2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class - Review

Enlarge PhotoInside, materials are excellent, fit and finish is first-class and the styling, though perhaps a bit heavy-handed, fits very well with the car’s overall theme, and with the luxury segment in general. The quality of the wood is notable, looking less like a lacquered simulacrum and more like a polished bit of furniture.

The leather is soft and pliant, without the slickness encountered in cheaper-feeling leathers. Panels fit closely and securely, and all about the cabin are made to feel substantial and solid, even at the lower door panels and across the cabin ceiling. Aspiring rivals would do well to cover their bases as thoroughly.

Equipment and Features
The CLS 550 delivered to us for testing came with an Indium Grey paint job, Cashmere Beige interior and three options/equipment packages: the Parktronic system, the P01 Premium Package and the 318 Trim Package; which is a cryptic way of saying it had a built-in iPod/MP3 interface (note: NOT iPhone compatible), electronic trunk closer, active heated and cooled front seats, and a handful of other handy gadgets.

Parking is more difficult than it might seem, given that the car not only looks bigger than it is from the outside, but from the inside as well. After several trial runs and some assistance from the parking sensor, however, all of the eccentricities of the car’s dimensions can be sussed out, allowing dazzling displays of wheel placement without mounting or scraping a curb.