Mercedes CL500: One Minute Test Drive

Date: 16 May 2007   |   Author: Tristan Young

Category: Sports Prices: £79,640-£107,085 Key Rival: Aston Martin Vantage

What's new: Big Mercedes coupes have always had a cult following. The new CL is a technical tour de force and should continue to attract a loyal following.

Excellent: Night vision, clever cruise control, pre-safe anti-collision system and massaging seats all make this car amazingly clever.

Good: Prestige feel to the ownership experience. You feel special when you drive a CL.

Average: At nearly £80,000 you expect perfection from the ride, which unfortunately can bang on some surfaces.

Poor: The CL is heavy. At 5kg under two tonnes, all that technology has had a negative effect and the car can in the real world feels like it needs the full 388PS to return a good turn of speed. Cost per mile is a massive 99.8p.

Verdict: Technology will amaze, as will the price.

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