2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 Cabriolet Review: Rethinking Priorities

Doing this job for a few years has ways of changing what you thought you knew.

This is obviously true about the hundreds of cars we drive every year: not only do we learn what they’re like, we learn why they’re the way that they are, from the people responsible. Yet there’s also a level of self-discovery, of either confirming long-held beliefs or facing a 180-degree hairpin of an opinion change.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 Cabriolet has the capacity for the latter. Hardly a spec-sheet standout in an era of 671-horsepower SUVs and 1,341-horsepower mega-EVs the CLE 450 nonetheless exhibits the sort of personality few vehicles do here in the modern day: one of putting laidback comfort and sheer cruising capability at the top of Maslow’s pyramid.

From the beltline down this is the same design as the coupe, a handsome if slightly bar-of-soap-like shape. The cloth top sticks to a similar roofline as well, only increasing its rake aft of the rear headrests for a more upright rear window. The rear light treatment emphasizes the CLE’s width, though it loses points for obviously fake exhaust tips. Merc’s repeating logo pattern works better than it has any right to, and I’m even warming to the quasi-aero-style wheel design, though I’d prefer if they weren’t all blacked out. There are slight fairings on the rear deck aft of the passenger compartment, which gives the CLE an added grace with the top down—which of course was the only way I drove it.

I have sung the praises of Merc’s 3.0-liter inline-six everywhere I’ve experienced it. Big shocker here: it’s excellent in the CLE, too. I’d wager it’s the engine to have for the droptop, really: the 300’s four-cylinder was an unpremium piece of the puzzle in the coupe last year, while the AMG model goes all try-hard with the flared fenders and stiffer ride. The CLE 450 embodies all that is appropriate in a modern Mercedes, being effortlessly quick (62 mph / 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds) while making each shift from the nine-speed ‘box barely perceptible. Against the oh-so-smooth E 450 I drove last year, the CLE does allow for slightly more engine noise in the cabin, a subtle reminder of the reserves available and less about showmanship.

Sure, you can rev the ‘six out in manual mode and even appreciate its smooth singing voice, but the CLE works best when slightly laidback.

Fuel economy is an EPA-quoted 26 mpg combined (NRCAN: 8.9 L/100 km). I saw almost exactly this during my time with the CLE.

That laidback attitude applies when the CLE encounters a curve in the road, too. There’s a softness to its responses that encourages a six-, maybe seven-tenths approach to multiple corners. It’s not that the medium-sized Merc is vague or lost at sea; the steering is accurate and weights up nicely once some lock is applied.

With standard all-wheel drive, even the additional 120 horsepower over the CLE 300 isn’t enough to turn this into some sort of burnout-happy sliding machine. There’s enough shove to remind the driver that this is still a properly rear-biased setup, but it’s too locked down for shenanigans. And that’s fine.

Just like the E 450, the CLE has a positive brake pedal feel with firm, progressive stopping power.

With a well-insulated top and oodles of sound deadening, the CLE cruises like the best Benzes of old. It carries more weight than the four-cylinder coupe but feels no less cushy; riding on the same 20-inch alloy wheels doesn’t hurt. Potholes barely have an effect on the ride, and produce even less noise. With the top down, it’s easy to have a conversation at highway speeds without resorting to yelling. The CLE is decidedly more refined than the equivalent 4 Series droptop.

Front-seat comfort is superb, though I’m still mildly annoyed that Merc ditched the perfectly functional door-mounted seat controls for feedback-free touch-sensitive ones.

This is one of the few droptops on the market where sitting in the back row doesn’t feel like a cruel joke. It’s an easy step in—with the roof down, of course—and there’s decent headroom once the lid is up. The seatbacks are nicely sculpted, and buffeting is kept to a minimum.

The CLE cabin doesn’t take many stylistic risks; it’s broadly the same layout we expect of modern Mercs, with a two-level dashboard design, squircle vents, and a square-ish touchscreen sprouting up from a wide center console. This particular tester checks off some of the best options too, with the Macchiato Beige artificial leather pairing oh-so well with the pinstriped wood trim. This is one area we do want a nautical influence, thanks. No, nobody will think it’s faux-cow unless you tell them.

Quality is appropriate for the badge on the nose, better than the often plasticky cabins of even just a few years ago. No, I don’t like the piano black on the center console either, but that’s the only place where it’s plentiful. Well, that and the steering wheel spokes, where many of the common controls are.

Those steering wheel controls operate, amongst the typical bits like cruise control and audio, both the digital instrument cluster and 11.9-inch central screen. The tiny touch-sensitive pads can be fiddly and frustrating at first, but they quickly become second nature. Adjusting the instrument cluster is relatively straightforward despite there being a lot to choose from.

The right-side controls for the center screen are less successful, mostly due to how Mercedes organizes its MBUX menus. They’re designed for touch controls, with big icons and ample space between them. That’s great if you’re poking and prodding, but can make for confusion with the four-direction thumb pad controls.

This tester lacks the Driver Assistance Package ($1,950 / $2,700 CAD), which adds more than a dozen useful driving aids including full-range cruise control with stop and go capability as well as numerous active assists. Rear side impact airbags are also optional. Nonetheless the CLE 450 features a solid lineup of standard safety assists including blind spot monitoring as well as what Merc calls Pre-Safe Sound, which emits “pink noise” ahead of a collision that can help ear canals naturally block out loud noises. Neat.

Mercedes’ augmented reality navigation is present and works very well, overlaying directions on the road ahead. A 360-degree camera also makes parking extra-easy with the top up. One important note for audiophiles: the excellent optional Burmester surround sound system here is mysteriously absent from the ‘26 options list.

Slotting in behind the wheel of the droptop CLE 450 will set you back at least $78,650 ($89,145 CAD) including destination but before options. You’re looking at an almost five-figure premium to upgrade to this inline-six over the grumbly base four-pot, and the difference between coupe and convertible is slightly less than that. As equipped this Canadian-spec model rings in at $98,995 CAD; the closest equivalent US build would be around $84,400.

Spec-for-spec the CLE 450 is only slightly pricier than an equivalent BMW 4 Series convertible. The Bimmer is unquestionably the sharper drive, especially as it can still be had without AWD in America, but it lacks the cool, calm demeanor of the Benz.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 Cabriolet is no doubt a niche player on the market. It’s a car—strike one—with a cloth top—strike two—and a conscious comfort-first bent in a shrinking scene almost entirely dedicated to “sportiness”—strike three.

But sports cars are inherently selfish. The CLE, with its smooth inline-six and swanky cabin, encourages a rethink of vehicular priorities. For those who want something that looks and feels special and that can carry along more than one friend at a time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of open-air motoring, it should be an obvious choice.

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