Used test: Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet vs Range Rover Evoque Convertible

What are they like inside?

Both cars have seating for four, but those in the front will be far happier. Although the Range Rover Evoque Convertible has much more front head room than the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet and a fraction more leg room with the roof up, you’d have to be very tall to feel cramped in either car. Both are wide enough inside to prevent elbows clashing, too. The Evoque is also better for back seat passengers. On paper, it only has a couple of centimetres of extra leg room, but it has more room under the front seats for feet. The rear seats are mounted higher up in the car, too, so taller adults won’t find their knees forced towards the ceiling. The Evoque also wins easily on rear head room, while the C-Class’s rear seats are only suitable for kids.

As decent as the Evoque is at carrying passengers, they’ll have to pack lightly. Regardless of the roof’s position, it has less boot space than a five-door Mini. The bootlid doesn’t fold out of the way enough when open, either, so you can bang your head on it when loading up.

In contrast, the C-Class’s boot is nearly as big as the VW Golf boot for outright space with the roof up. Fold it down and the space shrinks significantly to accommodate the hood, although it’ll still take more than the Evoque. The C-Class also has split-folding rear seats, which aren’t available in the Evoque.

Although the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet has the more attractive, modern looking dashboard, there isn’t much in it for outright quality. In fact, the Evoque’s dash plastics feel a touch more solid when prodded, and its seats are made of real leather rather than artificial hide, although some of the gaps between interior fixtures could be more consistent.

Both cars come with colour infotainment systems with sat-nav as standard. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible has a touchscreen that’s easy to navigate, and fairly snappy to respond when you press it. The C-Class’s infotainment system is easy to control using a rotary dial between the front seats; twist to scroll through on-screen menus and press to select. It’s just a pity the menus aren’t more intuitive.

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