All Buttoned Up
The Mercedes CL550 looks and drives smart — maybe too smart
Few things instill confidence more effectively than dressing to the nines. Driving the new Mercedes CL550 inspires a similar feeling. Pull up anywhere in it and people look at you as if you’re wearing a beautifully tailored suit. And they’re right — Mercedes’ big coupe looks and fits as if it were made to measure in Hong Kong or London. But sometimes it feels like it has too many stitches.
2007 Mercedes CL550
Price as Tested: $110,925
Engine: 382 HP, 5.5-liter, DOHC V-8
Curb Weight: 4,485 pounds
Let me explain. Like Mercedes’ flagship S-class, on which it is based, the CL550 is dripping with the latest technology. Most of its sophisticated features are accessed through a video-interface command system. Others do their work in the background, like a string quartet. Drive along with the radio, navigation system, and climate control switched off and the CL550 is serenely quiet — except for unseen electric motors whirring away.
The CL550 competes with BMW’s 6 Series, Maserati’s GranSport, and Jaguar’s XK, but it doesn’t have the sporting intent of that trio. Its exterior is an elegant take on the muscular S-class. Like the long line of sedan-based coupes that preceded it, the CL550 is a rock-solid high-speed express. Its 5.5-liter V-8 engine provides abundant torque — good enough to reach 60 mph in about 5.4 seconds — and horsepower sufficient for easy triple-digit cruising, though the speed is (oddly) electronically limited to 130 mph. Nevertheless, the V-8’s smoothness and strength impress.
The engine is linked to a seven-speed automatic transmission that, although smooth, has its awkward moments. For example, when speed is reduced to 10–15 mph and maintained, the transmission will downshift to the next ratio, slowing the car more than you intended. The combination wood/leather steering wheel is a tactile delight, with good on-center/turn-in feel. The electronically controlled suspension keeps the car remarkably flat in hard cornering and offers a smooth ride — no small feat considering the CL550’s weight of more than 4,000 pounds. Its four-wheel disc brakes overcome the weight just as effectively, bleeding off speed in stable fashion.
The materials inside are top-notch, tastefully blending wood and leather in a clean, inviting layout. The driver and front passenger perch on 14-way adjustable seats, while those in back enjoy sufficient space and comfort for semi-extended drives. A Harmon Kardon digital surround-sound system provides aural satisfaction while GPS navigation, hands-free Bluetooth, and an external memory card slot add to the information experience. Nine airbags, full-length head protection curtains, and Mercedes’ Pre-Safe braking system and Electronic Stability Program raise safety margins admirably.
Although it’s no sports car, the CL550 cuts and thrusts through traffic ably, despite some questionable complexity. One wonders how many buyers who shell out $100K on a car will bother with a 668-page manual. But reading it is the only way to grasp the car’s array of systems. Mercedes S-class/CL-class product manager Bart Herring maintains that most buyers do read the manual. Comfortable with information-age interfaces, such buyers appreciate and use the technological sophistication, Herring argues.
However, driving the CL550 sometimes feels as if you’re “beta-testing” some of the car’s more techie bits. Distronic-Plus, a radar-equipped cruise control system, allows the user to set a speed and distance from the vehicle ahead and then figuratively fold his or her legs lotus style. Radar sensors gauge distance to the vehicle in front of you and apply brake or throttle as needed to maintain the margin. On the road, I found the system did not accelerate the car in a timely fashion. It can also interfere with your radar detector.
Activating the Night View Assist system essentially replaces the speedometer display with a live infrared view of what’s ahead (your speed appears in a bar at the bottom). One drawback: it forces you to take your eyes off the road and stare where the speedo used to be to see what’s out there. Far more valuable is the lack of a B-pillar, the hunk of metal that separates the front and rear doors in most cars, giving the CL550 marvelous visibility and significantly reducing blind spots. It’s not technically whizz-bang, but it’s very effective.
The CL550 really is like a handsome, well-dressed man, moving authoritatively through a crowded city streetscape. Unfortunately, this being the age of endless gadgets, he’s also wearing a honker of a wireless headset that he can’t stop futzing with. Just forget the tech and you’ll look, and drive, smart.
— Eric Tegler
