Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Review (2018-present)
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Eye-catching looks, inside and out
Comfortable and confident drive
The AMG version is hugely quick
Cons
Compromised rear headroom
Premium price tag
Porsche Panamera is more exciting to drive
The CarGurus verdict
As long as you don’t mind giving up a modicum of practicality, the CLS offers one of the most stylish vehicles in the luxury car market. It’s not cheap, but it should hold on to its value well, and it’s generously equipped whichever version you buy. On top of that, it’s not bad to drive either.
If you’re looking for outright performance then you might want to also look at the Porsche Panamera range, and the BMW 6 Series GT is just as good behind the wheel. The Audi A7 Sportback has a slightly more impressive interior but can’t match the driving experience and general sleekness of the Mercedes. We think the CLS ticks enough boxes for enough people that it’ll be a very attractive machine for many years to come.
A car like this has to be comfortable, and so the CLS is. Larger protuberances from the road will make themselves known in the cabin, but most of the time you’ll waft along in comfort. From behind the wheel it feels like a solid proposition, with a good amount of heft through the steering to give a reassuringly confident drive. It’s certainly more nimble than an A7, and as good as a 6 Series GT.
Engine wise, you can have diesel or petrol. There are two diesels, either the CLS300d or the more powerful CLS400d, which also has all-wheel drive (which Mercedes calls 4Matic) if you want extra traction. In the petrol range, you can have the rear-wheel drive 350 or the all-wheel drive 450. The petrol models have a mild-hybrid system included, called EQ Boost, which gathers small amounts of kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted when cruising or braking, stores it, and redeploys it under acceleration to help improve fuel economy. Keep in mind though that it’s not a full hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, which means you can’t run on electric power alone or plug it in to recharge.
For real performance, go for the CLS53, made by Mercedes’ tuning arm AMG. This gives you a full list of features but also a 3.0-litre, turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine with 429 horsepower and all-wheel drive. It’s the fastest CLS available, although it’s not actually all that much quicker than the CLS450.
The CLS’s interior is brilliantly made (while not quite as rock solid as the A7 Sportback) with a snazzy, modern design and mood lighting all around the cabin. Want to adjust the colour? No problem – you can have any in the rainbow. The front seats are super comfortable and very adjustable, and the infotainment system has a huge amount of depth to it. You might need to spend some time understanding what it can do, and how to do it, but it can do a lot. It adjusts using a dial and touchpad between the front seats. You can configure it in all sorts of ways, just as you can with the virtual instrument panel – a screen in front of the driver that replaces traditional analogue dials.
There are two main trim levels, both of which are pretty packed with features. AMG Line has a sporty vibe with big 19-inch wheels and a slightly more aggressive body kit, while AMG Line Premium Plus just adds even more equipment, including 20-inch alloys, a sunroof, upgraded Burmester sound system and extra features on the infotainment system. All models get plenty of kit though, with heated leather seats as standard.
The CLS is a big, heavy, premium car, so it won’t be cheap to buy or run. But that said, it does look like good value compared to competitors, especially for the CLS300d, which is likely to be the biggest seller and therefore the most common on the used market. We think it’ll be desirable for some time to come, which will help keeps its resale values high, lowering overall costs.
Non-4Matic cars will get better fuel economy, not just because they’re carrying less wait without the all-wheel-drive system, but also because they put out less power. But that said, the all-wheel-drive 400d diesel will still get better fuel economy than the two-wheel-drive CLS350 petrol. Expect high-30s to low-40s when it comes to mpg in the diesels, and high-20s to mid-30s in the petrols. The exception to that will be the CLS53; while it has an official combined fuel economy of up to 31mpg, is much more likely to be in the mid-20s at best.
As the Mercedes CLS was launched in 2018, after the Vehicle Excise Duty rules changed, you’ll pay a flat rate of tax after the first year. All models cost more than £40,000 new, and so attract a surcharge of £325 for five years after the first year.
Service intervals vary depending on how you use the car; a message will pop up on the dash telling you when one is due. Roughly though, expect one every 12 months or 10,000 miles.
Mercedes offers a service plan called ServiceCare, which covers the cost of parts and labour for up to four services, and also includes things like brake fluid, spark plugs, air and fuel filters and screen wash. Prices vary depending on the age of the car and how many services you want, but you can pay monthly with prices starting at around £40. This plan is transferable if you sell the car; if you’re buying a used one, see if it’s still valid.
Mercedes-Benz as a brand doesn’t have a great reputation for reliability, and often sits at or near the bottom of independent dependability studies. If it’s any consolation though, so do Audi, Porsche and BMW.
Because this generation of CLS is relatively new, we’ll have to wait a while longer to see how it does as a specific model, and if any particular problems rear their heads. At the time of writing (mid-2020), there have been no recalls on this generation of CLS, which is a positive sign.
Should anything go wrong with your CLS, Mercedes-Benz offers a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which isn’t spectacularly long, but is better than Audi’s three-year, 60,000-mile offer. Once the warranty has expired, Approved Used cars from Mercedes come with a one-year, unlimited mileage, which will give some extra peace of mind.
Safety-wise, the CLS is based on the same mechanical bits as the E-Class, which scored the maximum five stars when crash tested by safety organisation Euro NCAP back in 2016.
- This third generation of CLS is available only as a saloon. Previous versions also came in estate form, called a CLS Shooting Brake, but there are no plans for such models this time around. That immediately loses the CLS some points against the Porsche Panamera and its Sport Turismo variant, but the other big rivals – the Audi A7 and BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo – don’t have estate versions either.
- The CLS is loaded with all sorts of technology, and it isn’t a cheap car, which makes it surprising that the entry-level AMG Line trim doesn’t feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone connectivity as standard. If you want that, you’ll need to go for the AMG Premium Plus model.
- The CLS has some very clever autonomous driving features that, in certain conditions, will take over braking, acceleration and steering for you, and even change speeds automatically if the speed limit changes. It’s very impressive and works well, especially on long motorway drives, but it was optional as new rather than included as standard. If you want those features, and you’re buying a used CLS, make sure it has the Driving Assistance Plus package included on it. It wasn’t available on AMG Line models.
- If you want the most affordable: Go for the diesel-powered CLS300d AMG Line. This was the most affordable CLS when new, and the diesel model will also get the best fuel economy, so it’ll keep your running costs down as well.
- If you want absolute performance: The Mercedes-AMG CLS53 is the one to go for. The big six-cylinder engine will power what is a large and heavy car from standstill to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds. It also has a faster nine-speed automatic gearbox than the rest of the CLS range.
- If you live in an area with inclement weather: You might want to consider one of the all-wheel drive models. The CLS is rear-wheel drive as standard, but the 400d, 450 and CLS53 send power to all four wheels, which means better traction in slippery conditions.
- If safety is a priority: The Driving Assistance Plus package, as well as the autonomous driving features, also includes extra safety equipment, including a blind spot warning system and Evasive Steering Assist, which helps you keep control while making evasive manoeuvres.
