When you’ve been reviewing vehicles for as long as I have, it’s pretty easy to become a little blasé about driving new cars and it takes something pretty dramatic to get the blood boiling so to speak. With that in mind, you won’t be surprised when I say that it’s been quite a while since something’s fanned the flames like the all-new Mercedes CLS500 has.
Obviously the first thing hits you with the CLS is the styling. Sleek, smooth and sassy comes to mind, and for those of you old enough to remember, yes I am aware of the fact that that was the slogan for the ’57 Chevy, but once you see this magnificent motor car, I think you’ll agree, it certainly describes this new Benz. Although it’s based on the E-Class and shares some mechanicals, the CLS is an entirely new class of Mercedes-Benz that combines the emotional appeal and vibrant design of a coupe with the functionality of a sedan, something that appears to be a new genre of styling these days ala the new Charger from Dodge.
And speaking of Chrysler, one of the styling cues on the Chrysler 300 that’s so fetching is the high beltline that gives the car a “chopped top” look The CLS500 sports that same look however, it’s much more symmetrical and flowing. The sleek, arching silhouette is accentuated by the way the roofline and C-pillars blend into the rear fenders and decklid which is stunning to see, but it comes at a price for taller rear seat passengers. That said, the styling and stance gives this car the appearance of preparing to leap forward at the slightest touch of the accelerator which in it fact does.
The CLS500 is powered by a 302-horsepower 5-liter V8 with 339 lb-ft of metal moving torque, mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission that provides smooth and efficient, and at will, exhilarating performance. Mercedes shows the CLS going from 0-60 in merely 5.6 seconds which I would have loved to have validated but alas, it’s not in my job description.
The CLS500 has a custom-car feel being sportier and more refined than the E500, with quicker steering, a firmer suspension, a wider track and tires with more grip. However, the steering to me feels a little too light at low speeds. The brakes do take some getting used to because of the car's electro-hydraulic brake system. But, one cannot argue with the design and effectiveness of that system because it controls brake pressure at each wheel individually in response to driving and road conditions; simply amazing technology. And speaking of technology, handling of the CLS is assisted by traction and electronic stability control systems along with an air spring suspension that provides a combination of comfort and sporty suspension tuning because it utilizes computer controls to automatically, and continuously optimize the car for all manner of driving.The driver can select one of three suspension settings, ranging from normal for maximum ride comfort to very sporty for pure driving fun. The two sporty settings lower the body to enhance stability and feel, but the body can be raised an inch when on rough roads.
Some standard equipment includes the aforementioned Airmatic air suspension for the ideal combination of comfort and sporty suspension settings, as well as electro-hydraulic braking. ABS with brake assist, traction control, and ESP stability control just to name a few. The CLS500 will be followed by the high-performance CLS55 AMG powered by a supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine that produces 469 ground pounding horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. And all I have to say about that is wow, I for one can’t wait.
The numbers, the base price is about $65,000 unless you opt for the mind numbing CLS55 which bases at about $87,000. Pretty lofty pricing but this is an awful lot of car that turned heads everywhere I went.
