Trader Dreamer: Mercedes CLS

If you follow any source of motor news then you’ll probably have seen a review of the new BMW 6 series Gran Coupe. Regardless of the fact it’s rather good to drive, this new four-door coupe has a major advantage in that it might just be the best looking car of it’s type on sale. Its not like it hasn’t got plenty of competition; the slightly dull but still attractive VW CC, the Audi A7, which I strongly disliked until I saw it in brown. The new CLS is nice but the 6 series just about edges it on style, but my (very subjective) point here is that the most attractive modern four door coupe is actually the CLS, just not the present one.

Photo From kenjonbro

Yes the old CLS is the most attractive, in my opinion. However a bigger advantage is that this car can now be yours for as little as £8k. No matter what model you choose you get plenty of equipment for your money too, the car came with part leather trim, climate control and electrically adjustable seats as standard. Of course being a German executive car the options list is an endless thing too. The engine range is less confusing; you’ll find a 3.5 litre V6 and 5.0 V8 petrols, 3.0 / 3.5 V6 diesels in the 320 / 350 CDi, and the fire breathing 5.4 litre in the 55 AMG. All of the cars come with the 7g-Tronic, 7 speed auto.

Underneath it’s well proportioned exterior lies the underpinnings of the slightly frumpier W211 E-Class. However it’s not just the exterior panels that have changed, interior room is reduced, as you would expect from the cars exterior, while the handling is sharper to match the sportier looks. It’s still a comfortable cruiser however, as befits it’s luxurious interior, which shares very little with the E-Class. A huge expanse of wood accentuates the wrap around design of the dashboard. To my eyes it’s a Mercedes style adaptation of the Rover 75 interior, which makes it great.

Not one of the engines fails to reach 60 in less than 7 seconds, and all can exceed 150mph should you find a place to do so. It’s no slouch and it handles gamely for such a big car, the only minor criticism being that the steering could be a little more commutative. That means the 5-series just edges it on handling, but it certainly can’t come close on style. The CLS 55 AMG will even take out the M5 of the same vintage in a straight line. For the more economy minded of us the diesels offer economy in the high thirties.

Of course some alarm bells may have been ringing with mention of it’s W211 underpinnings. That car is well known to be one of Mercedes’ least reliable models. Just one recall affects the CLS however, an adjustment to the braking system that only affects cars built before the end of 2005. Several electrical gremlins have been known to follow over from the E-Class however, so it’s especially worth checking warning lights and that everything functions, as it should. The W211 is also known for having interiors of a quality not befitting a Mercedes; thankfully the CLS suffers no such problems.

All in all we have a car that is reasonably reliable with a strong choice of engines. It majors on style in a way that will be the envy of many a newer and more expensive car. £8,000 for one is ridiculous, these cars are good value even at £20,000.

Here’s some I found

At £7,990this car represents the cheapest way into a CLS. It’s a CLS500, meaning you get a 5.0 V8 capable of 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. At this price you may already be expecting the 135,000 mile mileage, however the car comes with a full service history, MOT and Tax. At this price it may well be worth further investigation.

Dieseleconomy becomes available at around £10k, with this 130,000 mile car being the cheapest. It looks tidy and comes with a huge slew of options, as well as a ‘fully documented service history’.

If theabove cars don’t satisfy your need for speed, there’s the AMG version. This example is priced at £16,995 and comes with just 55,000 miles. You’ll have to have deep pockets to put considerable extra mileage on it, with economy likely to be in the mid teens. At least you’ll get 0-60 in 4.7 seconds in return however.

If don’tfancy poor economy or an oil burner than the CLS 350 CGi is the compromise option. Engine improvements mean the 3.5 V6 is less thirsty than the 3.0 it replaced, supposedly being able to reach 31mpg. This particular example comes with Just 72k on the clock.

Specifications

CLS320 CDi / CLS 350 CDi / CLS350 CGi / CLS500 / CLS55 AMG

0-60 7.0/ 7.0 / 6.7 / 6.1 / 4.7  seconds
0-100 N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A / 9.8 seconds
Top Speed 153 / 153 / 155 / 155 / 155 mph
Power 224 / 224 / 293 / 306 / 476 bhp
Torque 376 / 398 / 269 / 339 / 516 lb/ft
Weight 1815 / 1815 / 1735 / 1810 /  kg
Insurance Group 18 / 18 / 18 / 19 / 20
MPG 37.2 / 37.2 / 31 / 25 / 20.8

Warranty DirectReliability Index 127
HowMany Left 14,399 (all models)


Can I get it in brown?


Yes you can, the very lovely looking Rutile Brown, only one pops up for sale at the moment, and it’s this CLS 350 CDi at a Mercedes dealer. Certainly my choice!