There’s something refreshing about the Mercedes CLE. Rather than endlessly filling every niche by delivering two-, four- and five-door derivatives for almost every rung on the company ladder, coupe versions of the C- and E-Class have been amalgamated into one big, luxurious offering. By doing so, it’s created a coupe that no longer looks like a saloon that’s had its rear doors lopped off and its roofline sanded down. It duly won us over, with Matt Bird writing that it’s “exactly the sort of car Mercedes should be offering in this segment." Now we’re about to find out if the CLE Cabriolet can do the same for the drop-top market.
Given the weather in Britain has been especially rubbish of late, Mercedes whisked us off to Tenerife where the sun always shines and the volcano rarely loses its top. The CLE Cabriolet is just as much of a looker with the roof off and was clearly a hit with the (mostly British) holidaymakers who gathered around test cars lined up in front of our hotel. Mercedes reckons it’s the largest convertible in its class, sitting closer to the E-Class’s footprint with a wheelbase that’s 25mm longer than that of the C’s, opening up 14mm more legroom for those in the rear and giving the car real presence when sat still. It looks expensive, as it should when this 450 4Matic costs £72k. And while the CLE’s more rounded rear is accentuated with the roof off, it’s still a striking, well-proportioned convertible.
Like the C- and E-Class Cabrios that preceded it, the CLE’s roof is fabric. Raising and lowering takes 20 seconds (which is two seconds slower than the BMW 4 Series Convertible) at speeds of up to 37mph (6mph faster than the 4er), and for the first time ever on a Mercedes the top section of the folding roof is a single piece of material. The company’s ‘Air Cap’ makes a reappearance, and when activated raises both an element integrated above the windscreen and a windbreak in the rear to reduce turbulence in the cabin. For the CLE, the system has been lightly reworked to lower noise, with Mercedes saying it put dummies with special headphones in the cabin during wind tunnel tests to detect the smallest amount of buffeting. Clever engineers with iPads even showed us how it pushes turbulent air over the cabin for a calmer environment, and the results look significant.
In practice, however, it’s a lot harder to notice the difference when the cap is activated. Whether on the motorway or high up in the mountains, there simply isn’t much difference when the mode is on or off. The only discernible change I could detect was it seeming a little louder with the cap activated, while it’s a smidgen more blustery when deactivated. That’s it. On a positive note, the cabin is so well isolated from the elements that you never feel the need to switch the Air Cap on anyway. There’s almost zero buffeting at cruising speeds, meaning you can still hold a conversation without needing to raise your voice. Which is exactly how a big old drop-top Benz should be.
This being the 450 means there’s the added benefit of a throaty 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six to accompany your topless exploits. Granted, it doesn’t sound especially tuneful but it’s mighty effective in transforming 381hp and 369lb ft of torque (with some mild hybrid assistance) into forward momentum. Sharply stabbing the throttle like an M140i driver at a green light produces some hesitation, which made a few quick passes on the twisty mountain roads a tad hairy while waiting for the nine-speed auto to wake up - but progressively applying the throttle in a way that likely resembles most Mercedes cabrio drivers, and you'll get up to speed with little fuss. A 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds is obviously brisk, yet it's the rapid progress beyond that point where the 450 really impresses.
All UK cars will get ‘Agility Control’ sports suspension, lowering the ride height by 15mm, while the optional ‘Dynamic Body Control’ on our test car actively adapts the suspension to keep the car level. However, this is still a two-tonne convertible when all is said and done, and while flicking the ‘Dynamic Select’ (also standard in the UK) into its sportiest setting does help reduce lean somewhat it hardly transforms the CLE into a corner-hungry sports GT. That’s mostly to be expected, of course; just don’t go thinking the 450 is anywhere close to being an AMG-lite model - because it isn’t.
Lopping the roof off has naturally had an impact on the CLE's torsional rigidity. For the most part, the roads in southern Tenerife are smoother than ours, but the choppier sections did send noticeable shudders through the body. Ultra-pillowy seats and chunky leather steering wheel damp out the worst of the tremors, although when the CLE’s cabin is as calm and tranquil as it is, those occasional moments where the chassis gets itself into a tizzy become all the more perceptible.
But, like the coupe, the CLE Cabriolet really comes into its own when cruising. Fold the roof up and the already calm cabin falls practically silent. The tech integration is spot on, with the 11.9-inch MBUX-powered touchscreen easy to navigate either with direct inputs or using the touch controls on the steering wheel. Crucially, everything responds with satisfying snappiness so you aren’t left hanging while tweaking the endless combinations of interior lighting configurations. True, you have to use the touchscreen to put the gearbox into manual mode, but given how buttery smooth the auto is there’s little incentive to assume control.
Broadly speaking, that’s all you could ever really want from a drop-top Mercedes. It’s simply a good, honest, well-appointed sunlounger that does everything it can to put you at ease. And that's coming from no great fan of convertibles generally. I'm nearly always inclined to put the roof back on after even short stints in the airflow. So it is a mark of the CLE's quality that I never found myself reaching for the soft-top button. Yes, the 450 is more pamperer than powerhouse, so an everyday user might think themselves better off (financially, at least) by opting for one of the four-cylinder variants. But you know what - sometimes it's nice to be pampered, and the car's effortlessness plays its part in that sentiment. Of course, there are other rivals to consider, not least the facelifted BMW 4 Series, which may be smaller than CLE (and certainly less good-looking) but is cheaper to buy. Can put its roof up quicker, too.
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-BENZ CLE CABRIOLET 450 4MATIC
Engine: 2,999cc six-cylinder, turbocharged plus mild hybrid assistance
Transmission: nine-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 381@5,800rpm-6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@1,800rpm-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 2,080kg
MPG: 35.5
CO2: 192-180g/km
Price: from £70,320
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