2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible Road Test and Review

2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet ・ Photo by Mercedes-Benz

Among luxury cars, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is legend. Long considered a symbol of success, the E-Class enjoys a long history of rewarding aspiration with style, safety, speed, and sophistication. Now, the 2021 Mercedes E-Class lineup gets a refresh to keep it at the top of 10-percenter wish lists.

A mid-size model, the 2021 E-Class continues in four body styles including a sedan, a station wagon, a coupe, and a convertible. The latter is called the Cabriolet, a four-seater that is comfortable enough for two adult couples and comes drenched in luxury and prestige. The E-Class droptop takes on a more important role for Mercedes this year, too, now that the larger and more expensive S-Class Cabriolet is discontinued. We spent a couple of days with the refreshed 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet, enjoying sunny fall weather in Southern California and top-down driving on the coastal, mountain, and rural roads laced atop the geography of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. To call it a lovely way to transition into the holiday season doesn’t do the car justice.

Prices and Equipment

When you go shopping for a Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, you’ll choose between E 450 ($71,950), E 450 4Matic ($74,450), and AMG E 53 ($82,850) variants. The E 450 4Matic and the AMG E 53 each include all-wheel drive, the AMG model equipped with a performance-calibrated version of 4Matic.

Our test car was a generously equipped E 450 4Matic. It had Designo Diamond White metallic paint, an AMG Line styling package, 20-inch AMG aluminum wheels, a Yacht Blue interior treatment to match its fabric roof, an Exterior Lighting package, a Warmth & Comfort package, an Air Balance package, a Driver Assistance package, multi-contour front seats with massage and ventilation, soft-close doors, a head-up display, illuminated door sill plates, and augmented video for the navigation system. In other words, it had almost every option. And the price tag of $89,885 certainly reflected that. Still, that’s more than $10,000 less than the starting prices of convertible versions of the BMW 840i xDrive and Lexus LC 500.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

It’s What’s on the Inside That Counts

While it’s true that the BMW and Lexus are more expensive than the Mercedes, they’re also more stylish. Unfortunately for Mercedes, ensuring rear-seat comfort has repercussions on the E-Class’ styling. This year, the car gets updated front and rear design elements, new paint colors, and fresh wheel designs. And the test car’s AMG Line package and multi-spoke wheels definitely lent it some much-needed presence. But compared to the BMW 8 Series and Lexus LC, the E-Class is lacking in the drama department.

Inside, the test car’s Macchiato Beige over Yacht Navy interior certainly conveyed a Christopher Cross kind of a mood. Light brown Sen wood trim sparkled in the sun during the day, while at night the 64-color ambient lighting was soothing. A new-for-2021 steering wheel adds capacitive Touch Control Buttons, and a flat-bottom design is an option. Combine these visual elements with the attention to detail Mercedes-Benz bestows upon all of its products, and the E-Class Cabriolet immerses its driver and passengers in style and luxury. If the car’s exterior is rather plain, the interior more than makes up for it.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

Comfort Is King

If you’ve owned a car with leather seats, you know what happens when you park in the sun. The seat surfaces feel like frying pans when you get in, especially in the afternoon when angled sunlight shines directly on it. As you might imagine, this effect is magnified with a convertible. Fortunately, the E-Class Cabriolet features sun-reflective leather, which has a special coating that reduces the surface temperature by up to 55 degrees. This is especially helpful when the car is parked with the top down at high noon.

Beyond this, the E-Class Cabriolet is genuinely comfortable for four adults. You’ll still want the driver’s or front passenger’s seat, though, especially if the car has the optional multi-contour front seats with massage, heating, and ventilation. Our test car also had the optional Warmth and Comfort option package with a heated steering wheel, heated armrests, and rapid front-seat heating. The E-Class features two innovations perfect for top-down driving: AirCap and AirScarf. The latter is a front-seat neck heating system, while the former helps to reduce turbulence and wind drafts in the cabin. Together, and with the Warmth and Comfort option package, you can drive the E-Class Cabriolet in chilly weather without suffering discomfort.

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Simplifying Complexity

Dual 12.3-inch digital displays convey instrumentation and provide access to the new Mercedes Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system including “Hey Mercedes” natural voice recognition technology. Based on our experience, the voice recognition system might have some trouble understanding you when the top is down. It did not perform as consistently or as accurately as we’ve come to expect from this voice-assistant technology.

You might think sun glare would be a problem for the two dashboard display screens, but it isn’t. And you might also expect this digital screen technology to be daunting in terms of user experience, but it’s not. If you are familiar with a smartphone or tablet computer, you can use the instrumentation panel or MBUX. Mercedes also installs a 13-speaker Burmester surround sound system in the E-Class Cabriolet, and it easily overcomes top-down noise to deliver a satisfying aural experience. But it does sound better when the roof is raised. Options for 2021 include a new augmented video overlay for the navigation system, which provides directional graphics on a live video display to help you find your way, as well as a comprehensive head-up display.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

Subtle but Effective Driving Assistance Tech

In addition to its upgraded infotainment, the new E-Class receives what Mercedes refers to as next-generation Intelligent Drive advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). They’re bundled together in a Driver Assistance option package and install active driving technologies that help with vehicle speed, braking, and steering to reduce stress and avoid collisions.

In our experience, Mercedes-Benz does an excellent job with ADAS. The systems work smoothly, accurately, and transparently, in turn encouraging its continued use. Our favorite Driver Assistance package features include Active Emergency Stop Assist, which brings the car to a safe stop if the driver is no longer holding the steering wheel and is not responsive to prompts to retake control. The Active Lane Change Assist function also impresses with its ability to automatically change lanes when the driver signals that intent. Both systems are operable when using the Active Distance Assist adaptive cruise control. Still, the vehicle can behave in unexpected ways. For example, while changing lanes mid-curve on a freeway, the E-Class Cabriolet mistook a road sign for a stationary object in the car’s path and momentarily activated braking. We’ve experienced this kind of thing in other vehicles in the past, but that doesn’t excuse the error. Rather, it underscores that car companies have a way to go in perfecting this kind of technology.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

EQ-Boosted Six Delivers Swift Speed

Mercedes installs its excellent EQ Boost turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine in the E 450 Cabriolet, paired with a faultless 9-speed automatic transmission. It powers the car’s rear wheels unless the E 450 is fitted with 4Matic all-wheel drive, as was the test vehicle.

This mild-hybrid, electrically-assisted power plant develops 362 horsepower from 5,500 rpm to 6,100 rpm, and 369 lb-ft of torque between 1,600 rpm and 4,500 rpm. The Integrated Starter Generator gives the car its “EQ Boost” of 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque when necessary. Mercedes claims the sizable E 450 4Matic blasts to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. No doubt, the car is effortlessly quick and sounds terrific when revved. Plus, it’s remarkably efficient given the power it supplies. The EPA says it should get 25 mpg in combined driving, and our real-world result was 22.4 mpg. Please note, however, that we spent lots of time exploring the E 450 Cabriolet’s performance potential while switching between its Dynamic Select driving modes.

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The Clark Kent of Luxury Cars

Equipped with an adaptive damping suspension and the optional Air Body Control air suspension, the E 450 Cabriolet’s ride and handling qualities are nothing short of sublime.

With Dynamic Select in Eco or Comfort modes, it effortlessly glides down the road, making sure to communicate all of the necessary information from the pavement surface to the driver while filtering harshness and untoward body motions from passengers. Perfect for cruising, Comfort mode matches the car’s laid-back and luxurious Yacht Rock cabin. Change to Sport or Sport+ mode and the E 450 Cabriolet adopts a different disposition. Though the available AMG Line styling and wheels hint at the potential for performance, these driving modes deliver it. Speed and graceful athleticism are the hallmarks of these Dynamic Select settings, and the E-Class Cabriolet easily surprises you with its capabilities.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

In a Class of One

Let’s be honest: The market for a true 4-passenger luxury convertible is not a large one, and within it, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet is the only choice if you intend to use the back seat for more than carrying Louis Vuitton shopping bags.

If you don’t need the rear passenger room, your options expand a bit, but the E-Class Cabriolet still exists as a class of one. You could downsize to the Audi S5 Cabriolet ($60,600) or the BMW 440i Convertible ($60,150 in 2020). Or, you could upgrade to the BMW 840i Convertible ($97,400) or Lexus LC 500 Convertible ($101,000). Mercedes itself offers the C-Class Cabriolet ($54,700) and, while supplies last, the 2020 SL ($91,000; the SL returns for 2022, so don't worry). Clearly, though, the E-Class Cabriolet dominates the middle ground, and rightly so.

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Just Right for a Specific Luxury Car Buyer

Driving east on Santa Barbara’s Cabrillo Boulevard on a balmy evening, passing busy high-end restaurants packed with outdoor diners, the sunset glowing in the E 450’s side mirrors, silhouettes of palm trees whizzing by overhead, and the car’s dazzling technology and ambient lighting illuminating the plush cabin, this car’s purpose couldn’t have been clearer. It was made for nights like these, and places like this.

The next afternoon, my family accompanied me for a drive on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Both kids had plenty of space in the back seat, and Air Cap kept buffeting to a minimum. Again, this car’s purpose couldn’t have been clearer. It was made for carrying four people in comfort, a rarity among open-top automobiles. There’s nothing quite like a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, making it just right for aspirational luxury car buyers.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz