2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Review

The radically styled 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 is more than just a pretty new face because it's basically a conservative Mercedes E500 V-8 sedan under its sleek coupe-like body. It's reminiscent of autos from the first half of the last century that had a standard car's powertrain and frame but a custom coachbuilder body to make them stand out.

The CLS500 costs $7,100 more than the standard E500, but fashion-conscious folks might think that's money well spent to get a sexier-looking Mercedes. In fact, the automaker calls the CLS500 the world's first "four-door coupe."

The $64,900 CLS500 has a smooth 5-liter, 302-horsepower V-8 from the E500 that whisks it to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The CLS500 I tested makes more sense than the higher-line, low-production $86,600 CLS55. That model looks virtually the same as the CLS500 but has a supercharged 469-horsepower V-8 from Mercedes' AMG hot rod division. 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 

The CLS55 also has a sport suspension, larger tires, beefier brakes and sporty interior and cosmetic touches. But it's arguably worth $21,700 more than the CLS500 only to someone who's crazy about horsepower. (There's also a 469-horsepower "E55" AMG version of the E500 that costs $80,800.)

Some fans of high-performance sports cars never think an auto has too much horsepower, but the CLS500 is plenty fast. It's a gorgeous high-life cruiser that doesn't need more power.

Preliminary estimated fuel economy is 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway, which isn't too bad for a fast, fairly large sedan loaded with comfort, convenience and safety equipment, including curtain side air bags. Later figures put economy at 17 mpg city, 25 highway. Preliminary estimated fuel economy of the CLS55 is an estimated 14 and 20, but don't expect much more with 469 horsepower.

The solidly built CLS500 has a custom car feel. It's got a slightly longer, lower, wider body than the mid-size E500, with which it shares many mechanical components. They include not only the 302-horsepower V-8, but also the world's first seven-speed automatic transmission, which shifts smoothly. (The CLS55 and E55 have a five-speed automatic.)

The CLS500 feels sportier and more refined than the E500, with quicker steering, a firmer suspension, wider track and tires with more grip. However, the steering feels a little too light at lower speeds. And the brakes aren't easy to smoothly modulate because the electro-hydraulic brake system controls brake pressure at each wheel individually in response to driving and road conditions.

Handling is sharp for a car not mainly designed for hard driving and is assisted by traction and electronic stability control systems.

An air spring suspension provides a combination of comfort and sporty suspension tuning because it uses computer control to continuously and automatically optimize the car for both types of driving. You can select three suspension settings, ranging from normal for maximum ride comfort to very sporty. The two sporty settings lower the body. When on rough roads, a driver can raise the body an inch.

The CLS500 has the same 112.4-inch wheelbase (distance between axles) of the five-seat E500 sedan but is nearly 4 inches longer overall. It's a four-seater because the center console continues to the rear, where it divides the back compartment into two seats.

Mercedes long was known for staid interiors, but the CLS500 has a high-style, elegant wood-and-leather interior that goes with the car's exterior styling. There's virtually no wind noise from the aerodynamic body. The large front bucket seats are supportive, and controls are easily reached, although gauge numbers are small and the tachometer should be larger.

The trunk has a low, wide opening for quick loading. The cargo area is long but rather shallow, although the CLS500 has virtually the same room as the E500 sedan trunk. Lid hinges don't intrude much because their coverings prevent cargo damage.

The CLS500 looks racier than the E500 partly because it has a coupe-style roofline that lets it be two inches lower. The penalty paid for the roof is less entry-exit ease and no surplus of rear head room; the CLS comfortably seats four 6-footers, but the sloping rear roofline might lead those over that height to want more head space.

Coupes have figured prominently in Mercedes' heritage of styling icons, with the most famous being the 1950s Mercedes 300SL coupe with flip-up doors. Several Mercedes four-door models of the 1930s had coupe-like lines and are regarded by some to be CLS ancestors.

Largely disregarding the two rear doors of the CLS, Mercedes says, "In a sense, the CLS joins the [Mercedes] S-Class-based CL500 coupe and the C-Class-derived CLK500 coupe to form a Mercedes coupe family that makes use of proven, existing chassis and powertrain layouts but have separate and distinct identities."

The CLS meets the needs of those Mercedes coupe buyers who want additional room and easier access to rear seats. But it is mainly appealing because it's a head-turning, mass-produced version of the old coach-built cars. 

PRICES
$64,900

LIKES
A head-turner. Fast. Nice handling. Roomy.

DISLIKES
Basically a rebodied Mercedes E500 sedan. Shallow trunk.