Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 review - verdict

Your say

Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 Road Test

Test Date 10 May 2005 Price When New £54,685

Verdict

For all the quantitive measurements and considered opinions of an Autocar road test, the CLS has an altogether more tangible asset: its attention-grabbing style. It’s rare for a modern car to achieve such impact without resorting to shock tactics in its design — as some of Mercedes’ rivals have done — but to do so with proportions and an overall look that are cohesive and startlingly original is an achievement of which Mercedes should be proud.
That the CLS is also one of the most fluid and entertaining four-doors to emerge from Stuttgart in recent years only adds to its appeal. The CLS 500 is fast, smooth and surprisingly agile considering its bulk, and despite a slightly lumpy ride on the bigger 19-inch wheels, it plays the part of the refined cruiser remarkably well.
And all of this with four occupants on board. More importantly, the CLS is a car that makes you feel special when you slip behind the wheel — not only because of the comfortable, cocooning interior, but because you know you’re driving something that looks superb. Combine that with the cachet of the three-pointed-star on the nose, and the CLS could be one of the best cars of the year.