It’s not often that you can experience humid, gusty 60-degree conditions and dry temperatures approaching 100 degrees in the course of an hour, but I did that behind the wheel of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE-Class Cabriolet on the volcanic island of Tenerife.
Using the AirCap system is great for isolation, but it’s not ideal for fuel economy. The CLE Cabriolet has a coefficient of drag of a slippery 0.27 with the top up, and that rises to 0.31 with the top down. AirCap increases the cd to 0.35, which is about what you’d expect with the top up in a coupe 10-20 years ago. The upshot? Expect to get 1-2 less mpg when driving on the highway with the top down and AirCap activated.By the time we got to the top of the mountain, AirCap wasn’t enough.
Unlike the CLE Coupe, Mercedes makes no claim that the Cabriolet’s suspension is tuned to combine the C-Class’s sportiness with the E-Class’s comfort. However, an engineer told Motor Authority that the CLE Cabriolet is tuned for a softer ride with more body roll than the CLE Coupe. My car also had the AMG Line’s optional staggered-size 245/35R20 and 275/30R20 Continental EcoContact 6Q summer performance tires . These may be summer tires, but the “Eco” is right in the name, and they’re not made to grip like a Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or a Pirelli P Zero. The tires started squawking when I pushed it into corners and while they provided good traction, plenty of other summer tires will grip harder.
CLE 300 4Matic buyers get a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that spins out 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, teamed with the same transmission, 48-volt system, and all-wheel drive. It’s pretty quick, too, with a 6.2-second 0-60 mph time. I didn’t drive it in the Cabriolet but I did in the coupe and can say it has good power for most any need, and its front end feels lighter.The interior sports a combination of luxury and sportiness, the latter especially with the AMG Line package.