Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 review

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Lower-rung AMG gains butch looks and big power. Can it stick it to the BMW M4?

It’s been a while since Mercedes-AMG model designations had any bearing on engine capacities, but we thought we’d figured this out, right? 63 is the full-house one, 53 is basically an AMG Line pack on the biggest engine. Then in comes the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53. 

It's all butch with its wider wheel arches and the spec sheet mentions a rear-wheel-drive-only drift mode (it’s four-wheel drive as standard). A combined 443bhp and 4.2sec to 62mph sound pretty full-house as well.

It's useful to think of this of the CLE 53 as semi-skimmed. With the 63 being full-fat and the 43 being skimmed.
Mark Tisshaw
Editor

Sure, it’s slower than a BMW M4, but super-coupé (there's a convertible too) performance has well and truly jumped the shark anyway, so that’s just a question of how unusable you want your performance to be.

There is going to be a 63 version, which will reportedly have a V8 but it remains to be seen whether it will be a heavy, complicated plug-in hybrid.

At that point, this mild-hybrid, inline-six Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 might seem like the purer, simpler driver’s car, in as much as you can even apply those words to a two-tonne, mild-hybrid car with variable four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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02 Mercedes AMG CLE 53 2024 review front driving

With the CLE, Mercedes has amalgamated the old C-Class Coupé and E-Class Coupé – and their convertible derivatives – into one model, just like it used to do in the 1990s and early 2000s with the CLK.

Compared with the standard Mercedes CLE, the 53 gets a new front bumper, an AMG-style Panamericana grille, a large rear spoiler and decorative diffuser.

The CLE53 gets a lot of things as standard, including adaptive sports suspension.
Mark Tisshaw
Editor

Thanks to wider wheel arches, it's also 58mm wider at the front and 75mm wider at the rear, enhancing its aggressive look.

Further back, the 53 gets AMG-specific door mirrors and a more aggressive rear end, thanks to a restyled bumper and lip spoiler. 

Mechanically, it’s more of a halfway house between the full-fat AMGs and the standard Mercedes. It develops 442bhp, but does it from a breathed-on standard Mercedes engine, rather than a full hand-made Affalterbach product.

The twin-turbo M 256M engine is very similar to what you get in the Mercedes CLE 450, but gets twin turbos increasing boost pressure by 0.4 bar to 1.5 bar, as well as an electric compressor that can provide boost before the regular turbos have spooled up. This compressor, as well as a 23bhp electric motor in the gearbox, are powered off the 48V mild-hybrid system.

The engine drives through the standard Mercedes nine-speed ‘TCT’ torque-converter automatic, rather than the racier ‘MCT’ AMG 'box with its wet start-up clutch.

The CLE 53 has fully variable four-wheel drive that, if optioned right, includes a rear-drive-only drift mode. There’s 2.5deg of rear-wheel steering and what Mercedes calls AMG Ride Control, which includes AMG-tuned adaptive dampers with coil springs.

Where things get really interesting is if you option the £7500 Pro Performance Pack. This adds a bunch of cosmetic carbonfibre trinkets, but more importantly bucket seats that lower the driving position, dynamic engine mounts, the aforementioned drift mode and a Race drive mode with a more rear-biased 4WD setting.

INTERIOR

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09 Mercedes AMG CLE 53 2024 review dash IV driving

Inside, there’s a choice of two aesthetics. Night Edition cars have the usual lashings of carbonfibre and an Alcantara steering wheel, while the standard Premium version has a classier and more subdued aesthetic with more leather and wood trim.

Both versions come with standard sports seats, which are supportive and firmly padded like all Mercedes seats, but give quite a high driving position for a car that presents itself as a performance coupé. We tried the upgraded AMG Performance seats that come as part of the Pro Performance Pack on the international launch, and they do give a more purposeful seating position.

Within the large central touchscreen, Mercedes has incorporated an AMG Performance menu that displays various forms of vehicle data, such as speed and g-force. There's also an on-screen IWC-branded watch that can be used as a race timer for track driving.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

Otherwise, it’s the usual Mercedes deal: generally nice, but with some iffy materials here and there. It’s very screen-heavy with few buttons, but the interfaces are well thought through and pretty easy to use.

What helps in that respect are the satellite controllers on the steering wheel, which let you quickly switch between driving modes and adjust their various parameters.

The CLE 53 Cabriolet offers the same luxurious driving environment peppered with sporting touches.

Its new multi-layer fabric roof opens in just 20 seconds at road speeds of up to 37mph and operates silently, thanks to a new electric mechanism.

With the roof down, there’s 285 litres of boot space, increasing to 375 litres when it’s closed, with the option to extend luggage capacity via a 60/40-split folding rear seat.

Either way, with the roof in place the cabin is snug and warm, the multi-layered fabric hood offering almost coupe-like refinement on the move. Drop the top and the effective wind deflectors and Airscarf system, which blows warm air on the necks of front seat occupants, make the CLE’s cabin a cosy and bluster-free environment.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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17 Mercedes AMG CLE 53 2024 review engine

On start-up, the engine doesn’t have much of a bark despite the four exhaust tips, and in fact, being a mild hybrid, it’s quite keen to shut itself down at traffic lights. Going up through the drive modes doesn’t massively impact the engine sound, apart from adding a slightly puerile upshift fart.

In tin-top versions the motor is a little muted for something toting such typically aggressive Alferterbach aesthetics, but in the Cabrio you can more clearly hear its cultured snarl and the subtle crackle on the overrun from its four-exit exhaust.

I prefer the CLE 53's smooth six-cylinder howl over the BMW M440i's, which becomes a bit reedy at the top end, and the M4's, which is very gruff throughout. It doesn't shout 443bhp, though.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

It’s quick too, albeit not as viciously fast as the 53’s thuggish looks would have you believe. The car’s second, electrically assisted turbo allows for strong low speed response, the Merc’s muscular delivery tailing off only slightly as the six-pot spins its way toward the redline.

It’s enhanced by the nine-speed auto, which offers crisp and slick shifts but can get caught out in manual mode, stuttering slightly on full-bore up changes if a gear is requested just as you hit the rev limiter.

RIDE & HANDLING

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17 Mercedes AMG CLE 53 2024 review front cornering

The ride in comfort mode is no worse than on any mainstream Mercedes. For the avoidance of doubt: that’s a positive. There’s a bit of an edge to the low-speed ride and some road noise from the fat tyres, but it’s much more isolating than a BMW M4, which is pretty punishing for something that’s an everyday car for most owners.

There’s definitely more meat and immediacy to the 53’s steering compared with a normal CLE. The rear-wheel steer helps with the latter, but it’s a fairly mild system, capable of just 2.5deg of angle. In combination with a variable steering ratio at the front, it has allowed Mercedes to make the steering very quick: less than two turns lock to lock. Despite that, it doesn’t feel nervous, but it’s no great communicator. You largely just have to trust that the fat 265-section Michelin S5 tyres at the front will grip, which, in fairness, they tend to do.

The CLE 53 manages to feel quite heavy and mechanical. It also has huge road presence.
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

More challenging roads definitely require a move up to the sport mode of the suspension, as the car can feel a bit loose otherwise. So configured, you get a car that is precise, grippy and flows nicely. But it doesn’t have the ultra-tight damping you do get in the Mercedes-AMG C63, or the rear bias to its four-wheel drive system that would give it a playful side. You can just about get a wiggle from the rear axle if you get hard on the throttle out of a tight corner, but overall it is set up pretty safe.

The Cabriolet feels much the same, which is an impressive achievement. Removing the roof hasn’t unduly weakened the structure's rigidity, and while there's a smidge of detectable flex in the car’s structure it’s more like scuttle shimmy than full on shake. As a result, the Cabrio steers with pretty much the same accuracy and agility as the Coupe, although our car’s optional dynamic engine mounts also help here.

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Original 48088 2405 cle amg 056

The CLE 53 is significantly cheaper than the BMW M4 but around £10,000 more expensive than the BMW M440i. It must be said that if you option up an M440i to the same level as the basic CLE 53, the gap becomes really quite small.

Only the Night Edition Premium Plus model can be specced with the Pro Performance Pack, which costs an extra £7500.

30mpg in real-world driving isn't disastrous. But we have seen figures as low as 20.1mpg.
Murray Scullion
Digital editor

During our long-term testing of the car we covered thousands of miles. It averaged 28.1mpg. Which is really good considering the claimed fuel economy is 29.4mpg. 

On long motorway journeys we even regularly saw above 30mpg. We averaged 408 miles on a full tank of super unleaded.

LONG-TERM REPORTS

Read our full Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 long-term review here

Car performance in varying weather conditions

The CLE 53 AMG is a prodigious all-weather machine that never struggles for traction, yet you still have to respect it at all times, especially in Sport and Sport+ models that limit the involvement of the traction control system. Among the driving modes is a 'Slippery' mode, that's designed just for low-grip road conditions that keeps the car as stable as possible.

Presence of any noises, rattles, or disturbances that develop over time

In our time testing the CLE 53 AMG, there were none. The build quality is rock solid and this is a car as well built as it is well engineered. 

Comparison of real-world fuel efficiency to manufacturer claims

If you really push the car, you can end up with fuel economy approaching single digits. Which is no surprise in something so powerful. Yet drive it in a normal way and you can actually get close to and actually beat the official claimed figure, as the engine is so under-stressed at a steady load in motorway conditions.

Responsiveness and intuitiveness of the infotainment system

The level of technology can be quite bewildering in a modern Mercedes when you first get in it, and the CLE 53 AMG is no exception. However, the infotainment itself is easy to navigate once you know a few choice shortcuts. The fact that heater controls are on the screen as well is perhaps the most irritating thing, as there's always one extra button press or swipe of the screen than you were expecting.

Effectiveness and reliability of safety features

In our time with the CLE 53 AMG, there was no false activation of the automated driving features. Their lack of intrusion was welcome, and allows you to put trust in them being there in the background when needed.

Practicality of space and storage for regular use and trips

You'd hope for a car to be so long to be practical, yet you're still always surprised at just how much space there is when you see how sleek the body is. The boot is very deep and goes back a long way, and can easily swallow the likes of golf clubs. Access isn't the easiest into the back seats, but the amount of space is not an issue.

VERDICT

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21 Mercedes AMG CLE 53 2024 review rear static

Despite its pumped-up looks and mighty performance, the CLE 53 is not a direct M4 challenger. Is that a bad thing? We don’t think so.

It’s only slightly more expensive than a BMW M440i, offers a chunk more performance and looks the business. The Performance Pack might add a further dimension still, but even as is, it feels worthier of its AMG badging than the M440i of its M badging.

The CLE 53 feels akin to a downscaled Bentley: big on torque and refinement, and the power and performance is a by-product of that.
Mark Tisshaw
Editor

And so Mercedes offers a gentle cruiser with a smooth, powerful and charismatic six-cylinder engine in the CLE 450, but without too many look-at-me sporty addenda. There’s a mildly sporting AMG-lite in the CLE 53, and presumably an all-out performance car in the upcoming CLE 63.

Moreover, while four-seat onvertibles may have fallen out of fashion, but the CLE 53 Cabrio is a reminder of why such models can be such appealing driving machines. Given this car isn't an out-and-out high performance machine, its slighly softer focus suits the more laid-back charms of open air motoring. Especially when the sun is shining.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S.

James Disdale

James Disdale
Title: Special correspondent

James is a special correspondent for Autocar, which means he turns his hand to pretty much anything, including delivering first drive verdicts, gathering together group tests, formulating features and keeping Autocar.co.uk topped-up with the latest news and reviews. He also co-hosts the odd podcast and occasional video with Autocar’s esteemed Editor-at-large, Matt Prior.

For more than a decade and a half James has been writing about cars, in which time he has driven pretty much everything from humble hatchbacks to the highest of high performance machines. Having started his automotive career on, ahem, another weekly automotive magazine, he rose through the ranks and spent many years running that title’s road test desk. This was followed by a stint doing the same job for monthly title, evo, before starting a freelance career in 2019. The less said about his wilderness, post-university years selling mobile phones and insurance, the better.

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?, Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.