Mercedes CLS550
Mercedes CLS550
Mercedes CLS550
Mercedes CLS550
The 2008 Mercedes CLS-Class is a 4-door, 4-passenger luxury sedan, or luxury sports sedan, available in two trims, the CLS550 4-Door Coupe and the CLS63 AMG 4-Door Coupe. Upon introduction, the CLS550 4-Door Coupe is equipped with a standard 5.5-liter, V8, 382-horsepower engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 21-mpg on the highway. The CLS63 AMG 4-Door Coupe is equipped with a standard 6.2-liter, V8, 507-horsepower engine that achieves 12-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 7-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims. The 2008 CLS-Class is a carryover from 2007.
Mercedes CLS550
When the CLS500 first appeared on the scene nearly two years ago, I was intrigued. Architecturally, it was as if Mercedes had grabbed the E-Class at both ends and pulled, compressing the passenger cabin and elongating the design. When I got up close and personal, I discovered that the resulting interior spaces were wide yet useless, with limited head and legroom. The car’s curvaceous roofline and tiny windows also restricted rear visibility, while huge side mirrors hampered the view at eight o’ clock and two o’ clock. And without the optional electronic parking assist, backing into a parking space was an expensive game of blind man’s bluff.
Mercedes CLS550
The CLS’ cabin distinguishes itself from its E-Class cousin with a huge swath of burled wood across the dash. Along with its higher door and dash panels, the design delivers a dramatic cocooning effect, magnified by the car’s machine gun slit windows. The Mercmeisters have dressed the cabin in acres of sumptuous leather, including the top of the dash. Overall, the CLS offers more of a sense of occasion than the E, albeit with more than little arrogance. And now… I love driving this car. For one thing, the CLS550’s steering has gained much-needed heft and driver communication. The rack-and-pinion set-up integrates speed-sensitive power assistance and hydraulic dampers. It leapfrogs BMW’s Novocained tiller, returning to the gold standard set by the previous generation BMW 5-Series (go figure). The wheel itself is as addictively caressable as a baby’s head. The CLS550’s Adaptive Damping System II does a Mad Max, proving that a sequel can be better than the original. Combined with Airmatic semi-active suspension, the CLS550’s does the near impossible: eliminates body dive, roll and squat; smoothes out all but the most vicious potholes and delivers outstanding road feel. The two-ton Teuton won’t give a Porsche Cayman any trouble, but the CLS550 is as fast and nimble a luxobarge as money can buy. In terms of acceleration, the CLS550 is a velvet hammer; it accelerates to ridiculous speeds with imperious ease. Equally important, the new, non-newfangled stoppers shed speed with genuine authority and perfectly modulated feel.
