Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabrio Review

Mercedes-Benz has had an excellent start to 2018 in Ireland, outselling rivals BMW and Audi to become Ireland’s bestselling premium brand in January.

An aggressive pricing strategy along with generous equipment across the range has surely helped place the brand at the top of the league tables.

But Mercedes-Benz also has a fine range of product, with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class being the bestselling model for the German marque here in Ireland. A new, tenth generation E-Class saloon arrived in Ireland in 2016, and has spurred the usual coupe and cabriolet derivatives. I recently got behind the wheel of the new E-Class Cabrio.

Watch Caroline’s video review of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio or scroll down to read the rest of the review.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio is the grande dame of the E-Class range: this car is about enjoying luxury and comfort whether the roof is up or down, and doing it with a lot of style. In Ireland the E-Class Cabrio range starts at €56,995, while the E220d AMG Line I had on test retails from €61,140.

The Cabrio sits lower than the saloon and AMG Line models have AMG bodystyling and 19” alloys. There is a choice of 12 body colours, while the fabric roof is available in black, brown, blue and red.

The new E-Class Cabrio is longer and wider than the car it replaces and a longer wheelbase yields more legroom for passengers, especially in the rear. This is a strict four seater, but two adults will be comfortable in the rear. The access to the boot is quite shallow by the nature of this being a cabriolet, but there’s still over 300 litres of space available.

The interior of the car is absolutely beautiful and it really stands out among rivals for its artistic flair, enhanced by the ambient lighting that comes with a choice of 64 colours. Mercedes-Benz has mixed the traditional executive feel with the style and technology demanded by today’s premium car buyer, and the material quality is excellent.

Leather upholstery comes as standard, as does the AIRSCARF neck level heating system and AIRCAP draught-stop system and boot separator. They really work and driving with the top down in the E-Class Cabrio is a very comfortable experience!

An 8.4” touchscreen infotainment system also comes as standard and can be controlled via a rotary dial on the central console or touchpad. The driver information display is controlled via touch-sensitive finger swipe buttons on the steering wheel.

In Ireland the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio is offered with a choice of 2.0-litre, 184hp petrol badged E200, a 2.0-litre, 194hp diesel badged E220d or a 3.0-litre, 258hp diesel badged E350d. A nine-speed automatic gearbox comes as standard. On the move the refinement and comfort is top class, with engine noise well isolated from the cabin. The diesel pulls strongly with 0 to 100kmh achieved in 7.7 seconds, while my average fuel consumption over a week of driving was 6.2l/100km.

The wider track on the new E-Class Cabrio improves the driving dynamics over the previous model. But while the E-Class Cabrio steers and handles positively, it still could not be described as sporty and there are sharper alternatives. Yet the peaceful refinement and serenity of the E-Class’s cabin more than makes up for it and why would you be in a hurry anyway?

Mercedes-Benz knows a thing or two about how to make an elegant and desirable convertible and the new E-Class Cabrio has an illustrious lineage. The E-Class Cabrio bears classic Mercedes-Benz elegance but packaged now in a smart and contemporary way. In E220d guise, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio is a smooth and comfortable player in the premium convertible segment. Though it’s not a sporty drive, the refinement, comfort, and the sheer artistry of the cabin mean that you’ll definitely find a lot to enjoy here.

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Mercedes-Benz E220d Cabriolet AMG Line
Price: €61,140 (Range from €56,995)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo diesel
Power: 194hp
Torque: 400Nm
0-100km/h:  7.7 seconds
Top speed: 237km/h
Economy: 4.3-4.9l/100km
CO2 emissions:  126g/km
Motor tax: €270 per year