Mercedes-Benz CL Review

It’s not only one of the most expensive Mercedes-Benz vehicles on sale; it’s one of the most expensive cars on the road. It’s luxurious, comfortable and lighting fast, so you can feel at ease spending over half a million dollars on the top-spec Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG.
Each Mercedes-Benz CL, from the 4.7-litre V8 CL500, through to the CL65 AMG is built with the finest interior this side of a Rolls Royce. Not to be confused with the Mercedes-Benz SL, the CL is more a car to drive, as opposed to be driven in.

Available in four guises, the 4.7-litre V8 CL500, 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 CL63AMG, 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V12 CL600 and 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 CL65AMG, there’s a CL to suit everyone’s budget.
Starting at $336,500 for the CL500, the CL63AMG can be snagged for an additional $86,300 at $422,800. If a V8 simply isn’t enough squirt for your liking, the twin-turbocharged V12 CL600 is only $2,300 more. But, if a 1000Nm AMG sports car is your only compromise – be prepared to fork out $518,750 for the CL65 AMG.

Even though the CL65 AMG’s feature list is fairly comprehensive, you could spend up to $22,500 on optional Designo inserts – whatever they are.
Behind the wheel, performance figures are much of a muchness between the four variants, with 0-100km/h times of 5.4-seconds, 4.6-seconds, 4.5-seconds and 4.4-seconds respectively for the CL500, CL63AMG, CL600 and CL65AMG.
Taking the power-plants into account, the figures are fairly surprising. Powered by a 4.7-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the CL500 produces 320kW and 530Nm of torque. Slap an AMG badge on the boot and the CL63 AMG jumps to a 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 400kW and an amazing 800Nm of torque.

The V12 flavoured vehicles up the ante even further with the CL600 powered by a 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V12 that produces 380kW and 830Nm of torque. But, the most powerful of all is the CL65AMG, powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 that pumps out a staggering 463kW and 1000Nm of torque.
Progressive steering and excellent handling are very surprising traits for this line of 2.2-tonne plus cars. Don’t expect a great deal of feel through the wheel, though. Aimed at the Grand Touring section of the market, steering feel can sometimes be a bit lifeless.

With an interior based off the S-Class, the CL is sumptuous and well appointed. Around town and on country roads the ride is very smooth and soaks up everything thrown at it. Sound insulation is also top-notch, without even a whisper coming through the cabin when you get on the throttle.
The whole line of Mercedes-Benz CL engines have been tested well beyond their intended use, so an owner can expect reliability and longevity from their sizeable investment.
The Mercedes-Benz CL comes with a host of safety features that will hopefully never need to be used. Systems such as PRE-SAFE, stability control and night vision help prevent unnecessary accidents. The systems can brake the car to prevent collisions, wind the windows up and even move the seats if required.

From the side-on profile, it’s easy to think there isn’t much room within the cabin. Rear seat passengers get plenty of room – despite a cut roof line in comparison to the S-Class. The boot is also surprisingly large, capable of taking on 490 litres of cargo.
In terms of standard features, the CL comes with everything you could imagine. Satellite navigation, night vision, heated and cooled seats, radar based cruise control, DVD player, incredible sound system and my favourite – massaging driver and passenger seats.

Fuel consumption is probably a non-issue for CL buyers – but here it is anyway. The CL63 AMG consumes a respectable 10.6L/100km, climbing to 11.1L/100km for the CL500. The V12 CL600 nudges the figure up to 14.3L/100km and the CL65 AMG does away with 14.5L/100km.
If you have over $330,000 laying around and love the idea of jumping behind the wheel of a powerful, luxurious cruiser it’s impossible to look past the Mercedes-Benz CL range. The pick of the bunch is most certainly the Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, which packs a monstrous torque punch and a bucket load of features. Now…just to find that spare stash of cash.