Mercedes-Benz CLS cars

The style of the car

Good looking and beautifully built, the Mercedes CLS combines the style of a coupe with the space of a saloon. It’s available as either a sleek four-door coupe or practical Shooting Brake estate. Both versions are attractive, while the AMG trim adds larger alloy wheels and sportier trim inside and out.

How it drives

The CLS is excellent on motorway trips but is also good fun on twisty roads, although some rivals are even better to drive. AMG models have stiffer suspension, but every CLS is comfortable and there’s enough power for safe, easy overtaking. It’s a big car but the smooth automatic gearbox and standard parking sensors make driving in town easier. Only the CLS Shooting Brake estate can be fitted with a tow bar, but it’s capable of pulling a large caravan or trailer so is perfect for a family camping holiday.

The interior

The CLS is similar in size to the Audi A7 Sportback and has a similarly high-quality, spacious interior. Despite its sloping roofline there’s enough room for most adults to stretch out. There’s loads of handy storage, including a deep, lidded compartment between the front seats. The saloon has a 520-litre boot that’ll fit three medium suitcases with room to spare. The Shooting Brake has even more room – 590 litres – and an electrically powered boot lid, and the back seats can be folded down in seconds for more space. You get lots of equipment as standard, with entry-level cars featuring Mercedes’ easy-to-use COMAND infotainment system which has sat nav and Bluetooth. Sport trim adds sports seats and steering wheel and AMG Sport and AMG Line trims have leather-trimmed, heated seats.

Running costs and reliability

The CLS is competitively priced and has lots of tech as standard. Most of the engines are efficient, with the diesels capable of an official average of 61.4mpg. Road tax costs are lower than those of many rivals. Mercedes is famed for the durability of its cars and it finished second as a premium car maker in the J.D. Power 2019 UK Vehicle Dependability Study. It also has a great reputation for safety and the CLS was awarded the maximum five stars by safety organisation Euro NCAP.

How it compares with similar cars

The CLS is one of the Mercedes-Benz’s largest models; it’s bigger than the CLA and more practical than the two-door Mercedes E-Class Coupe. It offers a bit more driving enjoyment than the Audi A7 Sportback and most models have a more comfortable ride than the equivalent BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.