Mercedes is making great strides in the quality and design of its interiors; the CLS takes this improvement a step further and probably has the best Mercedes cabin for a decade.
The single slab of wood that makes up the dashboard flows from one side of the interior to the other, and is a great deal more convincing than the fake-looking wood found in an S-class. It is only the older parts – the electric window switches and infotainment system in particular – that look dated, an impression heightened by being made of brittle plastic.
There were drivers who struggled to get comfortable behind the wheel in the CLS, principally due to the skewed position of the pedals and steering wheel in relation to the seat. Otherwise there is plenty of room in the front, despite the cosy sensation created by the small glasshouse and high sides, and only marginally compromised headroom in the rear.
All V8 500 models get a climate control system capable of providing driver, front and rear passengers with their own air temperature. The system performed very well during our time with the car, being able to cool or heat the cabin in seconds.The infotainment system looks old-fashioned though, and can be long-winded to use compared with newer set-ups such as Audi’s MMI.
All CLS models get front airbags with adaptive control and window ’bags for front and rear passengers. Side airbags are standard at the front, but optional for the rear passenger compartment.
Finding a direct rival for the £52,120 CLS 500 is difficult. A BMW 645 Ci coupé is £50,450 and a Lexus GS430 saloon is £46,755. More worrying is the price of our test car: £61,890 with options. Nevertheless, considering Mercedes’ reputation for retained value and the CLS’s desirability we’d expect residuals to be very good indeed.
The CLS 500 averaged 18.1mpg over the course of our road test. Even on a touring route, our figure of 20.6mpg is some way short of the official combined figure of 25mpg.
