MERCEDES CLE 200 CABRIOLET: Could’ve been the one

Overview

Say goodbye to the C-class, E-class or even S-class convertibles, Mercedes has introduced one single replacement for all of these models: The CLE Cabriolet. The CLE is a very stylish 4 seater made for open-top drives in the south without giving up everyday comfort.

Under the hood of this CLE 200, Mercedes put a 2.0l turbocharged engine with mild hybrid tech delivering 200 horsepower and 320Nm of torque. With a weight of 1900kg, it’s certainly not fast, but it’s smooth and comfortable, music in the ears of every middle aged woman with a dog.

Design & Styling

Design-wise, Mercedes absolutely nailed this one. The CLE 200 Cabriolet is longer and sleeker compared to the old C-class convertible giving it a more grown-up look, almost like a little S-Class. It has a redesigned sharp front with LED headlights and a wide rear, giving it a sporty vibe without trying too hard.

It has an acoustic soft top roof that folds down in a little under 20 seconds up to speeds of 60km/h, ideal for when sunshine suddenly bursts out as you (barely) have to slow down to put the roof up or down.
In the interior, we can find a very showy, aesthetic design that is ideal for your Instagram stories. We can find a big screen larger than Kenny’s manly part in the middle, ambient lights literally everywhere and a large leather steering wheel. Unlike lots of other modern Mercedes models, the material quality in the CLE is fairly decent and nothing really cracks or squeaks. The use of plastic is also relatively limited, which gives it that premium feel Mercedes wants it to have.

Practicality & Comfort

For a convertible, the CLE 200 Cabriolet is actually surprisingly practical. It has a boot space of 385 litres with the roof up, 2 very large front seats and rear seats that can actually fit someone over the age of 12. Although the space is the back obviously remains limited, it’s certainly not bad for a mid-sized convertible. The cushioning and shape of the (front) seats are made to be as comfortable as possible, it offers a lot of options to adjust the position, heating and ventilation optimizing the experience.

The focus on comfort also seems to be the theme when it comes to ride quality. The gearbox is very smooth, the suspension is soft, soaking up speed bumps nicely and the insulated roof almost makes you forget you’re driving a convertible when there roof is up. Also when the roof is down, the wind deflector makes it significantly quieter than your average convertible and more enjoyable at higher speeds.

Performance & Driving Experience

Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s slow. Under the bonnet, we can find a 2.0l mild-hybrid engine delivering 200 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque, this makes it go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. Although speed definitely isn’t the primary focus of this car, I strongly believe it would’ve been a lot better if only it had an extra 50 horsepower. It isn’t terrible the way it is, but in some instances it really does lack that bit of punch you would want it to have.

The 9-speed automatic gearbox shifts very smoothly and keeps the car generally very quiet, again focused on maximising comfort. Handling is okay, good enough for coastal cruises but nothing exceptional. All in all, the driving experience is good for a cruise with your husband/wife, but you shouldn’t really expect anything more than that.

Tech & Features

Oh boy, this is where it gets bad! Inside the CLE 200 convertible, tech takes a center stage… and that’s not a good thing. It comes with Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system, which includes a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster and a 11.9-inch central touchscreen that… doesn’t work very well. It is incredibly buggy, hard to navigate through and decides to randomly stop working when it feels like it. It especially doesn’t help that you need to use the touch screen to do virtually anything and that you can end up finding yourself in a situation where you’re unable to change the airconditioning in 35 degree heat because the system doesn’t work (yes this did happen haha).

What does work very well is the sound system. The CLE 200 cabriolet features a premium Burmeister sound system that is F**KING AMAZING.  I don’t think I have ever experienced a better sound system in a car… driving around with the roof down, blasting your favourite tunes like you’re in a festival site, they absolutely nailed it.

Besides that, it also comes with a few extra’s: It has an “airscarf” that can blow hot air around your neck on chilly days, it has seatbelt extenders, ambient lighting in 64 colours, heated and ventilated seats and a wind deflection system to make driving more enjoyable at higher speeds. None of these features are really necessary, but they do make the difference between a standard and premium car.

Price

Pricing of the CLE 200 Cabriolet starts between 65.000 and 75.000 euros, depending on what line you take. This is an almost 20.000 euro increase compared to the older C-class convertible and slightly more expensive than rivals like the BMW 4 series convertible. It is more comfort/luxury-focused though and Mercedes definitely tries to aim at a premium clientele with this car… Also it being the only four seater convertible left (apart from the SL but that’s for a different tax bracket) , it sort of becomes exclusive in its own way. If we’re talking value for money though, a 4 series convertible would probably be the better option.

Verdict

The Mercedes CLE 200 Cabriolet is a stylish, comfortable cruiser car that is great for (older) people that enjoy a quiet luxury driving experience. It is not built for people who like speed or enjoy swift handling which is unfortunate because this could’ve been the best of both worlds with some extra horses. The CLE features plenty of new interesting tech, but a lot of it feels unfinished and simply doesn’t work the way you expect it to from a premium Mercedes. The CLE 200 Cabriolet is close to being the perfect convertible, but the downsides are simply too big for it to deserve that title.