By Peter Perrotta
When you work selling Mercedes Benz automobiles for a living, it’s akin to being a kid in a candy store. Everywhere you look there’s plenty of luxuriously expensive cars to look at, feel and drive.
More than 10 years ago, I exclusively sold Mercedes, working at one of the more prestigious dealerships in South Jersey.
As part of our sales training – to get superior product knowledge – it was expected of us to drive each and every model in an effort to familiarize ourselves with that car so that when we took our clients on test drives we would be prepared for the multitude of questions customers have when considering whether or not to purchase that car.
I must admit that even back then – and to this day – the Mercedes Benz CLS Coupe was one of my absolute favorite vehicles to drive.
So I can honestly say that when I was scheduled to test drive and review the 2020 Mercedes Benz CLS450 4matic Coupe, it brought a broad smile to my face. It also revived a lot of memories from my car selling days at the dealership.
After spending a week behind the wheel of this luxurious beauty of a car, my opinion hasn’t changed. It remains one of the finest production automobiles on the market – albeit it doesn’t come cheaply.
Marketed from Mercedes as a four-door coupe, the CLS was originally designed in 2001 by noted designer Michael Fink. Fink was also noted for styling the first generation CLK, the C class sport coupe and the Maybach 57 and 62.
The first thing one notices about the CLS Coupe is that it isn’t a coupe at all.
While its named and badged as a coupe, it actually is a four-door vehicle that simply looks like a coupe due to its aggressively low stance and swooping and curved exterior design.
In its overview for its review of this model for 2020, the folks at Car and Driver had this to say:
“The CLS-class is a study in contradictions, but one thing that’s clear is its commitment to luxury and performance. It has four doors, yet Mercedes markets it as a coupe (you can thank its fastback styling for that choice).”
Once you get past doing the double take of “Wow, this is a four-door coupe” and you slide yourself into the opulent cabin inside, your senses are immediately overwhelmed with the simply luxurious feel of this car.
If I was forced to give an analogy, it’s much like trying on a pair of soft hand made Spanish leather boots. No one has to tell you that there’s quality in this product. You just feel it right away.
The soft leather contour seats immediately grab you when you slip into this car and the swooping design and ergonomics are such that you almost become one with the car.
All around you is luxury at this point – from the piano lacquer trim to the sleek and shiny infotainment screen and the old, but new styled dashboard clock, luxury abounds.
After you get done gasping, and finally reach for that push button start, the smoothness and powerfulness of the ride of this beast doesn’t disappoint.
This car is at once luxurious but at the same time, quick, extremely powerful and very athletic.
I took my CLS tester on a bit of a road trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where when you get out on the remote stretches of the Pennsylvania Turnpike the speed limit shoots up to 70 mph. Most motorists are cruising along at more than 80 mph out there.
At 80 mph and upward, this car is barely breaking a sweat or even breathing hard. This car is most definitely a vehicle that one can push to high speeds and still feel extremely confident that you are in full control at all times.
The 2020 CLS450 4matic Coupe is powered by a smooth 3.0 liter turbo charged inline six cylinder engine that is paired with a 48 volt hybrid assist system Mercedes calls EQ boost. This winning combination provides output of 362 horsepower and 369 pound feet of torque. The nine speed transmission works well with this EQ engine set up as well.
In real time, on the road, driving there isn’t much this car can’t do.
Of course, all of this fine elegance, power and athleticism doesn’t come cheap. There is a price to be paid.
My tester model carried a base price of $72,450. However, after adding a whole host of expensive options and adding in the destination charge, the bottom line sticker price comes in at $99,125.
The car I drove for a week had an exterior color called “designo Arabian Gray” – which I wasn’t all that fond of. I would have preferred a simple black or white. The charge for the paint option on this car is a breath taking $4,900.
Some of the other option packages on this car included: $5,500 for a designo interior styling package that includes soft nappa leather seats and a suede headliner; $2,250 for a driver assistance package; $1,320 for the contoured massaging front seats; $1,450 for a wireless charging system for your phone and a whole lot more.
For a vehicle with this much power, the gas mileage is rather impressive. The EPA gas mileage rating on this car comes in at 26 miles per gallon overall – with 30 mpg in highway driving and 23 in city driving.
The average estimated annual fuel cost for driving a CLS comes in at $1,900 per year as this car consumes about 3.9 gallons of gas per every 100 miles driven.
This vehicle was not crash test rated by the government yet.
Peter Perrotta’s On The Road column appears weekly. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. He can be contacted at [email protected].