Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet 250 BlueEFFICIENCY Sport 2dr Car Review - March 2012

The E-Class cabriolet engines all vary vastly in performance, but the 250 is powerful and quick.

You can select which chassis setting you want for the E-Class and this affects handling and suspension of the cabriolet. The suspension is absorptive and makes the drive fairly smooth even on rough surfaces.

The engine is 1796cc and uses unleaded petrol with a fuel tank capacity of 66 litres. There is a seven-speed automatic gearbox, which provides smooth acceleration.

The engine is fairly refined (although some of the engines are a little noisy) and the cabriolet has Mercedes’ Aircap deflectors, which shields the cabin from wind and means that even the rear seat passengers have the same level of protection as the front passenger and driver.

The 250 Blue Efficiency has a 201bhp engine delivering 228lb-ft of torque at 2000-4300rpm and reaches 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 149mph.

The interior of the E-Class cabriolet is well-designed and high-quality, living up to the reputation of Mercedes-Benz as a stylish manufacturer, although some of the features look a little cheap.

The seat and steering wheel adjust comfortably and the dash is fairly comprehensive, although the controls are quite small and fiddly. The seats are supportive and comfortable and the visibility good for an open top.

The 250 Blue Efficiency Sport comes with man-made leather seats, power steering, satellite navigation, cruise control, rear parking sensors, climate control, stability control, alloy wheels, Bluetooth, MP3 connectivity and stereo as standard, with optional extras including metallic paint for £695.

The Sport trim also offers firmer suspension and more powerful brakes as well as Mercedes’ AMG tuning body kit, with sharper steering and intelligent lights.

For fuel economy, the E-Class cabriolet has a start/stop system, which allows for great efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

The E-Class cabriolet comes with all the safety equipment you would expect in a high-quality car including driver, passenger and front side airbags, headbags to protect in the case of a side on collision, alarm and immobiliser as standard. It also has the stability control, Attention Assist system, which alerts tired drivers, the Pre-Safe anticipatory crash-protection system and a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in the case of a collision.

Mercedes-Benz has a great record in reliability and the E-Class cabriolet should be no different.

The boot is not enormous, offering a modest 390 litres with roof down. The E-Class cabriolet seats four quite comfortably, but rear seat leg and head room is a little cramped.

The running costs are modest with the E-Class cabriolet due to the efficient engine stop/start system, although the size of this engine does bump up the economy. The 250 Blue Efficiency model costs £39,520 and has a combined economy of 42.2mpg and CO2 emission rate of 164g/km.

The E-Class cabriolet has good running costs thanks to the efficient engines.

The resale value on the E-Class cabriolet is fairly good. Mercedes-Benz promise good service and reliability as well. Insurance costs are low, but servicing is expensive.