Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY SE Auto 2dr Car Review - February 2012

The 2.2-litre diesel engine produces 168bhp and 295lb-ft of torque. This means 0-62mph takes 8.7 seconds and the top speed is 142mph. The engine is powerful and smooth, however it can be quite noisy when worked.

The E-Class Cabriolet is most at home when cruising along in a relaxed manner. The car has plenty of grip and the handling is excellent with a good amount of feedback from the steering. The suspension is superb, ironing out bumps and ruts on the road surface with ease. Although there is some noise from the engine, wind and road noise are kept at to a minimum. An aircap system is designed to keep the cabin free from buffeting and draughts, and it works very well indeed.

Although this car carries the Mercedes E-Class nameplate, it is actually modelled on the smaller C-Class blueprint. The change to a two door cabriolet body style has given the E-Class a sharp, distinctive and bold look. This new look is thanks to a large front grille with the Mercedes-Benz badge, split headlights and rakish front bumper. Swept back tail lights and bold, strong rear arches have given the E-Class a muscular, stylish appearance.

Step into the E-Class’ cabin and the quality and attention to detail hits you straight away. The fit and finish is superb and the materials used feel like they were chosen and designed to last forever. Tactile leathers and soft touch plastics all look great and add to the quality feel. A foot operated parking brake frees up space on the console and a screen is used for operating the in-car entertainment system. The only complaint is that there are a lot of buttons which are of a similar size, making it easy to press the wrong one when driving.

All E-Class Cabriolet models are well equipped and with this SE trim you get 17-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, electric windows, climate control, parking sensors, front fog lights, rain sensor and auto dimming mirror as well as electric and heated mirrors, leather upholstery, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and an MP3-compatible audio system.

Unlike many other Cabriolets, this model has good visibility. Although it is listed as a four seater, taller rear passengers may find that head room is limited. The space is also restricted in the boot which holds only 390 litres, but put the roof down and that is eaten up. This is considerably worse than the Audi A5 Cabriolet and BMW 3 Series Convertible.

Mercedes has a great name for building reliable cars and there is no reason to believe that the E-Class Cabriolet will be anything other than reliable.

In terms of safety equipment you get driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, along with a knee airbag, a system to monitor tiredness, a pre-safe crash system that anticipates a collision, standard ISOFIX child safety seat fasteners, electronic stability programme and traction control.

The E-Class Cabriolet 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY SE Auto is one of the cheapest models in the E-Class Cabriolet range at £36,980 and this is relatively good value for money, costing around the same as a mid-range diesel E 250 saloon.

The frugal diesel engine gives 53.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 138g/km put it in tax band E. Model for model, the E-Class Cabriolet is more expensive to insure than the BMW 3 Series Convertible, though residual values are slightly better.