2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS Review

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS Review

As if to prove this point, Mercedes is making a big deal of the looks of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS - a car that can rightly claim to have kick-started a marketplace revolution of sorts. All the refinement of an S-Class with a more sporting silhouette, this elegant four-door coupe has sold consistently well, with about 30 percent of these going to fleet purchasers. Mercedes says 鈥渁lmost all customers chose the CLS for its distinctive styling鈥? so replacing it with a new model was always going to be a challenge. In the metal it does exude enormous presence. Its nose is reminiscent of the SLS-AMG supercar, and that is a good thing. From some angles the CLS looks wonderful, though - something that can鈥檛 be said of Porsche鈥檚 grotesque Porsche Panamera. Inside the CLS it鈥檚 business as usual, which means a gorgeous cabin design, flawlessly executed and crafted from the finest materials. It鈥檚 a lovely place to spend time and craftsmanship seeps from every pore, which after years of questionable build quality is a blessed relief for Mercedes.

As you鈥檇 expect, there鈥檚 a plethora of gadgetry to keep driver and passengers entertained but it鈥檚 intuitive and simple to use and there鈥檚 more room in here than the outgoing model, too. But seeing as though such a high percentage of CLS sales have been made up of diesel engines, it鈥檚 perhaps surprising they bothered with petrol at all. On the road the new CLS is supremely quiet, refined and comfortable. The engines, whether diesel or petrol powered, are silky smooth and feel effortlessly muscular, with plenty of torque providing mid-range grunt - even the 250 CDI feels plenty powerful, which for a car this size is no mean feat. There鈥檚 plenty of grip and if you opt for the active seats you get a reassuring squeeze from the side bolsters when you鈥檙e powering through the twisty bits. On a long stretch of motorway, at the touch of a button you can have yourself a massage, too. Aerodynamics have been improved and various changes to both design and construction methods have resulted in a substantially quieter cabin, with wind roar practically eliminated. And it goes without saying that safety systems are present by the truckload.

Mercedes proudly points out that the optional LED headlamps are a world first insomuch as they offer full dynamic functionality. A total of 71 individual LEDs also do a decent job of replicating daylight in the pitch dark. But then, when you look at the many safety features we now take for granted in our cars, many of them started life in a Mercedes, so expect others to follow suit once again. Lane Assist, Attention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, High Beam Assist, and Nightview Assist are just some of the systems on offer when you鈥檙e ticking the options list but Attention Assist is standard across the range. The CLS options list also offers Pre-Safe, which basically alerts the driver audibly and visually if it thinks you鈥檙e about to hit something, slamming on the brakes if you don鈥檛 react when it thinks you should have. It would seem that if you鈥檙e deep of pocket when speccing up a posh German car these days you鈥檙e also incapable of dipping your own headlights or applying your own brakes. Mark my words, sometime soon there鈥檒l be Drive Assist on offer, where the car does absolutely everything, including dictating what you listen to on the radio and stopping when it thinks you鈥檝e gone long enough without taking a leak. Which, in a car like the CLS, would be a great shame because it really is an enjoyable thing to hustle along a decent country road. It doesn鈥檛 feel as big as it undoubtedly is and, with a new steering system debuted here turn-in is nice and sharp for such a big car. There鈥檚 definitely a more intimate feel, with more information being relayed through the wheel, which is a step in the right direction. Pricing is still to be confirmed but it鈥檚 likely the new car will be no more expensive than the outgoing model. As an accomplished all-rounder, the new CLS delivers in spades.

Few buyers will, therefore, separate them on price, so the choice to buy one or the other will boil down to which styling you prefer the most. Mercedes has made two very similar small, front-wheel-drive biased sedans that it sells at very similar prices and offers with pretty much the same engines. The decision to buy one or the other will therefore not be a rational one, but one made based on other positive or negative points you may discover. They are definitely hard to split - I don鈥檛 even know which one I鈥檇 go for after documenting for and writing all of the above. I鈥檓 tempted to say the A-Class sedan is the better choice because it鈥檚 slightly cheaper, has a bit more room inside, and it somehow looks less flashy and more honest. Buying a CLA, you鈥檙e essentially telling the world you want the bigger CLS, but can鈥檛 afford to pay twice the price for one. Opting for the A-Class sedan, on the other hand, doesn鈥檛 say that about you, although, it could just be people will say you couldn鈥檛 afford the C-Class. This decision will undeniably be made easier when, in the near future, you will be looking to pick one up second hand. Then, the CLA may have just held on to more value, thus making the cheaper but mostly the same A-Class sedan the clear winner.