Range Rover Evoque Convertible vs Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet

Is a convertible Range Rover a step too far? We test it against another, proven convertible to find out.

1/8

4 November 2016

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is the only convertible SUV around. Sometimes there’s a very good reason why there is a gap in the market, so has Range Rover been very smart or just gone too far this time? With the UK being the second biggest convertible market in Europe, perhaps it’s a stroke of genius?

It’s got serious competition, with cars like Merc’s C-Class Cabriolet, which is based on the very lovely Coupe. Add in some stylish and sporty AMG Line trim, and you have a very classy C-Class convertible.

It’s also about 200kg lighter than the Evoque, so the 10bhp advantage that the Range Rover has is more than negated by the extra weight, much of it necessary to add some backbone into the chassis. The Mercedes takes off faster, and then gains more ground through the corners.

The Merc has beautiful steering, which helps, but it stays nicely flat through the turns as well. The Evoque for some reason has exceedingly fast steering, so you end up trying to change direction faster than you intended. In a vehicle which is heavy and which carries that weight relatively high up, that’s not a recipe for a relaxing or secure ride. Same when you’re braking hard.

On bumpier roads the bumps seem amplified in the taller Evoque, although the firmly sprung C-Class isn’t perfect here. In fact both display surprising levels of body shake, caused by the stiffening of the roof structure being removed. You can definitely feel the chassis shaking on both of these cars when the going gets rough, which is far from ideal. If you spend another £895 on Airmatic suspension on the Mercedes apparently it does improve matters, but you shouldn’t have to.

You can drive along a motorway with the roof down in either car and conduct a reasonable conversation, although if you are in the Evoque you’ll have to spend £260 to get the manual air deflector, whereas an electric one is standard in the C-Class Cabriolet.

Although the Evoque may not be quite as quiet, it does score on space, notably for the rear passengers who get decent room in every direction. In the Merc you’d probably only put youngsters or people you didn’t like in the rear seats for any length of time.

However, those passengers at least get decent luggage space as the boot is notably larger in the C-Class and you can fold the split rear seats too, something you can’t do in the Evoque. The Range Rover really does have a small boot, so you’ll need to pack light – looks like the budgie-smugglers instead of the shorts then.

Both vehicles have high-quality interiors, with the Evoque giving nothing away to the C-Class, which is acknowledged as a very classy cabin. Both get plenty of kit too, everything from heated electric front seats to ambient cabin lighting. The Evoque also gets real leather instead of the faux leather in the Mercedes, and it also has four-wheel drive of course as standard. The C-Class can’t match that but then it throws in things like the classy Airscarf which blows warm air around your neck on colder days.

Neither vehicle is exactly bargain-basement in any regard, and that includes price. If you’re buying outright the Merc will be considerably cheaper, by at least £6000 in the real world. It will also be the cheaper company car because it has lower emissions and lower fuel consumption.

The fact that you can’t get a discount on the Range Rover Evoque Convertible will mean that residuals will be very strong as it’s much in demand. However, we’re not entirely convinced by the whole package, which causes too many compromises on everything from handling to costs and performance.

The Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet is simply a better car to drive, and the fact that it can take more kit and is also notably cheaper to buy and run gives it the crown. But then which one you’d buy is probably defined by how you’d feel being seen in it on a sunny day with the roof down.

MORE ABOUT

Range Rover

Mercedes

Range Rover Evoque Convertible vs Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet

Read More