in the Coupe, strangely), two USB-C outlets and a capacitive charger. There are two more outlets in the large underarm cubby. Rear passengers get a pair of cupholders and magazine storage in the front seat backs.

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A powered divider drops down automatically when the roof is lowered, shrinking the available bootspace from 385 to 295 litres, and protecting your stuff from being crushed. The rear seats also fold with a 60:40 split, enabling longer or bulkier items to be carried. It’s perhaps as versatile as it is possible for a convertible to be.

Comfort

The front chairs themselves are sporty and supportive, look very attractive, and feature useful heating and cooling functions. The ever-impressive Air Scarf feature, which blows hot air around your shoulders on cold days also makes an appearance here, while a massaging function adds another layer of luxury.

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We drove the CLE on a five-hour journey across the UK, entirely with the roof down, and felt remarkably comfortable for the duration. The front seats are quite flat, though, so if you’re used to sportier seats that keep you in place, you’re probably best looking elsewhere.

Safety

Though the new Mercedes CLE is unlikely face to Euro NCAP, we have no doubts about its safety performance considering it shares lots of its tech and structure with the C-Class and E-Class, two impressively safe cars, the latter especially.

We also think Mercedes’ driver assistance technology is up there with the best, with perfectly modulated features such as lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. These features actually do what they intend to and ‘assist’ how you drive, rather than prove an annoynace, as is often the case with similar features in other cars.

Mercedes-Benz CLE engines

There’s a very traditional choice of petrol and diesel engines to choose from – mostly comprising 2.0-litre, four-cylinder units, in the CLE 200, 220d and 300. There’s also a range-topping 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder petrol engine in the CLE 450 4MATIC.

Though the CLE Coupe is available as a plug-in hybrid, there isn’t space in the Cabriolet’s boot for the battery. That said, all the engines here are mild hybrids, with an integrated starter-generator and 48-volt on-board electrical system. The enables fuel-saving cleverness like the ability to coast with the engine off when coming to a stop.

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More excitingly it can also provide a power and torque boost of 23hp and 205Nm when you press the accelerator really hard. Either way, all cars use a nine-speed automatic gearbox, and the CLE 300 and 450 come with all-wheel drive as standard.

What it’s like to drive?

The CLE 200 and 220d offer identical performance with a 7.9 second 0-62mph time – numbers that suits the cabrio’s more laid-back cruiser nature. It’s also very unusual to see a diesel engine in this type of car these days, and although we think it may appeal for long-distance drivers, it’s likely to be a niche choice in the UK.

For more brisk acceleration pick the CLE 300 4Matic, which takes 6.6 seconds to go from 0-62mph. It’s still not what you’d call fast but that would be missing the point – it’s the enhanced in-gear pull that makes this model more appealing, rather than the way it launches off the line.

This engine enables smooth and quiet progress, with only a slight flat spot at low revs, which is well-managed by the automatic gearbox. You can improve the engine response further by selecting Sport mode or using the steering wheel mounted paddles.

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The CLE 450 with its six-cylinder engine promises enhanced performance and character, and it ticks both boxes – to an extent. At low revs the exhaust note is pleasingly raspy, but this doesn’t develop into a soaring, evocative soundtrack as the engine speed increases, like six-cylinder motors of old.

What it does do exceptionally well is pull harder in higher gears, the extra engine capacity meaning this is by far the most flexible engine in the range, reflected by its 4.7-second 0-62mph time. This makes it simultaneously more relaxing and rewarding to drive quickly.

There’s a point to be made here though – while the CLE Cabriolet is capable of being hustled, it does so in a very safe and stable manner that enables rather than encourages. In general terms, a cabriolet is all about enjoying the journey rather than rushing around, so we think Mercedes-Benz has pitched this perfectly. A sportier CLE 53 from AMG is also on the way if you want something with a sportier feel.

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In the UK all cars come with 15mm lowered sports suspension that promises high comfort on long journeys and driver enjoyment on shorter ones. Surprisingly, the CLE still rides very well, with exceptional comfort and refinement. The latter is most impressive, as even with the roof down at motorway speeds you can still hold a conversation without the need to shout.

This is helped by the cocooned feel of the CLE’s interior, as well as an electric wind deflector system it calls an ‘Aircap’. It consists of a wind deflector that comes out electronically above the windscreen to divert air over occupants’ heads, as well as a more conventional deflector behind the rear seats. It all makes the CLE have real all-year-round usability, and means the roof can be down in all seasons.

Ownership costs and maintenance

There will be a big difference in terms of running costs depending on the version you choose. If you want to keep costs to a minimum, the diesel CLE 220d is the way to go. Mercedes claims an impressive 57.7mpg, making it one of the more economical convertibles you can buy.

That said, courtesy of impressive mild-hybrid engine technology, even the petrol models shouldn’t be too expensive to fuel. Mercedes claims more than 40mpg from the CLE200, and even the six-cylinder CLE450 can manage more than 35mpg on paper.

What models and trims are available?

In the UK the range starts with the already well-equipped AMG Line, bringing with it some nice upgrades like the Airscarf and Aircap, 18-inch alloy wheels, an electric luggage compartment separation, plus keyless entry and start.

Moving up to an AMG Line Premium brings more stylish 19-inch alloy wheels, as well as adaptive LED headlights and a 360-degree parking camera. At the top of the range, minus the performance AMG models, sits the AMG LIne Premium Plus. This brings 20-inch alloys, a head-up display, massaging seats and a fantastic Burmester 3D sound system.

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There are four standard interior leather colours and you can choose from three colours for the roof – black, red and a light grey. A range of paint colours are offered, from the more muted shades to brighter yellow, red and blue finishes. It’s easy to find the look you want, is what we’re saying.

Prices start from £53,030 for a CLE 200 in AMG Line trim, rising to £74,320 for a top-spec CLE 450. The Cabriolet commands a price increase of between £3,000 and £6,500 (depending on version) over the CLE Coupe.

What else should I know?

The roof raises and lowers in 20 seconds at vehicle speeds of up to 37mph. For the first time the mechanism uses electric power only (instead of hydraulics) and as such it’s almost completely silent. This is more of an upgrade than it might seem on paper, because the CLE Cabriolet is such a quiet car in general, and that peace would be easily punctured by a whirring soft-top roof clunking into action.

Significant refinements have also been made to the clever Aircap feature, which consists of a special spoiler at the top of the windscreen, and a large diffuser that pops up from the rear seats. For a start, the latter is much easier and convenient to use than the traditional fold out-type that you have to manually erect while the car is stationary.

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Secondly, the windscreen element redirects the flow of air over the top of the open roof (and the passenger’s heads below) to reduce the turbulence felt in their hair, and help retain heat in the cabin during colder months. We found it marginally increased the wind noise heard at the top of the screen, but reduced bluster felt inside the car quite impressively.

So, does that make the CLE Convertible a winner? Read on to find out…