Mercedes CLE Cabriolet review

Just as the Samsung Galaxy Fold was created to replace a buyer’s smartphone and tablet with one do-it-all device, the Mercedes CLE Cabriolet is the successor to two Mercedes convertibles – and aims to blend the best bits of both.

Depending on your perspective, this latest model’s mission is to provide buyers with a more spacious and luxurious take on the old C-Class Cabriolet or to be more enjoyable to drive than the discontinued E-Class Cabriolet.

But does the Mercedes CLE Cabriolet succeed, and how does it compare with the best convertibles from rivals – in particular, the similarly priced BMW 4 Series Convertible? Read on to find out. Or, if you want to know more about its coupé equivalent, see our Mercedes CLE review.

The Mercedes CLE Cabriolet is available with four petrol engines and one diesel, but whichever you choose you get mild-hybrid technology and a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

We’ve driven the three most powerful versions, all of which come with Mercedes’ 4MATIC four-wheel drive system.

The cheapest of these three is the CLE 300, which has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 255bhp and officially takes 6.6 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph. There's a slight pause when setting off from stationary, but once you’re on the move it revs cleanly up to the limiter and provides all the performance you need.

In fact, the 375bhp CLE 450, with its 3.0-litre, six-cylinder petrol engine, barely feels any quicker in the real world, despite a 0-62 time of 4.7 seconds. You might want to choose it for its added refinement but not for extra excitement, and it doesn't sound particularly theatrical.

If you want a CLE Cabriolet with a fruitier engine note, we suggest you look at (and listen to) the range-topping AMG 53 model, which uses a twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit with 443bhp. It sounds smooth and bassy, although it does lack the top-end mechanical rasp of the BMW M440i Convertible.

As a bonus, while the AMG 53 isn’t much faster against the clock than the CLE 450 (0-62mph takes 4.4 seconds as standard, or 4.2 seconds with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package) it feels more muscular throughout the rev range.

Two rear-wheel-drive models – the 201bhp CLE 200 petrol and the 194bhp CLE 220d diesel – complete the line-up.

The CLE 300 sounds slightly more agricultural than the six-cylinder cars at idle and when worked hard, but all of the engines we’ve tried fade into the background at a cruise. What’s more, when the fabric roof is up it does an excellent job of shutting out wind noise. Road noise is also kept to a low level, even though this is a little more prevalent in the AMG 53 due to its fat tyres.

With the roof down but the windows raised, you don’t feel too much wind blustering around the interior, even at motorway speeds. Here the CLE Cabriolet is helped by an 'Aircap' wind deflector that rises from the top of the windscreen to push airflow away from the car's interior.

The Aircap works in conjunction with a secondary wind deflector that rises up from behind the rear headrests to minimise buffeting. There's a bit more wind noise with it raised, but it’s a small compromise and far more user-friendly than manually installing a deflector over the rear seats, as you have to in the 4 Series Convertible.

All versions of the CLE Cabriolet come with adaptive suspension that’s able to deliver a comfortable ride – even the AMG 53.

The trade-off for that comfort is that most CLEs will lean more through bends than a BMW 4 Series Convertible, but body control is still very respectable when you’re driving at a moderate pace (which seems to suit the car’s nature).

The AMG 53 can be firmed up to a greater degree, and feels noticeably more agile than lesser versions thanks to rear wheels that can turn to help pivot the car into tighter turns.

While the steering of the CLE Cabriolet isn’t as sharp or meaty as in an equivalent 4 Series, it responds precisely enough to help you flow down a country road with confidence.

The automatic gearbox of the AMG 53 also offers suitably snappy responses when you select Sport+ mode and use the paddles behind the steering wheel to shift manually. Lesser models are always a bit more leisurely, but go through the gears smoothly.

Similarly, the brakes of the AMG 53 offer noticeably more bite, but it’s still easy to bring all versions of the CLE Cabriolet to a smooth stop.

“While the CLE Cabriolet does come with a conventional wind deflector that can be installed over its rear seats, I found this wasn’t needed because the Aircap and the deflector behind the rear seats are so effective.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Finding a comfortable driving position is very easy in the Mercedes CLE Cabriolet because all versions offer a wide range of electric adjustment for the seat and steering wheel.

Adjustable lumbar support is also standard, as are 'Airscarf' heater vents positioned within the front headrests to keep the back of your neck and shoulders warm (both features cost extra on the BMW 4 Series Convertible).

That said, the seats in most versions could do with a bit more side support to hold you better when cornering. The exception is the AMG 53, although we’ve only tried it with the optional AMG Performance seats, which are excellent.

Seeing out of the CLE Cabriolet can be a bit tricky at times, because the wide windscreen pillars are positioned at an awkward angle that can obscure traffic at junctions and roundabouts.

Rear visibility, meanwhile, is obviously good when the roof is down. However, with it up the small rear windscreen with swathes of canvas roof on either side limits your view.

Fortunately, you get parking sensors front and rear as standard to help out when manoeuvring. Entry-level AMG Line trim pairs them with a rear-view camera, while other the trims give you an upgraded camera that provides a 360-degree view.

The CLE Cabriolet’s dashboard is almost identical to what you’ll find in the Mercedes CLE Coupé and Mercedes C-Class, with a 12.3in digital display ahead of the driver and an 11.9in infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard.

There is one feature, though, that the CLE Cabriolet gets that most other Mercedes models don’t: its touchscreen can electrically tilt forwards. This is so you can view the screen at a different angle to help avoid glare when the roof is down.

You have to use the touchscreen or voice control to operate most functions, so the system isn’t as user-friendly as the 4 Series Convertible's iDrive set-up, which also gives you a physical rotary controller. However, the CLE’s menus are logically laid out and the screen is responsive.

In addition, the CLE’s touchscreen is positioned closer to you than the one in the 4 Series, saving you having to lean forward to adjust the temperature.

AMG Line Premium Plus trim includes an upgraded Burmester 3D surround-sound audio system that is loud and punchy enough even with the roof down on a motorway.

The CLE Cabriolet’s interior has plenty of visual appeal, thanks to high-gloss highlights and ambient lighting. There are some cheaper-feeling plastics below eye level but it seems robust enough overall.

“The tilting infotainment screen might reduce glare, but in its most upright position I found it awkward to use.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Mercedes CLE Cabriolet is strictly a four-seater, but it is one of the best convertibles for seating four adults.

You’re unlikely to have any issues with head or leg room up front, and storage space is decent, with a useful cubby under the centre armrest, a pair of cupholders and a storage area for your phone with a built-in wireless phone-charger.

Getting into the back seats involves squeezing through quite a narrow gap, but once you’re in there’s plenty of shoulder room between the two occupants. Anyone up to 6ft tall will have enough leg room to sit behind a similarly tall occupant.

Head room with the roof up is more limited, but no worse than in a BMW 4 Series Convertible, and still sufficient for those close to 6ft tall, as long as they don’t mind their head touching the roof lining. The upright backrests limit long-distance comfort but are fine for shorter journeys.

Storage space in the rear includes two cup holders and a couple of storage trays.

The boot opening is quite small, but the amount of luggage space available is comparable with the 4 Series Convertible: both cars offer 385 litres with the roof up. Lowering the roof reduces the CLE’s boot to 295 litres versus 300 litres in the 4 Series.

You can fold down the back seats remotely with a flick of a switch located in the boot when you need to carry longer loads. The backrest is split 50/50, so a single rear passenger can sit alongside a longer load, whereas the 4 Series Convertible's backrest is in one piece.

The fully electric roof of the CLE Cabriolet can be folded up or down in around 20 seconds, even when you're driving at up to 37mph.

“When we group tested the BMW 4 Series Convertible, we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases in the boot when the roof was up, and I reckon the CLE Cabriolet should be able to match that.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The starting price of the Mercedes CLE Cabriolet is slightly higher than for its main rival – the BMW 4 Series Convertible – but it's predicted to lose its value a little more slowly and it’s possible to save money on it upfront by checking out the latest Mercedes CLE Cabriolet deals.

It’s worth noting that only the CLE 200 and CLE 220d engines are available in entry-level AMG Line trim – you have to upgrade to AMG Line Premium if you want the more powerful CLE 300 or CLE 450 engines. Meanwhile, the range-topping AMG 53 is priced between the BMW M440i Convertible and the more powerful BMW M4 Convertible.

The 220d diesel is the most economical CLE Cabriolet, officially averaging more than 55mpg. Out of the petrols, the 200 is the only one to achieve more than 40mpg (which matches the equivalent BMW 420i Convertible), while the AMG 53 is unsurprisingly the least efficient model, averaging 29.4mpg.

Similarly, the 220d commands the lowest rate of benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax for company car drivers. Of the petrols, only the entry-level 200 avoids being placed in the highest BIK tax band. If you're looking for a convertible car that attracts very low BIK tax, you could consider the all-electric MG Cyberster (although that's a two-seater).

Entry-level AMG Line trim comes with plenty of goodies, including 18in alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, ambient interior lighting, two-zone climate control, heated front seats and leather upholstery.

AMG Line Premium brings 19in wheels and hugely powerful Digital Light headlights that can adapt to changing traffic, road and weather conditions. Meanwhile, AMG Line Premium Plus gives you 20in wheels, a head-up display and ventilated front seats with a massage function.

As you’d expect, the AMG 53 gets more figure-hugging seats and sporty styling details inside and out. The AMG Night Edition Premium Plus is very similarly equipped, but its wheels are black instead of silver, you get black exterior trim highlights in place of the standard chrome items and the interior of the car features genuine carbon fibre.

The CLE Cabriolet was too new to feature in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Mercedes itself didn’t perform particularly strongly, placing 22nd out of 31 brands. By contrast, BMW was up in eighth, while the BMW 4 Series finished third in the coupé, convertible and sports car class, with a 98.4% reliability rating.

The CLE Cabriolet has yet to be tested by safety experts at Euro NCAP but all versions come with automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist.

“If you go for AMG Line Premium Plus trim, I’d also consider adding the Driving Assistance Package Plus, which upgrades the blind-spot assist system and adds an active lane-changing system that can steer the vehicle into the next lane on a motorway when you indicate.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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