Happy 1%-ers in their CLS63 AMGs
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Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 114
Likes: 25
From: Weddington, NC
2021 GLA 45; 2025 CLE 53
Happy 1%-ers in their CLS63 AMGs
Barron's, the financial weekly, ran an article about three of Mercedes's new models -- the CLS63 AMG, the ML350 BlueTec, and the SLK350.
Keep in mind that this is a financial publication, and not an automotive one, so there's little in the way of technical details. Still, it's good to see positive press.
Here's the part of the article pertaining to the CLS63:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLS63 AMG: This is to the rest of Benz's bread-and-butter midsize sedans as a piranha is to a goldfish. A blend of old-fashioned muscle car and newfangled technology, the CLS63 can rocket to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, while cosseting happy 1%-ers inside in a cabin dripping with the usual fine leather, thick pile carpeting and soft-touch surfaces.
But this is no swift and soft luxo-liner. The CLS63 handles, brakes and rides in a way that belies its biggest drawback -- a 4,277-pound curb weight and a feel that makes it seem somewhat ponderous. The hefty weight, along with a thirsty bi-turbo V8 throbbing with 518 horsepower, produces EPA mileage ratings -- 16 miles per gallon in the city, 25 for the highway, 19 combined -- that might make Sierra Club members frown. But the CLS's performance makes drivers smile.
In its base $94,900 form, the car has a lot of gadgets. Close to fully loaded, as our $115,435 palladium-silver tester was -- we're Barron's, remember -- it fairly groaned with them.
Pluses: The seven-speed automatic transmission and electronically adjustable suspension are exemplary. And the Mercedes Comand system, which controls many functions from a central knob on the console, is much improved over earlier versions (although it's still overly complex). The safety systems -- including the ones that alert the driver if another car is in a blind spot or passing on the right–are among the best around, giving off relatively few false alarms. Mercedes says that the radar-based active cruise control system can apply "100% braking power," if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows down. (I'll take the company's word for that.) And the standard stop-start system, which, to save fuel, turns the engine off when the car comes to a halt, and turns it back on when the driver takes his foot off the brake, performed flawlessly and unobtrusively.
Negatives: The "active driver's seat" -- equipped with bolsters that grip the occupant during hard turns -- is downright creepy. And a flaw in some Mercedes radios persists; unless you're a huge fan of static, AM reception is pathetic.
The CLS63's raison d'être, however, isn't grippy seats or football broadcasts, but breathtaking performance, which it delivered on a stretch of open beachfront highway, with no other cars around. Our CLS had a $7,300 performance package that ramped up the engine to 550 horsepower and boosted the top speed to 186 mph from the standard 155.
Wretched excess? Sure, anywhere outside a traffic-free autobahn (a rarity) or Montana in the pre-daytime-speed-limit days. But wouldn't you want something a little over-the-top if you'd laid down 115 large for a car?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the record, I don't find the active driver's seat "creepy" in the least -- it's a great feature for spirited driving.
I loved the "happy 1%-ers" reference. Is that insensitive of me?
Keep in mind that this is a financial publication, and not an automotive one, so there's little in the way of technical details. Still, it's good to see positive press.
Here's the part of the article pertaining to the CLS63:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLS63 AMG: This is to the rest of Benz's bread-and-butter midsize sedans as a piranha is to a goldfish. A blend of old-fashioned muscle car and newfangled technology, the CLS63 can rocket to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, while cosseting happy 1%-ers inside in a cabin dripping with the usual fine leather, thick pile carpeting and soft-touch surfaces.
But this is no swift and soft luxo-liner. The CLS63 handles, brakes and rides in a way that belies its biggest drawback -- a 4,277-pound curb weight and a feel that makes it seem somewhat ponderous. The hefty weight, along with a thirsty bi-turbo V8 throbbing with 518 horsepower, produces EPA mileage ratings -- 16 miles per gallon in the city, 25 for the highway, 19 combined -- that might make Sierra Club members frown. But the CLS's performance makes drivers smile.
In its base $94,900 form, the car has a lot of gadgets. Close to fully loaded, as our $115,435 palladium-silver tester was -- we're Barron's, remember -- it fairly groaned with them.
Pluses: The seven-speed automatic transmission and electronically adjustable suspension are exemplary. And the Mercedes Comand system, which controls many functions from a central knob on the console, is much improved over earlier versions (although it's still overly complex). The safety systems -- including the ones that alert the driver if another car is in a blind spot or passing on the right–are among the best around, giving off relatively few false alarms. Mercedes says that the radar-based active cruise control system can apply "100% braking power," if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows down. (I'll take the company's word for that.) And the standard stop-start system, which, to save fuel, turns the engine off when the car comes to a halt, and turns it back on when the driver takes his foot off the brake, performed flawlessly and unobtrusively.
Negatives: The "active driver's seat" -- equipped with bolsters that grip the occupant during hard turns -- is downright creepy. And a flaw in some Mercedes radios persists; unless you're a huge fan of static, AM reception is pathetic.
The CLS63's raison d'être, however, isn't grippy seats or football broadcasts, but breathtaking performance, which it delivered on a stretch of open beachfront highway, with no other cars around. Our CLS had a $7,300 performance package that ramped up the engine to 550 horsepower and boosted the top speed to 186 mph from the standard 155.
Wretched excess? Sure, anywhere outside a traffic-free autobahn (a rarity) or Montana in the pre-daytime-speed-limit days. But wouldn't you want something a little over-the-top if you'd laid down 115 large for a car?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the record, I don't find the active driver's seat "creepy" in the least -- it's a great feature for spirited driving.
I loved the "happy 1%-ers" reference. Is that insensitive of me?
Administrator
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: THE Orange County, California
2024 C8 Z06- 2025 BMW CS- 2022 Porsche 992 GTS
Really Barrons???.... Damn Car and Driver just lowered the bond rating on my company- what to do?? 
And the AM radio comment......Who the fawk listens to AM radio?
And the AM radio comment......Who the fawk listens to AM radio?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 114
Likes: 25
From: Weddington, NC
2021 GLA 45; 2025 CLE 53
It would be difficult to name two things associated with my new CLS63 that I care less about than AM reception and MPG.
Although, for the record, AM reception seems fine.
Although, for the record, AM reception seems fine.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 921
Likes: 14
From: Edmonton alberta, canada.
Porsche 991 GT3, 2012 cls63 Kleemann K3
youre kidding right?
please dont say that. if thats true im gonna have to seriously rethink my purchase.
milege is one of the MAIN resaons i want to switch to another car. i get HORRIBLE milege, like 9.5 mpg.
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 265
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From: Bay Area
2020 GTR Roadster, 2020 GT63S
My AM radio is weak (I agree - who cares!), but I easily get 15 - 16 mpg in the city, and 22 - 23 on the highway. I track my mileage by the tank full, and I get from 17 - 21 mpg, on average.
