Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £33,411 to £68,923
Beautifully engineered, wide choice of engines, smooth auto gearboxes, high equipment levels, solid build and structure
Not hugely involving to drive, grey plastic in entry-level cabins, some tacky interior finishes
The CLK may not suit determined thrill-seekers, but it's a fantastic choice for those who just want to cruise in style
The second-generation CLK Cabriolet joins its Coupe counterpart (reviewed separately) on sale, just in time for summer 2003. Like the Coupe, it's a little longer and a little roomier inside than its predecessor, and has received a series of new, more powerful engines. It's a four-seater, with a larger boot than before, though it retains a canvas roof, rather than having a folding metal top like the SL and SLK roadsters. Of course, it's highly-specified and equipped, packed full of gadgets and utterly over-engineered - you even get an automatic 'arm' that extends over your shoulder to hand you your seatbelt. All in the grand Mercedes tradition.
Five petrol engines are on offer: the entry-level four-cylinder supercharged 200K (1.8-litre, 163bhp), the new six-cylinder 240 (2.6-litre, 170bhp), the 320 from the previous range (3.2-litre, 218bhp), the 500 V8 (5.0-litre, 306bhp) and the ultra-quick 55 AMG (5.5-litre, 367bhp and tuned for optimum sporting performance). The drop-top costs £3500-£4000 more than the CLK Coupe, but even at this price, it's difficult to find another convertible that's a better all-round proposition.
Price: Approx. £3500-£4000 more than equivalent Coupe versions (tbc).
On sale: June 2003
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes CLK-Class Cabriolet
wrote on 17 07 2006