2009 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Interior Review at Automotive.com
»Locate a Dealer»Find a Used Car»Get Financing

2009 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Review: Interior

Find a Car
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Review

High performance in a luxury coupe.
Interior
e, and too aggressive. We left that feature de-activated, and opted for more massage.

The AMG models feature a unique sport steering wheel with distinctive aluminum shift paddles, and multi-contour leather sport seats finished with special piping. Completing the AMG interior package is an exclusive analog clock based on the design of the IWC-Ingenieur series.

We found using the COMAND system while underway distracting, but we didn't have much practice. It is complicated enough that it will take an owner a period of time to absorb the combination of button-pushing and knob-twirling-and-tapping that best accesses and adjusts the CL's many features. Exploring the system while on the road divides the driver's concentration. In our week-long test session, we found it best to slow down, pull over into the right lane and stay out of the way while fiddling with the system. We figure at least a month would be required for an owner to fully master COMAND, maybe more.

The CL interior's only real negative is rear seat room. There isn't much. Though the rear buckets are as handsome and almost as comfortable as the front (they lack any adjustability), this is a not a place to spend much time. Despite its full-size 116.3-inch wheelbase (albeit 8.2 inches less than that of the commodious S-Class sedan), the CL's dramatic dimensions mean rear legroom in the small-car range. Plant a six-foot driver behind the wheel and a six-foot rear-seat passenger's knees are jammed against the front seatbacks. Kids and anyone less than 5-feet, 6-inches will fit well enough. And most people will be able to handle the tight rear quarters for local trips to the mall. But this is not the car to take on a cross-country jaunt with four average-sized adults.

Oddly, that lack of interior room may be one of the CL's strongest luxury statements: It's a large car that can afford to ignore the everyday requirement of passenger-carrying practicality. Need more space? Take another car. This is apparently okay in this class: The Bentley Continental?Mercedes-BenzCL-Class�Interior? ?? ??? ??? ? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????????????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?????????? ??? ???????? ?? ? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????????????????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????????????????????????????????�?????????????A?Dating back to the early 1950s, the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is and always has been an expensive and exclusive coupe. They have evolved significantly with the times, but their fundamental mission remains the same: High-performance and maximum luxury in a gloriously stylish package. These are cars in which esthetics purposely trump practicality.

Pounding the point home is the CL's hardtop design: As with all of its predecessors since 1958, there is no central B-pillar aft of the doors to break the sleek lines of the body. With the windows down, the look is sexy and the view out is panoramic, recalling cars of the Fifties and Sixties when hardtops were in vogue.

Where the current CL breaks most from tradition is in its sheer excess. Pricey and pretty as they were, the big Mercedes coupes of the Fifties, Sixties, and even Seventies were compact compared to contemporary U.S. cars, and were powered by relatively small-displacement engines. The current line qualifies as truly massive, in size, weight, and horsepower.

The most significant change for 2009 is that the CL550 now has the Mercedes-Benz all-wheel-drive system, 4MATIC, as standard equipment. It is thus called the CL550 4MATIC.

The CL550 4MATIC has a powerful 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8. The CL600 packs an insanely powerful 510-hp twin turbocharged 5.5-liter V12. There are also two AMG versions: The ridiculously powerful CL63 AMG with its 518-horspower 6.2-liter V8, and the preposterously powerful CL65 AMG with its 604-horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. We're running out of adjectives to describe the performance of these engines.

Like its predecessors, the current CL manages to be sporty without being a true sports car. Securing the right exterior proportions meant making the CL significantly shorter than the S-Class, upon which it is based. This results in a close-coupled, intimate interior, the kind historically associated with coupes from time immemorial. We'd call the rear passenger area cramped, though similar models from BMW and Bentley actually have even less rear legroom. The CL is for being seen in. If you want practicality in a big Mercedes, buy an S-Class sedan.

In the front seats, the CL is a car that is as wonderful to be in as to be seen in. Its interior is sumptuous and inviting, dressed in the finest materials and tailored to perfection. Burled walnut, supple leather, brushed aluminum and designer-quality knobs and switches are everywhere you look and touch. The standard equipment list bulges with luxury items no one actually needs but almost anyone would love to have, from a harman/kardon 600-watt, 11-speaker audio system to soft ambient mood lighting. Through the Mercedes COMAND central computer interface, many dozens of settings for seats, climate, sound, lighting, GPS and much more can be customized to your personal preferences.

The CL offers a breathtaking array of safety technology as standard equipment: Nine airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, automatic brake drying, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and automatic window closers, to name a few items.

In short, the CL is ultra-luxurious, sexy, technologically advanced and very stylish with excellent all-around driving capabilities. With its occasional rear seating for two, it's roomier than a sports car but tighter than a sedan. We think the CL will be extremely appealing to a relative few drivers who fall in love with it and can afford the luxury of choosing stylish lines over day-to-day practicality.?Mercedes-BenzCL-Class� Lineup???? ? ? ????????????? ???????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ? ?? ??????? ?? ? ?????????????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ? ????? ? ?? ??????????? ????????????????? ????????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ? ??? ? ????????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ??????????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ? ??? ? ? ?????????? ??? ? ?????????? ??? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???? ? ?? ?????? ?????????? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ?? ????????? ?? ?????????????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?????????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?????????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ? ????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???????????? ??????????????????????? ???????? ????? ??? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ?? ? ????????????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ??? ? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????????? ????? ?? ????????? ??????????? ? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ? ????? ??????????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ???? ? ???????????? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ????????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????????? ??????????? ????????? ??? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ??? ????? ???????????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ???? ?? ?? ??????????? ? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ??? GT and BMW 6 Series have even less rear legroom.

Cargo room is just the opposite. The trunk is deep, commodious and finished in a handsome gray carpet. Under the trunk floor is a shallow but still useful cargo tray, and under that a full-sized spare. Liftover height is about average, and the electric powered opening-and-closing feature is always appreciated. Next Page



2009 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
  
Select Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Trim  
First Name
City
Phone
- - x
Last Name
State
Email
Address
Zip