Used Car of the Year Awards 2021: Convertibles

If you want a four-seat convertible of rare elegance and subtle suavity, the E-Class Cabriolet is nigh on unbeatable.

For starters, it looks and feels very much the premium product, being stylish and plush and solidly constructed. It also provides effortless performance with any of the various engine options under the bonnet. Added to that, it’s superbly refined with the roof up or down and has a comfortable and extremely classy interior that could probably sell the car to you in the showroom before you’ve even turned a wheel.

All told, it’s a lot of car for the money. At its price point, it saw off such notable rivals as the Audi A5 Cabriolet and the BMW 6 Series Convertible, being better to drive and more refined than the former and younger and more agile than the latter. And in the end, it beat both the BMW 2 Series and 4 Series convertibles to the overall prize this year by virtue of its superior refinement and better all-round value.

We’d look for the efficient E220d model in well-furnished AMG Line trim. It’s a terrific car to take out on a sunny day.

Read our full used Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet review >>

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Also consider...

BMW 4 Series Convertible (2013-present) 

Best buy less than £22,000

It was the 4 Series’ fine ride/handling balance that placed it ahead of the Audi A3 Cabriolet and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet at this price point. It’s classy and comfy, with a great infotainment system, plus it has the added security and refinement of a folding metal hard-top. Shop for a 2017-2018 420d SE.

Read our full used BMW 4 Series Convertible review >>

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BMW 2 Series Convertible (2014-present) 

Best buy less than £15,000

The 2 Series offers a truly premium feel in a compact package. This year it beat the DS 3 Cabrio and last year’s class winner, the Audi A3 Cabriolet, by offering a newer car (2016) for the same outlay. It’s good to drive, too, with a range of punchy, efficient engines. Our favourite is the 220d in well-equipped SE trim.

Read our full used BMW 2 Series Convertible review >>

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