Mercedes CLS (2005 - To Date) : MERCS CURVE BALL
Friday August 22
Models Covered: CLS saloon- 2005 to date: (CLS350, CLS500, CLS55 AMG, CLS63 AMG petrol, CLS320CDI diesel]
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
When it comes to buttoned-down saloon car rectitude, Mercedes-Benz has the market taped. Leave aside the gut-wrenchingly rapid AMG models and it has to be said that the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class models are about as straight as they come. Its easy to imagine senior suits in Stuttgart intoning that "For the saloon car, we have a procedure. The procedure must not be deviated from. Deviation will not be tolerated." Quite how the CLS slipped through the net is anyones guess, but heres a car that takes the saloon car book of conventions, rips it to shreds and dances on the tatters. As a used buy, its one of the most interesting saloon choices around.
Walk around a CLS and if youre a student of automotive design you may well feel a gnawing sense of unease. What is it about this car thats so unusual? Yes, a four-door coupe isnt exactly conventional but that isnt it. After a while the realisation dawns that the CLS just plain doesnt seem like a German car. History has taught us that German cars feature clean, pragmatic styling.
Even the more extrovert and successful German designs, such as Audis TT, have a pared-down industrial hygiene about their bodywork. The CLS is different insofar that it is unashamedly Baroque, with an attention-seeking ostentation suffused throughout it. In short, this car looks American. The suspicion is well-founded, the CLS being largely the work of American stylist Michael Fink.
It almost looks like an evolution of a Los Angeleno low rider from the late fifties and was always destined to be a very hot ticket in Mercedes biggest export market. Its difficult to take in all of the details of the CLS styling at one go. The way the twin swage lines that run along the flanks become the leading edge of the front wheelarch is beautifully resolved and the big L-shaped front lights mark a welcome departure from the gawky peanut headlamps seen on so many contemporary Benzes. Even the door handles look like something from an Art Deco design exhibition.
Open the door and the surprises continue. In true coupe fashion, the CLS features frameless glass, the windows dropping a centimetre or so as you pull the handle. Its also a long way down to the drivers seat. Stand next to the CLS and youll soon realise that its a good deal lower than either a CL or a CLK coupe, the two big hitters of Mercedes coupe range.
The cabin is like no Benz currently offered, the fascia being particularly reminiscent of modern Jaguars. A vast plank of wood runs across the dashboard, punctuated by the ventilation controls and a deeply sunk instrument binnacle. If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, then Jaguar should be coyly blushing.
Super-strong demand from new can cause used values to collapse when a faddish car is no longer flavour of the month. Thats not the case for the CLS which has held up very well in the used arena. A 54-plated CLS 350 opens at £34,000 with a similar vintage CLS500 setting you back around £39,000. Youll pay about the same for a CLS 320CDI, while the CLS 55AMG will require at least £50,000 from the slush fund.
Insurance ranges from Group 18 for the diesel car to a predictable Group 20 for the AMG specials.
Trade pundits advise buyers to seek out AMG alloys and leather upholstery while avoiding dull non-metallic colours for easy selling on. White cars have staged a bit of a recovery of late but dont be tempted for a white CLS they look dreadful. Yellow should also be given a wide berth unless you want your car to look like a ballistic banana. Buying from a franchised dealership is undeniably expensive, but the selection will be good and this route should take the worry out of purchasing a CLS.
Going this route also entitles you to Mercedes' helpful PCP finance scheme and an impressive back-up package of after-sales benefits.
(approx based on an 2005 CLS350) A starter motor will be about £265 and a radiator around £275 while an alternator is around £325. Brake pads are about £86 for the front and £55 for the rear. A replacement headlamp is £440.
The CLS is a four-seater only, with a chunky transmission tunnel dividing the two rear seats. Its easy to forget that theres an additional set of doors at the back, despite Mercedes not adopting Alfa Romeos clever hidden handle feature. Once opened, taller passengers will have to watch their heads as they climb in, but the legroom isnt bad at all. Compared to its closest rival, BMWs 6 Series, the CLS is a far more practical proposition.
Headroom in the back is 37mm down on the E-Class saloon but is far from problematic although the high waistline gives a slightly claustrophobic feel. The fact that its easy to get in and out of the back helps here. The smallest petrol powerplant is no slouch, being a 268bhp 3.5-litre V8.
This has proved the most popular model and although Mercedes claimed to be aiming at 30,000 CLS sales across the globe in 2005, company insiders claim that the car actually shifted more than 50,000 units. The CLS350 will get to 60mph in under 7 seconds and run on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph, which means that its quick enough to keep a BMW 630i honest. The CO2 emissions are pegged at a relatively saintly 217g/km and a combined fuel figure of 31mpg is good news for those who dont want to be saddled with a gas-guzzler. If youve got a little more money to throw at a CLS, you may well be tempted by the V8-engined CLS500.
Here you get a couple of extra cylinders, a fraction better refinement and acceleration which seems a rather questionable return on what is the thick end of a £10,000 premium. If you really hanker after a CLS that will lift its skirts and fly, best go for the CLS63 AMG version. The sole diesel option, the 224bhp 320CDI, can hit 60mph in under 7s and with 540Nm, it feels quicker in real world driving than the 350. Fuel economy of 37.
2mpg is not to be sniffed at.
There arent too many saloon cars - even in this price bracket - that give you a real buzz of excitement to own. Yes, there are quicker saloons that rely on brute force to supply the thrills but the Mercedes CLS operates on a subtler plane. As a used buy, it may still be a year or two before it starts to attain true bargain status but an 04 CLS350 would make a very tempting alternative to something newer but less charismatic.
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