2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 Road Test

Drop-dead sexy is not the first phrase that comes to mind when we think of midsize sedans, but after spending a significant amount of time behind the wheel of the new 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500, we can’t think of another expression that so perfectly sums up the German automaker’s curvaceous new four-door. Take the time to get beyond its eye-catching good looks, however, and you’ll discover the CLS500 is definitely more than just another pretty face. Where coupes and sedans frequently occupy opposite ends of the practicality and styling spectrums, the CLS500 does a remarkable job of finding the elusive sweet spot between these two familiar body styles, much the way Mazda has done with the RX-8. Like all products that put an emphasis on style, however, we discovered a few flaws in our test car’s substance. Just the same, the head-turning CLS500 represents a significant step for an automaker that’s long been known for its formal – some might even say stodgy – sedan styling.

Model Mix

Model Mix The mainstream model is the V8-equipped CLS500. Buyers looking for the ultimate in performance will want to check out the CLS55 AMG. As the tenth model in the Mercedes line-up, the 2006 CLS-Class follows the luxury automaker’s pattern of developing sportier models based on existing sedan platforms – in this case that of the E500 sedan. Compared to the E-Class, the CLS-Class is almost 3.5 inches longer overall while retaining the same 112.4-inch wheelbase. It’s also 2.5 inches wider and 2 inches shorter than its E-Class forebear. Like most models that wear the three-pointed star, the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is offered in two trim levels differentiated primarily by what lies beneath their bonnets. The mainstream model is the V8-equipped CLS500, our test car for a week. Buyers looking for the ultimate in performance will want to check out the CLS55 AMG which gets a fire-breathing 469-horsepower, 5.5-liter V8 along with a lowered suspension, 19-inch wheels, and special bodywork.

Coupe or Sedan?

Coupe or Sedan? Mercedes says the CLS-Class is a “coupe.” Problem is, the last time we checked, that designation was reserved for vehicles with just two doors. Therefore, we’ll call the CLS a sedan. Before we get to the details of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, let’s clear up a fundamental bit of confusion about what to call this shapely new four-door. Visit the Mercedes-Benz website (www.mbusa.com) and you’ll find the CLS-Class described simply as a “coupe.” Problem is, the last time we checked, that designation was reserved for vehicles with just two doors, or vehicles with two primary doors and small secondary access panels to enter the rear seat. Therefore, we’ll call the CLS a sedan – a sleek and sexy one, but a sedan nonetheless. The reasoning behind this semantic sleight-of-hand, as far as we can tell, is that the Mercedes marketing folks are trying to convey the idea that a coupe is more a state-of-mind than a physical description. Which, in a roundabout way, gets to the very essence of this new design: A car that combines the racy styling of a sports coupe with the real-world practicality of a sedan. By positioning this new model as a four-door “coupe,” Mercedes has also tried to carve out a unique niche in an increasingly crowded luxury car field. The downside to this strategy, of course, is that it opens the CLS up to comparison with and competition from a much wider variety of excellent automobiles. Competition batters the new 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class from two fronts. For starters, the rakish design puts the CLS up against a number of charismatic luxury coupes. And it’s easy to see how prospective buyers and current owners of two-seaters like Mercedes’ own SL500 and coupes with a highly impractical back seat like the Jaguar XK8 would find the CLS an attractive choice. But no matter how much Mercedes would like to play to this sports coupe crowd, there’s no escaping the fact that this vehicle will be measured first and foremost against other high-end sports sedans. In a category like this, populated by the likes of the BMW 545i and Lexus GS 430, the CLS-Class clearly has its work cut out for it in trying to lure buyers away from some of the best looking and most luxurious performance-oriented four-doors on the market today.

Design

Design Both the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500’s luxury trappings and cutting-edge technology take a back seat to its eye-catching styling, a design that looks good from virtually every angle and gives the car a sense of motion even when it’s standing still. Both the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500’s luxury trappings and cutting-edge technology take a back seat to its eye-catching styling, a design that looks good from virtually every angle and gives the car a sense of motion even when it’s standing still. Much of the credit for this dynamic appearance goes to the car’s arching profile, pronounced wedge shape, and boldly sculpted sides. The design’s added length, broad grille, steeply raked windshield, and blacked out window frames that give the side glass the appearance of one long slit also convey a sense of power, accentuated by 18-inch wheels and subtle fender bulges. Open the driver’s door and you’ll find a passenger cabin that seems as snug and sporty as that of a two-seater thanks to the low roofline and a wide center console that stretches the length of the interior. As you’d expect from a high-end automobile, everything is covered in high-quality materials including yards of leather and a choice of matte-finished burl walnut or high-gloss laurel wood trim.

Comfort

Comfort Comfort in front is ample, but rear passengers must grapple with tight leg room and restricted head space. Visibility is also compromised, and there’s precious little storage area inside the CLS. Slide into the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS 500’s driver’s seat and you’ll find nearly as much head and legroom as the E500. Comfortable 10-way power-adjustable bucket seats and a power-adjustable tilt/telescope steering column make it easy to find an ideal driving position. A three-position memory feature on both the driver and front passenger’s seats allows everyone to store their preferred settings. While there’s ample room up front, the CLS500’s two-place back seat gives up a significant amount of head (1.5 inches) and leg (7.5 inches) room compared to the E500 sedan. While this creates obvious problems for taller passengers, even the vertically challenged have to be careful not to whack their heads on the doorframe when getting in and out. The same low-profile windows and fat C-pillars that look so good from the outside also tend to limit visibility from within. Complicating matters further are smallish outside mirrors that we found difficult to adjust in order to get an optimal view. With so many of us carrying cell phones, iPods and the like, it’s curious that the interior’s storage options are limited to two small covered bins in the center console – one each between the front and rear seats – and shallow map pockets in the doors. Out back things are a bit better with a nicely finished trunk that provides a very respectable 15.8 cubic feet of cargo room. Our test car’s optional power trunk closer meant lowering the lid was a simple as pressing a button.

Nuts and Bolts

Nuts and Bolts Under the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500’s hood is a gem of an engine, a 302-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 that produces abundant acceleration. Power is delivered to the rear wheels in true sports sedan fashion through an excellent seven-speed automatic transmission. Under the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500’s hood is a gem of an engine, the same 302-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 that propels the E500 sedan with authority. The refined powerplant produces abundant acceleration thanks to 339 lb.-ft. of torque that’s available across a wide powerband from 2,700 to 4,250 rpm. Add relatively low emissions and the auditory satisfaction provided by a nicely tuned exhaust note and it’s all the motor most drivers will ever need. Power is delivered to the rear wheels in true sports sedan fashion through an excellent seven-speed automatic transmission. In addition to making the most efficient use of the engine’s broad power band, this sophisticated unit offers a Sportronic manual shift feature that allows the driver to run up and down through the gears with a sideways tug of the console-mounted shift lever. Selectable Comfort and Sport modes also make it possible to adapt the transmission’s shift patterns to suit the driver’s tastes. One downside to this powertrain is that, like most high-end automobiles, it requires a steady diet of pricey premium fuel. Our test car returned 15.5 miles per gallon in a mix of city and highway driving, or just slightly less than the CLS500’s EPA fuel economy estimates of 16 City/22 Highway. With a 21-gallon fuel tank, that gives the CLS500 a range of 325 miles between fill-ups.

Road Test

Road Test The biggest flaw in the otherwise ideal powertrain begins to rear its ugly head the moment you step on the gas. And a slight surge keeps the brake pedal from responding progressively, which in turn makes smooth stops hard to come by. When it comes time to get the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 rolling, the big V8 accelerates strongly enough that the manufacturer’s impressive six-second 0-to-60 time is easy to believe. Part of the credit goes to the Sportronic transmission’s knack for selecting just the right gear even when left in the fully automatic mode. The biggest flaw in this otherwise ideal powertrain’s performance begins to rear its ugly head the moment you step on the gas. There’s a slight hesitation that causes you to feed in more throttle, which then results in a surge of acceleration. While this sort of hiccup is common to many models that have replaced a physical linkage between the accelerator pedal and the engine with an electronic “drive-by-wire” connection, it’s the kind of small annoyance we can imagine might grow into a major irritation over time. Once underway the CLS500’s standard electronically controlled air suspension continually adjusts ride height as well as damping and spring rates to suit existing driving and road conditions. The suspension also includes a console-mounted button that allows the driver to cycle through three progressively firmer settings – Comfort, Sport 1, and Sport 2 – to dial up just the right ride/handling balance for everything from comfortable interstate cruising to carving turns on a twisty section of mountain road. The suspension system also includes a self-leveling feature that automatically compensates for heavy loads. A separate button allows the driver to raise the body by one inch for travel over rough roads. The same speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion power steering used in the E500 delivers precise and progressive control. That said, we think a lot of driving enthusiasts will find themselves wishing for a little more weight in the steering effort. When it’s time to hit the brakes, large four-wheel discs – 13-inchers up front and 11.8-inch units out back – bring the CLS to a rapid halt. Advanced braking technology, including four-wheel ABS with electronic brake-force distribution and electronic brake assist, helps keep things under control during hard stops. Here too, however, the electronic gremlins common to drive-by-wire systems make their presence felt. A slight surge keeps the brake pedal from responding progressively, which in turn makes smooth stops hard to come by. Again, this may seem like a small nit to pick but the car’s overall level of sophistication – not to mention its steep price tag – make these problems stand out in stark relief.

Safety

Safety Given Mercedes’ pioneering efforts in the field of occupant protection, it’s no surprise that the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 comes with a long list of standard safety features. Given Mercedes’ pioneering efforts in the field of occupant protection, it’s no surprise that the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 comes with a long list of standard safety features. Topping that list are must-have technologies including electronic stability control, traction control, and antilock brakes with a Brake Assist feature that helps bring maximum braking force to bear in panic stops. If things do go wrong, the CLS features advanced multi-stage front airbags, plus side-impact and side-curtain airbags front and rear for an extra measure of chest and head protection in broadside collisions. Mercedes’ GPS-based TeleAid hardware, which comes with one year of free service, can also automatically relay the car’s location to emergency personnel in accidents severe enough to deploy any of the eight airbags.

Value

Value The CLS-Class costs serious money, the kind that will park a wide array of handsome, luxurious, and powerful new coupes or sedans in your driveway. Our 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 test car came to us in granite gray metallic paint that incorporates a sophisticated new clear topcoat that’s said to help protect against scratches. All the expected luxury amenities are standard, including four-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview and driver’s side mirrors, built-in universal garage door opener, power-operated glass sunroof, and more. Tacked onto the car’s $66,920 base price (which includes $720 in destination/delivery fees and a $1,300 gas guzzler tax) was a healthy – but by no means complete – list of options totaling $5,380. Adding the Lighting Package’s xenon “active” headlights that pivot to light the way around turns ($1,220), plus the Premium Package’s ventilated and heated front seats, DVD navigation system, power rear sunshade, and 480-watt, 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system with six-disc CD changer ($3,650), and a power trunk closer ($510) brought the bottom line to a sobering $72,300. That kind of serious money will park a wide array of handsome, luxurious, and powerful new coupes or sedans in your driveway. Which puts the question of whether the CLS500 is a good value or not squarely in the realm of very personal decisions.

Wrap-Up and Specs

Wrap-Up and Specs Ultimately, like all things fashionable, the CLS sacrifices a measure of practicality in exchange for its stylish good looks. Ultimately, like all things fashionable, the CLS sacrifices a measure of practicality in exchange for its stylish good looks. But for those buyers who want to be noticed behind the wheel – and yet still have room for the occasional business clients or kids – the Mercedes-Benz CLS500’s distinctive packaging may be good enough to make its few shortcomings easier to live with. Specifications: Test Vehicle: 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 Price of Test Vehicle: $72,300 (including $720 destination charge) Engine Size and Type: 5.0-liter V8 Engine Horsepower: 302 at 5,600 rpm Engine Torque: 339 between 2,700 and 4,250 rpm Transmission: Seven-speed Sportronic automatic Curb weight, lbs.: 3,812 lbs. EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 16/22 mpg Observed Fuel Economy: 15.5 mpg Length: 193.3 inches Width: 73.7 inches Wheelbase: 112.4 inches Height: 55.2 inches Leg room (front/rear): 42.1/28.1 inches Head room (front/rear): 36.9/36.1 inches Max. Seating Capacity: 4 Max. Cargo Volume: 15.8 cubic feet Competitors: Audi A6 4.2, BMW 545i, BMW 645Ci, Cadillac STS V8, Cadillac STS-V, Chrysler 300C SRT-8, Dodge Charger SRT-8, Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra GT500, Infiniti M45, Jaguar S-Type 4.2, Jaguar S-Type R, Lexus GS 430, Lexus SC 430, Porsche 911 Carrera, Saleen S281-E

Photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz