Specifications
Model tested: Mercedes E-Class cabriolet E250 CDi manual and auto
Price as tested: £35,465, £36,980
Date and place tested: March 2010
Road tester: Richard Dredge

If you're in the market for a plush convertible, you're spoiled for choice. The Audi A5 and Lexus IS250C are very tempting and so are the BMW 3-Series and Volvo C70, but Mercedes is hoping to tempt you away from these with its four-seater E-Class cabriolet. And let's be clear from the outset - you could very easily be tempted.

Replacing the open-topped CLK, the E-Class cabriolet is a genuine four-seater with the bomb-proof build quality of Mercs of old. Everywhere you look there are top-notch materials, with everything screwed together beautifully - there's a sense of utter durability with everything.

There's innovation too; so you can keep the roof down all year round, the drop-top E-Class features a technology called Aircap. This works by blowing a stream of warm air from the top of the windscreen frame over the cabin - and it works. Even at very low temperatures, at motorway speed, the E-Class's interior remains warm and free from buffeting.

While many will buy the E-Class for its posing capabilities, it's also a car for the enthusiast driver. Far more accomplished dynamically than its predecessor, the E-Class is genuinely fun to hustle along a twisty road. With well-weighted steering, strong brakes and a chassis that inspires confidence, the E-Class is best suited to cruising - but it can cope with much more too.

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If your priority is optimum fuel consumption, there are three diesels available, kicking off with the E220 CDi that averages a claimed 53.3mpg and produces 143g/km of CO2. Even the largest diesel, the 3-litre E350 CDi, averages 41.5mpg while emitting 185g/km. The E250 CDI we drove officially averages 52.3mpg in manual form (45.6mpg with an auto) and was plenty sprightly enough - it makes you wonder why anyone would bother with a petrol engine.

Predictably, there's masses of safety kit such as ESP, brake assist and airbags galore (nine of them), but there are also a stack of other technologies to help you avoid a crash, or look after you should the worst happen.

Attention Assist monitors no fewer than 70 parameters to stop you crashing through inattention, and also available optionally is Adaptive High Beam Assist, which provides a series of steps between main and dipped beams, so you can see better at night.

Just two trim levels will be offered at launch: SE and Sport. Compared with the outgoing CLK cabriolet, the E-Class is slightly cheaper, which is especially impressive when you consider just what a leap forward the new model represents. The cheapest E-Class cabriolet is £33,800 (the E220 CDi) while the range-topping E500 Sport is £53,390.

Whichever end of the scale you can afford to buy, the new E-Class cabriolet is unlikely to disappoint. A refined, fast and capable mile muncher, the new model is also great on back roads too.